This marked the second GAO report in September 2010 on the lack of
transparency in U.S. arms exports, Middle East Newsline reported. The reports came amid plans by the
administration of President Barack Obama to export up to $60 billion in
combat platforms and other weapons to Saudi Arabia.
The report said U.S. exports to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab
Emirates account for more than 88 percent of authorizations by the
Foreign Military Sales program, directed by the State Department. GAO said
FMS authorized about $22 billion in arms transfers to the six GCC states.
"State's database system does not have the capability to separate
authorizations by end-user or separate multiple authorizations that cover
the same equipment," the report, titled "U.S. Agencies Need to Improve
Licensing Data and to Document Reviews of Arms Transfers for U.S. Foreign
Policy and National Security Goals," said.
GAO determined that at least $6 billion of the $21 billion authorized in
military exports between 2005 and 2009 were allocated for the U.S. military
presence in the GCC. The report said some of the license values were counted
twice.
"For example, in 2008, State authorized a $47 million arms agreement
with Bahrain and a subsequent $43 million license for aircraft parts," the
report said. "Because the $43 million license was part of the $47 million
agreement, the value of this equipment is included twice."
Congress has also complained of the failure of the administration to
justify the huge U.S. arms deals with the GCC. The report said neither the
State Department nor the Defense Department documented "how arms transfers
to Gulf countries advanced U.S. foreign policy and national security goals."
In a review of 28 arms transfer authorizations to the GCC, the
congressional agency determined that the State Department failed to document
criteria for arms sales. The Pentagon was also said to have failed to
justify the release of U.S. technology for seven out of 13 FMS
authorizations. State assesses such criteria as interoperability as well as
impact on the U.S. defense industrial base, while the Pentagon has been
responsible for the flow of sensitive technology.
"Due to a lack of complete documentation, we cannot verify if U.S.
agencies consistently reviewed authorizations," the report said. "The
partial absence of documentation of agencies' reviews, however, raises
concerns that U.S. priorities are not consistently considered before such
sales are authorized."
In 2008, Congress passed an amendment that the State Department must
also assess Middle East arms requests for their impact on Israel. For more
than 40 years, the United States has pledged to Israel that it would retain
a "qualitative military edge" over its Arab neighbors.
GAO urged the State Department to improve the clarity and utility of its
arms export data, particularly that of commercial weapons sales. The
Pentagon was also urged to documents its reviews of arms transfer requests.
"State and DoD [Department of Defense] agreed with the recommendations,
but State noted that it would need additional resources to improve DCS
reporting," the report said.
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