Rep. J. Herbert Burke, Republican of Florida, asked the administration today to discontinue training 405 Arab military personnel at U.S. bases since the State Department feels our country should cool off tensions in the Middle East by not selling further jets to Israel. “The State Department informed me by letter that a total of 317 personnel from Arab countries are being trained under the military assistance program and 88 are being trained under the foreign military sales program. Several of these trainees I know are being trained as pilots,” Burke said. The Congressman said the Arab soldiers–16 of them Jordanians–are being trained to handle U.S. military equipment at military bases in this country. “It doesn’t make sense for the State Department to recommend against selling further Sky hawks to Israel when at the same time it trains Arab pilots here,” Burke said.
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