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good2bhappy

The biggest killer surely is poor nutrition, lack of sanitary conditions and clean drinking water?

Sir Burr

Just because a country exports the most military hardware, doesn't mean they export the most death.
It's who does the importing that is more important.

Where are Sudan, Somalia, Ethiopia and Burma getting their equipment? Probably from China.

attaboy

Okay, okay, the USA places or shows.

The title of the topic was an attention getter. I realize export of weapons =/= export of death. If you want to get technical how exactly does one export death? by eating cuttlefish salad and breathing on a hapless sole?

Norton

You are talking about government to government sales known as Foreign Military Sales (FMS) in the US. FMS sales are subject to the same export criteria and reporting criteria as those related to direct commercial sales (company direct to country). Both are included in US government figures on arms sales.

In the case of Israel, the US allocates $3B per year in "military aid" FMS. Israel can spend one quarter of the money to purchase Israeli industry products, the rest must be spent to purchase US weapons systems.

An additional low interest financing package is available for use by Israel known as Foreign Military Financing (FMF). The amount is adjusted annually but averages around $2B per year. As with FMS the money must be used to purchase US weapons.

FMS and FMF are programs are given to other countries as well. Iraq and Egypt are next after Israel in size.

All in all a very cozy relationship between the US and the governments where these programs are in place. As you point out, there are foriegn policy benefits and of course financial benefits to the companies that supply the arms. The UK has similar relationships and is particularly active in Saudi Arabia.

__________________
Eat right, exercise daily, live clean, die anyway.

sabang

^ I dunno the complex mechanisms involved, but quite a few arms exports to friendly regimes are hidden, or at least obfuscated. How, I wonder. Foreign aid budgets? Lease agreements? Training? (thats one I know has been used by the Brits- many Hawk fighters were sold to African nations as training planes, and somehow avoided the arms sales figures). Pro rata 'gifts', in exchange for infrastructural contracts? Dodgy bookkeeping? 'Black Budgets'?

Limited only by imagination, Political will and crookedness I reckon. Wouldn't actually surprise me if the US is less miscreant than most in this regard, given it's general preference for transparency, but I'd bet a pound to a penny that they do it too.

Incidentally, it is well known that US aid to Israel is well understated in the official figures. Loan guarantees (in which the US is often the loaner as well) alone dwarf the official aid figures.

__________________
To err is human. To blame someone else is politics.

Norton

Yes the US is very strict when it comes to the rules of selling to foriegn users. All sales are subject to the rules and punishable under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA). The FCPA is primarily aimed at preventing companies from paying bribes to user government official in order to have them award a contract. In many countries bribes are a way of life in any business dealings.

Many other countries have similar laws but are not as "vigorous" in enforcements. In some countries this puts US sellers in a non competitive position. No doubt some sales from the US slip under the radar but not many in my experience.

Texpat

GB the biggest exporter of death?

Shameful. A failed, misguided attempt to remain relevant. A vicious, bloodthirsty bunch who send their role-models over to kill a few baddies, ship weapons and export death and lock up migrants for eight years ...

Absolutely unforgiveable.

Ivor Biggun

No. My apology, as I can't find the page again. I concede that on other sites Britain is claimed as the biggest exporter of death and Israel 4th. Israel is the biggest exporter of weapons to the US. This may have got me confused. But I'll keep looking for the original link.

jandajoy

Toyota ?

blackgang

Well isn't there some way that you could blame that on the US?
Just doesn't sound like you without that being done.

gjbkk

Wales - it's got to be the Welsh

gjbkk

Seriously though, the UK won 10 billion pounds (about 20 billion U.S. dollars) of new defense orders in 2007 from overseas, giving it a 33 percent share of the world export market

jandajoy

Ford ?

BugginOut

No, you don't know the complex mechanisms involved nor do you know even the simplest of them. STFU!

jandajoy

Nissan ?

RobAnderson

The US are not exporting "death", but "freedom".

attaboy

Sniffing around for greens are you RA?

sabang

As I said. I also know it happens though.

Do you have a point to make? We need more cannon fodder here.

RobAnderson

I bet nobody complained about the US arms industry "exporting death" in WW2.

Bugs

Plenty complaining in Japan and Germany, and probably a few Italians as well. As it was might have even been a few French bent about it as well - I heard they were pissed the US did not send them enough big white sheets quick enough.