US lawmakers, veterans support lifting of arms embargo on Vietnam

“Congress will work with the administration to ensure today’s more expansive shift in policy aligns with US interests”, said Republican Senator Bob Corker, chairman of the Senate’s Foreign Relations Committee. 

Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy, the top Democrat on the subcommittee that oversees the State Department budget, stated that the decision to approve arm sales will be reviewed individually and should reflect an assessment of relevant factors. 

American war veterans who served in Vietnam have also said they welcome the lifting of the ban, saying it was a logical step in normalising relations between the two countries. 

Ned Foote, head of the New York State Council of Vietnam Veterans of America, welcomed the decision, noting that the Vietnamese had helped account for American soldiers missing in action in Vietnam.

“The war’s over… We’ve tried to build bridges to the Vietnamese”, said Bernard Edelman, deputy director of government affairs for the Vietnam Veterans of America. 

Army veteran Willie Guzman, who served in Vietnam from 1969 to 1971, believed that, as commander in chief, Obama had the right to lift the embargo.