2003 Challenging Conventional Wisdom

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1、ChallengingConventionalWisdomDEBUNKINGTHEMYTHSANDEXPOSINGTHERISKSOFARMSEXPORTREFORMEDITEDBYTAMARGABELNICKANDRACHELSTOHLCHAPTER1CHALLENGINGCONVENTIONALWISDOMRachelStohlandTamarGabelnickInSeptember2001,twoindividualsweresentencedinSanDiegofortheirrolesina

2、ninternationalconspiracytoillegallypurchaseHawkmissilecomponents,fighterjetpartsandothermilitarygoodsforIran.The20-monthCustomsprobedisclosedthattheindividualswereoperativesofaLondon-basedfirmcalledMulticoreLtd.thatwasbuyingsensitivemilitaryitemsfromamu

3、ltitudeofU.S.companiesforexporttoIranviaSingapore.1ACanadiancompanyattemptedtosell35OH-58U.S.-originhelicop-terstoundercoveragentsposingasbrokersfortheIraqigovernment.Thesehelicoptersweretobeequippedforair-dispensingchemicalweapons.Theywereseizedbeforeb

4、eingexportedfromCanada.Fifty-eightM-113armoredvehiclesoriginallysoldtotheCanadianArmedForceswereexportedwithoutStateDepartmentapproval,transferredtoEurope,andthentoIran.2Despitethebesteffortsofhard-workingU.S.Customsagents,theaboveinci-dentsarenotaberra

5、tions.3EvendefenseitemsshippedtotheclosestU.S.alliesandtheirnationalstoooftenendupinthewronghands,orareusedforunauthorizedpurposes.TheseexamplesalsoshowthatallU.S.armsexports—fromsparepartstofullyintegratedweaponsystems—needtobetreatedwithcaution.4Nonet

6、heless,aconsensusappearstobeforminginWashingtoninfavorofdismantlingtheU.S.armsexportcontrolsystem—inparticularwithregardtoallies.Anumberofchangeshavealreadybeenmadetothelicensingprocess,andmanymorehavebeenproposedbygovernmentagenciesandadvisoryboards,as

7、wellasthedefenseindustry.Theseso-called“reforms”havegenerallyfocusedontradewithNATOmembersandafewothercloseallies,withwhomthePentagonwantstoincreasedefensecooperation.WhatthismeansforthesafetyandsecurityofU.S.technologyand,moreimportantly,thelivesofU.S.

8、militarypersonnelandcivilians,hasyettobeseen.Butasthisbookdemonstrates,thereisreasontobe-lievetherisksresultingfromsuchpolicychangesoutweighthebenefits.WhatexplainstheU.S.government’soverallsupportfortheideaofrelaxingexportcontro