Arizona GOP candidate for the House of Representatives Abraham Hamadeh says it is long past time to stop giving free military training to foreign soldiers as the Mid-East devolves into war.
“The United States has a long history of hosting foreign military students but the programs must be monitored. The risks associated with such programs have become increasingly evident, with the Pensacola terrorist attack serving as the most tragic reminder of what can happen when America lets its guard down,” Hamadeh wrote for Townhall.
He is exactly right.
How many times have we trained our enemies at this point, especially those that hail from the Mid-East?
Hamadeh warns that we are putting our security and safety at risk doing this.
“One aspect of this security crisis that few people consider, however, involves training foreign military students in the United States. While the exchange of knowledge and skills between allies and other nations can be an important international diplomatic tool, we must recognize the potential dangers inherent in this ongoing practice,” he wrote.
There are plenty examples of this training going against us.
Hamadeh gives an example:
“On December 6, 2019, a Saudi aviation student, Second Lieutenant Mohammed Alshamrani, opened fire at the Naval Air Station in Pensacola, Florida, killing three U.S. Navy personnel and injuring several others. The incident exposed the dangers of allowing foreign military students to train on American soil, as Alshamrani had shown clear signs of radicalization before the attack,” he explained.
He added:
Alshamrani’s actions serve as a stark reminder that the screening process must be meticulous, and yet is fraught with too many risks. Even with the new enhanced screening that I helped implement, the procedures are not foolproof.
Additionally, given the potential for radicalization after enrollment, especially with the attacks by Hamas on Israel, we must suspend this program.
Many of the foreign students currently hosted on U.S. bases are coming from foreign governments that have espoused Hamas propaganda. The risk of radicalization is just too high. Allowing military students from countries with complex and shifting allegiances to train in the United States can inadvertently expose national security vulnerabilities, especially now.
Hamedeh says we need to suspend these training programs, at least for now as this crisis continues to grow.
“The dangers posed by allowing foreign military students to train in the United States are real and must not be underestimated. We must suspend this practice immediately. This is simply about putting America First,” he concluded.
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