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Senate Hears Report on U.s Policy of Granting Arms to Arabs

June 2, 1955
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Chairman Walter F. George of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee today told the Senate that questions have been raised “about military assistance being given to certain of the Arab countries, whereas no military assistance has been given to Israel.” He gave this as one reason for emphasizing that military assistance “is not given for any aggressive purpose.”

Sen. George quoted Harold E. Stassen, Director of the Foreign Operations Administration, as saying. “We are not furnishing arms to any country that borders on Israel. We are furnishing arms to the countries that are up against the Soviet.” He said Mr. Stassen emphasized that it is United States policy “to endeavor to establish peace in the Near East.”

The Senator declared that “nations receiving military aid are helped only because we believe their strengthened defense is essential to the security of the United States. Before any assistance is granted to any nation, it is required to agree to a number of provisions relating to supervision of the items received. But, most important of all, military assistance is made available ‘solely to maintain the internal security and legitimate self-defense of the recipient nation, or to permit it to participate in the defense of its area or in collective security arrangements and measures consistent with the charter of the United Nations.'”

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