United States Arms Transfers as a Consistent Element of United States Foreign Policy
Abstract
On 19 May 1977, President Carter announced his Conventional Arms Transfer Policy. He contended that the US could not simultaneously be the world's leading champion of peace and largest arms dealer. He pledged to reduce the level of arms transfers. Beginning with the Truman administration, however, arms transfers through either grant aid or the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program have been an important tool of US foreign policy. Despite criticism in recent years from sectors of the public and the Congress concerning the marked increases in transfers, the FMS program continued to be supported by and consistent with stated policy. Current increases in arms transfers, however, are contrary to the current stated policy. This thesis was directed toward tracing the evolution of arms transfers since WWII, their relationship to stated US objectives and thus to place current policy in a historical perspective. The authors conclude that transfers, since WWII and until the Carter administration, have been consistent with stated US objectives; that it is unlikely that for political and/or economic reasons the US could have pursued other courses of action; and that, unless rigid controls are developed, transfers will continue to rise.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 01, 1978
- Accession Number
- ADA061303
Entities
People
- Lee P. Bell Jr.
- Michael F. Kaiser
- Ricardo C. Pocaterra
Organizations
- Air Force Institute of Technology