Beijing Surprise

When China was accused by the U.S. last summer of selling Iran Silkworm missiles that threatened shipping in the Persian Gulf, officials in Beijing entered the diplomatic equivalent of a consent decree. They denied having made such sales but promised to make none in the future. The same officials are saying even less about another recently disclosed missile deal: the sale to Saudi Arabia of an undisclosed number of intermediate-range CSS-2 missiles capable of reaching virtually anywhere in the Middle East, including Israel.

U.S. intelligence agencies confirmed the missile deal only about two months ago, and it was disclosed publicly in the March 18 Washington Post. Initially taken by surprise, the U.S. has obtained assurances from King Fahd, via a letter to Ronald Reagan, that the warheads on the surface-to-surface missiles are not nuclear. The U.S. has nonetheless asked to inspect the missiles, which have an estimated range of around 1,600 miles. Riyadh has so far refused permission.

The Saudis began searching for more powerful missiles than Washington was willing to supply after such weapons came into use in 1984 in the Iran-Iraq war. U.S. specialists contend that the most likely target for the CSS-2s is not Israel but Iran, whose leaders have repeatedly threatened Saudi Arabia. Israeli military experts do not disagree with the analysis, but are discomfited at finding themselves within range of Arab missiles. When asked about the Saudi arsenal, Yossi Ben-Aharon, the director general of the Prime Minister's office, replied ominously, "Israel has acquired a reputation of not waiting until a potential danger becomes an actual danger."

The Israelis have since backed down from that threat. In fact, they are more concerned about Soviet-built Scud B surface-to-surface missiles deployed by Syria and Iraq, weapons that have a range of up to 360 miles and can reach any part of Israel. Jerusalem is equally worried about Syria's SS-21 surface-to- surface missiles, also supplied by Moscow, which are more accurate than Scuds.

The U.S. was doubly miffed -- at the Saudis for having acted secretively to acquire the weapons and at the Israelis for their threatening reaction. Last week the State Department confirmed that U.S. Ambassador Hume Horan is being recalled from Riyadh after a tour of only six months. It was unclear whether the missile flap was involved, but the issue could hardly have been a highlight of his brief tenure. Horan's possible successor: Walter Cutler, who served in the post from 1984 until last summer.