News In Brief
Washington
US sends 2 AWACS planes to Egypt to guard Sudan
The United States has sent two AWACS (airborne warning and control system) planes to Egypt to guard against new attacks on neighboring Sudan by Libyan warplanes, the Pentagon announced Monday.
President Reagan made the decision to send the planes ''in reponse to a request from the Egyptian and Sudanese governments to bolster their air-defense capability,'' Maj. Bob Shields, the Pentagon duty officer said.
The authoritative Al-Ahram newspaper based in Cairo charged Monday that Libya is planning ''land, air, and sea'' actions to destabilize Sudan.
The US decision follows reports on Sunday that Egypt is helping build an air defense network in Sudan to protect against future air attacks after Friday's raid on the Sudanese radio station in the outskirts of Khartoum.
US AWACS planes have been sent to the region twice in the past 13 months because of concern over Libyan activities.