In the five months since the tragic events of Sept. 11 the United States and its allies have waged war on terrorism on many fronts, one of which is through increased military assistance and arms sales to countries previously barred from receiving US equipment.

The Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, a Washington-based defense policy think tank, has analyzed notable developments in America’s relationship with these new defense partners.

To their surprise, arms trade experts at the Center discovered a huge surge in military support to “pariah states” countries the United States now considers critical in its coalition against terrorism. Kate Kaufer, the arms trade analyst at the Center who studied the sales trend, acknowledges, “When looked at individually, these [high-level government meetings and arms sales announcements] do not look like much. “But,” she adds,” taken together they represent a massive increase in US foreign military arms sales, particularly among countries that we have traditionally shunned — some, like Azerbaijan, that had been sanctioned for nearly ten years. All of this, of course, is directly related to the war on terrorism.”

“Our primary concern, of course, is the ‘boomerang effect’ — where our weapons or military technology winds up being used against us,” says Kaufer.

“The best-known example of this is the transfer of Stinger missiles to Afghanistan. “The key to preventing problems like what occurred in Afghanistan is to more carefully consider the types of weapons we are selling while weighing the stability of the governments with which we trading,” says Kaufer. “Unfortunately, I really don’t think the United States has done a good job of that.”

Below, Kaufer cites some examples of events related to this surge in US arms exports. Kaufer notes that not all of the countries receiving this aid have been traditionally hostile to the United States.

September 19

Meeting with Indonesian President Megawati Soekarnoputri, President Bush agrees to lift the US ban on non-lethal military articles; provide $400,000 in Expanded International Military Education and Training; resume regular meetings between US and Indonesian military officials; and resume Indonesian participation in multilateral military exercises.

September 22

President Bush waives sanctions on India and Pakistan, including: The Nuclear Proliferation and Prevention Act that prohibited military and economic aid to India and Pakistan because of their 1998 nuclear weapons tests; the Symington Amendment that prohibited most military and economic aid to Pakistan because of a uranium enriching facility built in the late 1970s; and the Pressler Amendment which prohibited most military and economic aid to Pakistan because in 1990 then-President Bush determined Pakistan had a nuclear device.

October 4

The State Department notifies Congress of the sale of 12 F-16C/Ds “Fighting Falcon” fighter planes to Oman.

October 5

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Uzbekistan President Karimov hold a joint press conference announcing a “qualitatively” new security relationship that includes: US use of an Uzbek airbase to launch humanitarian relief and search and rescue flights; intelligence sharing; and “the need to consult on an urgent basis about appropriate steps to address the situation in the event of a direct threat to the security or territorial integrity of the Republic of Uzbekistan.”

October 15

Defense News, a weekly newspaper published in Washington, reports that Turkey has rescinded its long-held demand that mission computers for a pending $1.3 billion sale of 50 AH-1Z “Super Cobra” attack helicopters be manufactured domestically.

October 16

US Secretary of State Colin Powell and Uzbekistan Foreign Minister Kamilov meet to discuss the war on terrorism and the “new situation in Central Asia.” A State Department statement says the US is developing a “significantly increased” aid package that includes security assistance.

October 25

The State Department notifies Congress of the sale of 12 “Harpoon” Block II guided missiles to the United Arab Emirates.

October 26

The State Department notifies Congress of the sale of 45 SLAM-ER land-attack missiles and 360 “Javelin” anti-tank missiles to South Korea.

October 27

President George W. Bush signs legislation enabling him to waive sanctions placed on Pakistan after the 1999 coup lead by now-President Pervez Musharraf, clearing the last legal hurdle preventing US military and economic aid to Pakistan.

October 29

Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld announces that approximately 30 US Special Forces troops are providing counter-terrorism training to Philippine soldiers battling the Abu Sayyaf insurgents on the island of Basilan.

October 30

The State Department notifies Congress of the sale of an aircraft logistics support package to Taiwan.

November 6

The State Department notifies Congress of a contract to overhaul Egyptian M109A2/A3 105mm howitzers.

November 9

President Bush and Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, both agree to the “importance of further transforming the US-Indian relationship” through a variety of means worked out in future India-US Defense Policy group meetings.

November 11

President Bush, with Pakistani President Musharraf, announces a $1.08 billion aid package to Pakistan that includes $73 million for border security, and $6.5 million for an anti-terrorism interdiction-training program.

November 20

President Bush meets with Philippine President Macapagal-Arroyo to “underscore their determination to strengthen their military alliance on a sustained basis, through increased training, exercises and other joint activities.” According to a State Department press release this includes a “robust” military training package: Five UH-1 “Huey” transport helicopters and three C-130 “Hercules” transport aircraft, a ten-fold increase in Foreign Military Financing, from $1.9 to $19 million; $10 million in Pentagon goods and $10 million to support law enforcement/counter-terrorism. The approximate value of US security assistance to the Philippines in 2002 will be $100 million.

December 3-4

The India-US Defense Policy Group meets in Delhi, India and announces an expanded defense cooperation and mutual support relationship on counter-terrorism initiatives that include: Military-to-military exchanges, and other joint activities; mutual understanding of the importance of stable, long-term “defense supply” relationships. A February, 2002 meeting of the Executive Steering Group, comprised of the heads of both nations’ three military services, will discuss joint humanitarian airlift, special operations small unit ground and air, Naval and Marine Corps training.

January 9

The State Department lifts the International Traffic in Arms Regulation (ITAR) ban on the export of defense equipment to Tajikistan.

January 10

President Bush signs the fiscal 2002 Foreign Aid bill that includes a provision that enables the White House to waive restrictions on US foreign aid to Azerbaijan. The aid cannot be used against Armenian communities in the Caucuses. Armenia is provided with $90 million in foreign assistance, $4 million in foreign military financing, and $300,000 in military training.

January 16

President Bush meets with Turkish Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit. Turkey is finalizing a plan to reactivate a $324 million Export-Import Bank loan to buy six CH-60 “Blackhawk” transport helicopters and eight CH-60 variants known as the “Seahawk” antisubmarine helicopter. Additionally, Ankara and Washington agree to discuss forgiving part of Turkey’s $4.9 billion Foreign Military Sales debt to the US.

January 23

The Pentagon notifies Congress of a $110 million sale of two surplus Perry-Class guided missile frigates to Turkey.