<<  <  >  >>

Over the past four

separate the appropriate regulatory aspects

part of the secretary's job description and an

of the FMS program (for example, making

important item on the agenda of many of the

years, Congress

sure U.S. sophisticated weapons are not sold

department's foreign trade missions. The

has added a cool

to outlaw states) from the promotional, pro-

department's Office of Strategic Industries

$30 billion to

sales activities that have been encouraged in

includes a "defense advocacy" function that

part because DSCA's entire budget is depen-

promotes arms exports both within the U.S.

the Pentagon

dent on posting a relatively high volume of

government and with potential foreign buy-

budget--mostly

FMS sales every year.40

ers. The office has also published a series of

for big-ticket

The State Department, which is supposed

"defense market assessments," which give

to be the lead policymaking body in the fed-

U.S. firms detailed data on the state of the

weapons systems

eral government on arms sales, has a split

arms market in key regions such as Europe,

built in the dis-

personality concerning military exports. The

Asia, and Latin America. The assessments

department's bureaus on human rights and

also provide step-by-step instructions on how

tricts or states of

arms control are often voices for restraint on

to do business in those regions. The follow-

congressional

sales of particular dangerous technologies or

ing excerpt from the department's descrip-

leaders.

on exports to particularly repressive regimes.

tion of "How to Do Business in Indonesia"

But the department's Office of Defense

gives a flavor of the agency's attitude toward

Trade Controls, which oversees the licensing

foreign arms sales:

of commercial export of items on the U.S.

munitions list, was "retooled" during the

Sales to the Indonesian military

Bush administration to be more "transparent

require the use of a local agent. . . .

and user-friendly." The new openness re-

Companies will need to identify an

dounds to the benefit of U.S. arms-exporting

appropriate military products man-

firms--not to the average taxpayer, who may

ager, often a retired military official.

have concerns about the kinds of regimes

. . . The local representative or agent

that are getting U.S. military technology.

can set up appointments with pro-

Ever since the Bush administration, State

jects officers, and market, promote,

Department personnel at overseas embassies

and demonstrate defense products on

have been graded for promotion in part on

behalf of the manufacturer. Selecting

how helpful they are to U.S. defense firms.

the right agent is a critically impor-

Furthermore, the department coordinates

tant step for your company, and assis-

the Defense Trade Advisory Group--a panel

tance with preliminary selection can

made up almost exclusively of executives

be provided by the USF&CS [the

from weapons-exporting companies--which

Commerce Department's U.S. For-

eign and Commercial Service].42

has had great influence in recent years on

such issues as lifting the ban on sales of

advanced U.S. combat aircraft to Latin

Given recent revelations about the levels of

America (just one of many matters on which

cronyism and corruption in Indonesia prior to

the Clinton administration took the Defense

the downfall of the Suharto regime in 1997, the

Trade Advisory Group's advice). A conserva-

matter-of-fact tone of the Commerce Depart-

tive estimate of State Department resources

ment's advice on finding former Indonesian mil-

devoted to arms export promotion is $3.7

itary officers to help U.S. weapons exporters mar-

million and 75 personnel.41

ket their wares in Jakarta is stunning. The

Commerce Department's dismissive attitude

The Commerce Department also plays a

toward human rights in Indonesia is equally trou-

significant role in pitching U.S. defense

bling:

equipment to foreign buyers. Since the late

Ron Brown took over as secretary of com-

Instances of human rights abuses

merce in the first Clinton term, promoting

have given rise to concern in the U.S.

sales of U.S. defense equipment has become

14