The Administration’s decision to ship new weapons to Jordan at a time when Jordanian guns are shelling Israeli settlements came under strong criticism today in Congress. In a House speech, Rep. William F. Ryan, New York Dem., asked: “for what earthly purpose would Jordan use tanks and jets except against Israel” He said the State Department appeared to have “learned nothing whatever” from the Six-Day War last June and he attacked the Executive Department especially for “quietly” training Jordan airmen here since June. Rep. Ryan called for the immediate termination of training of Jordanian pilots in Texas.
Rep. Seymour Halpern, New York Rep., charged that “it can only encourage Arab belligerence and intransigence to send more tanks, guns, and ammunition to Jordan at the very moment they are firing brutal barrages into Israel. It is a mockery to announce that stupid new decision is deemed essential to the stability of the area.”
Rep. Halpern said he had taken steps to determine “whether the arms will be an outright gift.” He said “it is crystal clear that Jordan was an aggressor in the June conflict.” He asked: “where was the much-advertised State Department influence then and where is the moderation and restraint of King Hussein today?”
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