An Administration promise was given to Gen. Amer Khamash, the Jordanian Chief of Staff, to expedite shipment of American tanks, artillery, planes and other military equipment, it was learned today, and it appeared likely that shipment of F-104 Starfighter Jet fighters, ordered by Jordan before the June war, would begin soon. Gen. Khamash has Just concluded a secret three-week visit here.
Jordan is also requesting 155 mm. heavy artillery – a long-range weapon that threw shells as far as Tel Aviv during the June war. It also wants 105 mm. cannon and tanks to replace the 106 Patton M-48s Jordan claims Israel destroyed or captured in the war. Delivery of the tanks and artillery to Jordan may be made from surplus stocks at American installations in West Germany. This could permit delivery without delay.
Other equipment scheduled for shipment to Jordan reportedly includes armored personnel carriers, recoilless guns, mortars, ammunition of various types and military communications equipment.
Although the State Department denied Congressional charges that Arab pilots have been getting training here secretly since June, officials admitted today that 25 of Jordan’s best pilots have been trained to fly the F-104s at Lackland and Webb Air Force bases in Texas. The State Department said that the 25 Jordanians being trained here included mechanics and technicians.
The State Department denied reports today that the 48 A-4 Skyhawk fighter-bombers which Israel had ordered in 1966, delivery of which began last October, had all been turned over to Israel. An official said only a “few” had been delivered and the total number would not be in Israel before early in 1969.
Israel has been seeking to obtain the P-4 Phantom fighters and, according to the Washington Evening Star, officials admit that the decision to supply Jordan with the supersonic Starfighters will increase pressure to supply Israel with sophisticated aircraft. The issue was to have been discussed when Defense Minister Dayan met Secretary of Defense McNamara here.
The Washington Post quoted Administration estimates today that the Soviet Union has rearmed Syria, Iraq and Algeria to their pre-June war level and Egypt has been re-equipped to 80 percent of its pre-June level. Soviet diplomats here were quoted today as declaring that the Soviet Union would not be disposed to join with the United States in limiting arms shipments to the Middle East until Israel withdrew from the territories it had occupied during the war.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
