Sen. Hugh Scott, Pennsylvania Republican, speaking in the Senate today, called for Senate hearings on the Middle East situation because of his concern lest the United States be drawn into military involvement there.
He endorsed an idea advanced last week by Sen. Jacob K. Javits, New York Republican, who linked the chain of recent events in the Middle East with apprehension that the area may become “another Viet Nam.” He charged that the United States was not giving sufficient attention to mounting tensions in the Middle East. “It would be tragic indeed if inaction now led us into a military involvement which could have been settled beforehand at a conference table,” he said.
A number of other Senators today similarly indicated agreement with an address by Sen. Javits, voicing concern lest the Middle East become “another Viet Nam” and asking for a Senate hearing on U.S. policy in the Middle East.
Sen. Bourke B. Hickenlooper, Iowa Republican and ranking minority member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said American policy in the Middle East “has too long been one of confusion, uncertainty and too often a policy of surrender to bluff and bluster.” He said he had long been concerned by the ability of President Nasser of Egypt to extract aid from the United States while denouncing this country and failing to keep commitments.
Sen. Hickenlooper blamed both Israel and the Arab states for the continued troublesome status of the Palestinian Arab refugees. Sen. Javits took issue with Sen. Hickenlooper on this point stressing that the Arab governments used the refugees as political pawns.
Sen. Charles H. Percy, Illinois Republican, said he hoped that President Johnson would read Sen. Javits’ speech. Sen. Percy expressed dissatisfaction with the Administration’s response to developing problems in the Middle East.
Sen. Clifford Case, New Jersey Republican, commended the Javits position that new approaches are needed in the Middle East lest that area deteriorate into a worse situation.
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