Disclose Egyptian Helicopter Pilots Are Training in Britain

A major uproar was developing in Parliament today following the revelation, confirmed by government sources, that Egyptian military helicopter pilots are training in Britain. The government has refused to suspend the training or to ban delivery of the helicopters to Egypt, despite its declared embargo on the Middle East combatants last week which has deprived Israel of spare parts for its Centurion tanks and other military items bought here and paid for by Israel.

The scandal broke when members of Parliament disclosed this morning that Egyptian helicopter pilots were being trained in the west country by the Westland Helicopter Co. of Yeovil, Somerset, manufacturers of the copters. No private firm engages in such programs without the approval of the Defense Ministry and the Foreign Office. A Foreign Office spokesman said the helicopter sales and training were arranged 18 months ago and the actual training begun three months ago. The aircraft are to be delivered to Egypt shortly.

Angry members of Parliament denounced as a lame excuse a Foreign Office statement today that the government would not intervene because the training program would make no difference to Egypt’s war effort and “on the contrary ties down Egyptian pilots here.” They noted that when Britain declared its arms embargo on the Middle East, shipments to Israel were suspended within the hour. A number of MPs have filed urgent questions for the government and various Jewish organizations have made public protests.

Hugh Fraser, a leading Conservative MP and a former Minister at the Defense Ministry, said, “For the government to halt supplies of Centurion spare parts (to Israel) is like a dud insurance company refusing to pay the insurance.” He added that in his view, Britain is as much involved in the Middle East war as the U.S. “Certain people are not prepared to let Israel be vanquished. In other words, there is the grave danger of an Armageddon, a Third World War. Britain cannot possibly remain on the sidelines.” he said.

Michael Stewart, the former Labor Foreign Secretary, called the suspension of deliveries to Israel “a breach of contract.” He said the embargo itself was an anti-Israel decision, “Nothing must be altered by force and this includes the 1967 cease-fire lines,” Stewart said in an interview.

Meanwhile, British Jewish leaders and friends of Israel are expressing anxiety that the embargo on all arms to the Mideast announced last week by the government is being applied selectively to the detriment of Israel. Inquiries at the Foreign Office have not allayed the grave suspicions, if anything, they were enhanced. Asked whether the embargo would now apply to Jordan, who gets almost all her arms and equipment from Britain, the Foreign Office spokesman told the JTA: “We have not named the countries in the original announcement in order to give ourselves room for maneuver, I cannot say anything else on this subject.”

Meanwhile the cargo ship Armanistan, which belongs to the P. & O. Line, is berthed at the East India docks of the Port of London and is ready for sailing with a full load of Scorpion tanks for Abu Dhabi and Kuwait.

In London some 50,000 people gathered yesterday in Trafalgar Square in a demonstration of solidarity with Israel. Thousands of non-Jews, including leading figures from the world of politics and the arts joined with Jewish leaders in condemning the Arab aggressors and pledging support for Israel.