Bush delivers arms sale to Saudi Arabia

US President George W. Bush (L) smiles as a translator speaks to King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz al-Saud in Riyadh. Bush began a visit to close ally Saudi Arabia to rally support from the regional economic and political powerhouse for his campaign to isolate archfoe Iran.(AFP/Mandel Ngan)

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia - President Bush, on his first visit to this oil-rich kingdom, delivered a major arms sale Monday to a key ally in a region where the U.S. casts neighboring Iran as a menace to stability.

the Bush administration in Washington notified Congress on Monday that it will offer Saudi Arabia the chance to buy sophisticated Joint Direct Attack Munitions — or "smart bomb" — technology and related equipment

The proposed deal follows notification of five other packages to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait, bringing to $11.5 billion the amount of advanced U.S. weaponry, including Patriot missiles

estimated at $20 billion, a figure subject to actual purchases.

Top among the reasons are the chaos in Iraq that followed the 2003 U.S.-led invasion and the widespread Arab feeling that the United States is biased toward Israel and not serious in seeking Mideast peace.

hospitality masked Bush's deep unpopularity among ordinary Saudis