Two Years Later: Biden Has Finally Taken the First Step on Stopping Risky Arms Transfers

Jordan CohenPresident Joe Biden ’s administration just released itsConventional Arms Transfer policy, which dictates who can buy U.S. weapons and how the arms transfers process should function. These policies come directly from the White House; former President Donald Trump issued the last Conventional Arms Transfer policy in 2018, which was primarily focused on the economic benefits from weapons transfers.The Biden administration ’s Conventional Arms Transfer policy makes two notable changes. First, it adds text about norms and human rights. Specifically, it notes that the U.S. should “prevent arms transfers that risk facilitating or otherwise contributing to violations of human rights or international humanitarian law.”Secondly, while the previous Conventional Arms Transfer policy would only stop transfers if the State Department had “actual knowledge” these weapons would be used to violate human rights, the new policy says the State Department can stop sales if it determines U.S. arms will “more likely than not” be used to violate human rights. This, therefore, lowers the standard required before the State Department ca n intervene to stop a problematic sale.Overall, it is good to see the Biden administration is analyzing risks of U.S. weapons being used to violate human rights. With that said, up until this point, the Biden administration has a mixed record on this issue. They have sent billions of dollars ’ worth of weapons to human rights abu...
Source: Cato-at-liberty - Category: American Health Authors: Source Type: blogs