A demand was made today in the House of Representatives that the United States cease training military officers of Syria and other Arab states in American military camps. Rep. Leonard Farbstein, New York Democrat, told the House that most Congressmen were unaware of such training until it was recently revealed by Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara in testimony before the House Armed Services Committee.
In addition to Syrian military personnel, officers of Lebanon, Iraq, Jordan and Saudi Arabia are also receiving free American training, he said. Rep. Farbstein stressed that these countries had “vowed to make war against Israel, and that we are training men whom Mr. McNamara termed their ‘best officers’ to wage that war.”
Rep. Farbstein also said he regarded this practice as “inconsistent with our stated policies, contrary to our national interest and dangerous.” He declared he was aware of an Administration argument that the Soviet Union would train Arab officers if the United States failed to do so. He pointed out that the Arabs have been blackmailing the United States with this tactic for years.
“I think we have gone too far in welcoming their officers to our training camps,” he said. “It is one thing to sell arms on a business basis, another to train these men as our allies.” He insisted that “these Arab officers be sent home” and that the United States deny hospitality to “warmongers.”
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