GAO: $74B In US Arms To Middle East Over FY '91-2000
WASHINGTON (Dow Jones)--The U.S. government delivered about $74 billion in
military equipment, services and training to countries in the Middle East
from fiscal year 1991 through fiscal year 2000, congressional auditors said.
In a new report, the General Accounting Office said the Foreign Military
Sales and Foreign Military Financing programs have accounted for about 96%
of the value of military items the U.S. has delivered to the Middle East
over the last 10 years,
"The four largest recipients of military items in the Middle East have been
Saudi Arabia, Israel, Egypt and Kuwait," said GAO, a congressional watchdog
agency. "Syria and the Palestinian Authority did not receive U.S. military
assistance during this period."
Other Middle Eastern countries identified in the report as receiving U.S.
military assistance deliveries during the period in question were the United
Arab Emirates, Jordan, Bahrain, Lebanon, Oman, Yemen and Qatar.
"State and Defense Department officials told us that conditions on the use
of U.S. military equipment, services and training delivered to countries in
the Middle East, with few exceptions, are limited to standard conditions
that the U.S. government places on all transfers of military items," GAO
said.
"According to these officials, the U.S. government carefully reviews each
proposed military transfer to prevent sensitive military items from going to
countries that would misuse them or limit the military technology provided,"
GAO said.
It said U.S. laws define the purposes for which U.S. military items can be
transferred. These purposes are internal security, legitimate self-defense,
participation in collective arrangements that are consistent with the U.N.'s
charter, or construction of public works or other economic and social
development activities.
-By John Connor, Dow Jones Newswires; 202-862-9273; john.connor@dowjones.com
(END) DOW JONES NEWS 09-24-01
04:28 PM
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