The State Department defended today the decision to supply United States arms to Jordan and said that the U.S. Government had “every reason, to believe” that King Hussein “is sincere in his determination to control terrorism” against Israel. The State Department’s assertion was contained in a letter from Assistant Secretary of State William B. MacComber, Jr., to Representative Richard S. Schweiker, Pennsylvania Republican, who is a member of the House Armed Services Committee. But Mr. MacComber refused to fulfill Rep. Schweiker’s request for a detailed list of the weapons approved for Jordan.
The State Department’s faith in Hussein is based, according to MacComber’s letter. on the fact that the Jordanian king “spoke out publicly against terrorism on Feb. 16.” According to MacComber, terrorism against Israel “unfortunately is sustained by subversive forces both within and outside of Jordan” and “are not desired by either Jordan or Israel.”
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