A delegation representing the American Zionist Council for Public Affairs today discussed the Iraqi situation for over one-and-one-half hours with Assistant Secretary of State Henry A. Byroade and urged that the United States reconsider its decision to grant arms to the Arab state.
The delegation stressed the belief that the best interests of the U.S. are served by concentration on economic assistance to raise living standards in the Middle East and by bringing about reconciliation and cooperation. It said that “to throw arms into the region at this moment is to gamble with peace and security. “
Expressing the delegation’s grave concern, a spokesman told Sec. Byroade: “The record of Iraq’s political instability, its failure to adhere to the democratic cause during World War II, and a demonstrated incapacity of its armed forces all cast doubt on the value of this military arrangement to the free world.”
It was emphasized that the plan may undermine rather than strengthen Middle Eastern defenses and that the region cannot be made secure against Communism until there is a reconciliation of internal conflicts. The delegation was headed by Louis Lipsky, chairman of the council, and included: I. L. Kenen, its executive director; Rabbi Mordecai Kirshblum, of the Mizrachi Organization of America; Mrs. Rose Halprin, of Hadassah; and Rabbi James G. Heller, of the LaboZionist Organization of America.
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