"The U.S. dominates this international arms market, supplying over half of all arms exports in 1999, four times more than the second largest supplier. U.S. weapons sales help outfit non-democratic regimes, soldiers who commit gross human rights abuses against their citizens and citizens of other countries, and forces in instable regions on the verge of, middle of, or recovering from conflict."
-Federation of American Scientists
War. We live in an age where war is a very controversial topic, a recent example of such being the War on Terror in the Middle East. We all know how the wars start: attacks, political issues, rights for trade, territorial disputes, etc.; but do most Americans know what continues and feeds them? Shockingly (well, not really), the American Government is one of the main driving forces behind war between nations. How? It's not the troops stationed there for military support. Rather, it's the sale of ammunition, military vehicles, and weapons that happens all the time between our government and other nations. Sometimes with known terrorist organizations as well.
I can imagine that it strikes the American people as odd that their tax dollars are being used to build weapons that are sold in the Middle East, and end up in the hands of a terrorist who uses it to kill American soldiers. Hard to believe? Here's an example from not too long ago. July 2007, the US congress plans an arms sale worth about $20 billion dollars to Saudi Arabia. The contents of the package include advanced weaponry, missile guidance systems, upgraded fighter jets, and naval ships. The purpose of this sale? To help Saudi Arabia “counter the regional threat posed by Iran.” In other words, fuel the ongoing war. Side effect of this sale? Neighboring Israel gets a little nervous, seeing as the US promised to help them maintain the top military power in the Middle East. How does the US answer? Pledge $30 billion dollars of military aid. There are so many wrong things that happened here, that I cant imagine anybody can see how these two deals help heal the Middle East, let alone the world. I'm sure that there would have been better ways to use that money; $50 billion dollars is no small sum.
The US hasn't been selling weapons to other countries in only just these past years of war, its been going on for quite a while now. Yes, there are people out there who argue that the US only sells weapons to ally countries and “good causes” Well, what was once an ally country could very well be an enemy country just the next week. Look at this quote from a report by the Centre for Defense in 2001.
"There are 28 terrorist groups currently operating in 18 countries, according to the State Department's bi-annual list of active foreign terrorist organizations.... In the period of 1990-1999, the United States supplied 16 of the 18 countries on the State Department list with arms... In addition, the U.S. military (and the CIA) has trained the forces of many of these 18 countries in U.S. war fighting tactics, in some cases including individuals now involved in terrorism."
At the time of arms sales and military training, most of these countries were formal allies of the United States. Obviously, they aren't anymore. Bad decision, no?
It's not jus the sales of arms to other warring countries, but it's also the lack of responsibility for the weapons that US soldiers use. For example, again, in July 2007; The General Accountability office found that almost two-hundred thousand US registered weapons were unaccounted for in the Middle East. Where were they? In the hands of terrorist, being used to kill not only US soldiers, but other civilians caught in between too. I understand that the soldiers in the Middle East are fighting everyday, risking their lives for a better world, so I find it very hard to blame them. I understand that it would be difficult to pick up dropped weapons while being targeted by an F-16 that the US government sold and ended up in terrorist hands.
How do we tackle this issue? Well, for starters, we can limit the amount of arms sales to foreign countries. If I was to be elected as president, I would use every resource available to make sure that if there were any arms trade to foreign countries, then we would make sure that the current government in charge of the country is stable and will remain stable in the future, free from any terrorist interference. Also, to fix the problem with unaccounted weapons, then I would ask congress to pass a bill that would make it easier for soldiers to keep track of their weapons.
If the American government and the American people work together, and put forward a strong commitment, then we as a nation can overcome all these problems. My fellow Americans, remember that if we want any change to happen though, then all of you must rise up as one and speak. YOU are the one who can make a difference, YOU are the one who can help this nation shed its nickname of “Worlds Largest Arms Dealer.” YOU are the one who holds the peace of the future in your hands.
