Power shift in Senate good news for arms exporters

WASHINGTON Ñ The change from Republican to Democratic control in the U.S. Senate is expected to ease restrictions on U.S. export regulations.

The Democratic Senate is expected to ease restrictions on dual-use items, particularly those on advanced computers, congressional aides said.

Congressional aides said several key Republican senators have for years blocked proposals by the former Clinton administration to ease export controls in its drive to increase arms sales to U.S. allies.

Another area that will undergo reform is that of munitions exports, Middle East Newsline reported. The Defense Department has proposed a reduction of the amount of restricted exports under the Munitions List in a move expected to aid the transfer of weapons and aircraft spare parts to the Middle East.

The biggest change in the Senate is the replacement of Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman Jesse Helms. Helms is being replaced this week by Democrat Joseph Biden.

"We are talking a tremendous change in a very important committee," a key congressional aide said. "Helms has been driven almost purely by security and strategic concerns. Biden sees much more the side of diplomacy and industry.

The aides said Helms and some of his Republican colleagues have blocked several proposed arms deals. Helm's allies included outgoing Armed Services Committee chairman John Warner and outgoing Government Affairs Committee Fred Thompson, who have blocked passage of the Export Administration Act.

The first beneficiary of the Senate change is expected to be European defense industries, which have based transatlantic partnerships on the transfer of U.S. weapons technology. But Middle East allies of the United States are also expected to benefit.

Turkey, however, could be hurt by the Senate change. Biden and his Democratic allies have tried to stop deals to Turkey and other countries deemed as human rights violators. Biden also opposed the sale of Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles to the United Arab Emirates for its $6.4 billion F-16 purchase.