William D. Hartung
Tuesday, March 8, 2016 - 06:39
From the war on the Islamic State group to the conflict in Afghanistan, arming and training foreign military forces is a centerpiece of the Obama administration's foreign policy. But these high profile cases are just the tip of the iceberg. Data compiled by the Security Assistance Monitor shows that the United States is proposing to provide arms and training to 137 countries in fiscal year 2017. Much of this aid is provided through new programs created by the Pentagon since 2001.
Thursday, February 25, 2016 - 06:13
According to a report released this week by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), arms deliveries to Saudi Arabia have increased by an astonishing 279% between 2011 and 2015, compared with the prior five-year period. More then three quarters of the weaponry came from the U.S. and the United Kingdom.
Monday, October 19, 2015 - 10:38
The recent surge in U.S. arms transfers to the Middle East is part of an unprecedented boom in major U.S. arms sales that has been presided over by the Obama administration. In President Obama’s first six years in office, new agreements under the Pentagon’s Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program – the largest channel for U.S. weapons exports – totaled over $195 billion. Overall, the Obama administration has approved more major weapons deals than any U.S. administration since World War II.