arms

Arms Sales in the Middle East

Overview

  • Focuses on U.S. arms sales to the Middle East, particularly state-to-state sales.

  • Analyzed as a means for Congress to influence U.S. foreign policy.

  • Report draws data from official and unofficial sources, emphasizing the importance of arms sales.

Key Insights

  • Historical Context: Arms sales are crucial for U.S. influence in the Middle East, which significantly impacts global arms trade.

  • Major Suppliers: The U.S. is the largest arms supplier, but competitors like Russia, France, and China also play significant roles.

  • Regional Dynamics: Countries such as Egypt, Iraq, Israel, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and UAE have varying levels of dependence on arms imports.

U.S. Arms Sales Goals

  • Building partner capabilities for U.S. security objectives (e.g., counter-terrorism and deterring adversaries).

  • Fostering intra-regional security and cooperation.

  • Maintaining Israel’s qualitative military edge over neighboring states.

Congressional Influence

  • Congress has constitutional oversight over arms transfers, leading to several measures to influence or restrict sales based on regional stability and human rights concerns.

  • Examples include the requirements to verify sales do not adversely affect Israel’s military advantage.

Regional Arms Demand Factors

  • Conflicts and terrorist threats in the Middle East drive the demand for arms.

  • Military modernization and national pride influence purchasing decisions of Middle Eastern countries.

Country Profiles

Egypt

  • Major importer of U.S. arms, receiving significant Foreign Military Financing (FMF).

  • Recent shifts toward diversifying sources with increasing French and Russian arms.

Iraq

  • Focuses on U.S. arms, but looking toward Russia for diversification, especially post-ISIS.

Israel

  • Almost entirely dependent on U.S. arms, fundamental for maintaining military superiority.

  • Recent discussions around F-35 sales post-normalization agreements with Arab states.

Qatar

  • Hosting U.S. military bases, seeks advanced systems like F-15s and maintaining a diverse supplier strategy.

Saudi Arabia

  • Largest buyer of arms, notably F-15s and advanced missile systems, while working on domestic arms industry development.

UAE

  • Significant buyer of U.S. arms like F-16s, simultaneously diversifying suppliers and increasing domestic production capabilities.

Challenges and Criticisms

  • Human Rights Violations: Concerns arise over U.S. arms potentially facilitating human rights abuses in conflict areas (e.g., Yemen).

  • End-Use Monitoring: Difficulties in tracking U.S. arms once delivered, including failures in combat situations leading to arms falling into unintended hands.

Legislative Actions

  • Congress has attempted to impose conditions on arms sales based on human rights issues and regional stability.

  • Various resolutions disapproving arms sales have been introduced but haven't been successful against presidential vetoes.

Future Outlook

  • Arms sales in the Middle East will remain a contentious area of U.S. foreign policy, requiring a balance between security interests, human rights considerations, and geopolitical dynamics.

  • Ongoing consideration of how sales affect Israeli and regional security dynamics will play a critical role in future negotiations.