Arms Wrestle: Capitol Hill Fight Over Carter's 1978 Middle East "Package" Airplane Sale.

The article discusses aspects of U.S. President Jimmy Carter's administration's sale of advanced warplanes to Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Israel in 1978. It argues that Carter had the strength to overcome domestic opposition to pursue his international agenda and that the strategy used to push the package through Congress stemmed from his political imperatives more than the need to meet Saudi Arabia's request. It also explores how Carter's Middle East policy became intertwined with his domestic polical standing.