U.S. Sends Jets to Pro-western Arab Countries; No Jets Sold to Israel

Quantities of military jet planes and tanks are being given to Iraq, Jordan, and Lebanon, State Department spokesman Lincoln White made known today. He said this decision was actually taken several months ago.

State Department sources said that heavy arms shipments from the Soviet bloc have been received by the United Arab Republic. Therefore, it was explained, the United States was strengthening the military position of pro-Western Arab regimes.

Mr. White said the United States has had for a considerable time military assistance programs with a number of states in the Middle East “which have demonstrated their determination to defend their territorial integrity and freedom.” Under these programs, be said, the United States has been supplying military equipment to “Iraq, Lebanon, Jordan, and other countries.”

Asked to detail the “other countries,” Mr. White said he did not wish to enumerate specifically. He did mention, however, that military equipment had been provided to Saudi Arabia.

State Department sources said no U.S. military jet planes had been sold to Israel and that no military equipment of any description had been given to Israel. Relatively small quantities of spare parts and items of similar nature have been sold to Israel in cases of export license approval.

Policy toward the United Arab Republic was among topics discussed by President Eisenhower, Secretary of State Dulles and British Prime Minister MacMillan, it was reported today on good authority. William Rountree, Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, participated in a meeting today with Mr. Dulles and Mr. MacMillan.

The British Prime Minister told the National Press Club today that he did not think the Suez attack was a mistake. He said he thought it a tragedy the attack did not tactically succeed. He termed the Suez move “sound, honorable, and justified.”