Arizona Sen. John McCain voiced concerns Sunday that President Trump’s executive order barring citizens from seven Muslim-majority countries will prevent Iraqi military pilots from training in Tucson.
The program, run by the Arizona Air National Guard’s 162nd Wing, trains F-16 pilots from a number of countries, including Iraq.
McCain told “Face the Nation” host John Dickerson he recently spoke with the former director of the Central Intelligence Agency, David Petraeus, about the unintended consequences of Trump’s executive order.
“I talked with Gen. Petraeus last night, he is very concerned about the special visas for those interpreters whose lives are literally in danger as we speak,” McCain told host John Dickerson.
“What about the Iraqi pilots that are training right now in Tucson, Arizona, learning to fly the F-16?” he said.
“And there are more coming in.”
The National Guard began training Iraqi pilots in 2012.
