ABSTRACT
A familiar tactic the Reagan Administration pursued in its effort to advance the Middle East peace process was to use arms sales as a means to elicit the support of moderate Arab nations for the American effort. American Israel Public Affairs Committee's (AIPAC's) strategy for persuading Congress to block the Jordan arms sale package essentially rested upon the interest group's determination to personally discredit Hussein's commitment to peace. To achieve this end, AIPAC sought to portray King Hussein as a dishonest and duplicitous leader whose actions belied his stated public commitment to peace. AIPAC's initial strategy to persuade Congress to block the Jordan arms sale package rested on the interest group's claim that Hussein was not committed to peace. In its initial memorandums, AIPAC based its argument against the Jordan arms sale package on the claim that Hussein was not committed to peace.
