United States military aid

The United States is the world's largest contributor of military aid. In 1996, for instance, over 160 countries received military equipment or training from the U.S.Lora Lumpe and Jeff Donarski, " [http://www.fas.org/asmp/library/handbook/cover.html The Arms Trade Revealed] : A Guide for Investigators and Activists", chapter 1: [http://www.fas.org/asmp/library/handbook/WaysandMeans.html Ways and Means] .]

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Funds and authorization for military aid generally come from the United States Congress. This aid can take several forms, but the most common are direct grants given to governments to purchase American-made weapons, services and training. These are authorized under the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961. $91 billion has been allocated in this way since 1950. The majority of this goes to Israel and Egypt.The Federation of American Scientists, " [http://www.fas.org/asmp/profiles/aid/aidindex.htm U.S. Foreign Military Assistance] ".]

Indirect military aid also amounts to a significant source of aid. Some countries receive International Military Education and Training grants to pay for training on U.S. weapons systems, and military management in general. Some grants support anti-narcotic programs which supply military equipment and training for the purpose of suppressing drug production. Other grants apply specifically to anti-terrorism, non-UN peacekeeping, or other foreign military objectives.

Economic Support Funds are not direct military aid grant, but are frequently overtly used to free up a recipient's finances so that military programs can be purchased. In rare cases, arms funding has been provided directly by the executive branch, either through legal or extra-legal means. One example is the Iran-Contra Scandal.

Recent developments

In 2003, the U.S. suspended military aid to 47 countries for supporting the International Criminal Court and failing to exempt Americans from prosecution. [Reuters, "U.S. Suspends Military Aid to Nearly 50 Countries", July 1, 2003. [http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article3978.htm Reprinted at Information Clearing House] .]

Criticism

U.S. military aid is often the subject of controversy. Critics argue that military aid is given for political purposes, does not benefit the people in the target country, and even results in greater oppression and suffering. [Seth G. Jones et al. " [http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/2006/RAND_MG550.pdf Securing Tyrants or Fostering Reform?: U.S. Internal Security Assistance to Repressive and Transitioning Regimes] " (PDF). The RAND Corporation, 2006. ISBN 978-0-8330-4018-3.]

Particular targets of criticism include:
*United States military aid to Israel
* American military aid to Latin American dictatorships in the second half of the 20th century
*Western military aid to Indonesia (including after the Indonesian annexation of East Timor, though some countries cut aid temporarily);

ee also

* Military budget of the United States

References

Further reading

* " [http://www.fas.org/asmp/resources/110th/Function150.pdf Fiscal Year 2008 Budget Request: International Affairs] " (PDF), U.S. Congress.
* " [http://www.fas.org/asmp/resources/110th/CBJ08.pdf Congressional Budget Justification: Foreign Operations] " (PDF), Fiscal year 2008, U.S. Congress.
* [http://qesdb.cdie.org/gbk/index.html The Greenbook] ("U.S. Overseas Loans and Grants, Obligations and Loan Authorizations"), U.S. Agency for International Development.