U.S. Arms Sales Hinge On Rights Records Of Buyers

US President Joe Biden has unveiled a long-awaited overhaul of arms export policy with increased emphasis on human rights, State Department officials familiar with the new Conventional Arms Transfer (CAT) policy told Patricia Zengerle and Mike Stone of Reuters.

Photo Insert: Under the new policy, a weapons transfer will not be approved if the State Department assesses the arms "more likely than not" will be used to commit or facilitate genocide, crimes against humanity, breaches of the Geneva conventions, or serious violations of international law.

The CAT policy covers review of security assistance, government-to-government weapons transfers and licensed commercial sales of US-origin military equipment and services overseen by the State Department as well as the Defense Department and Department of Commerce, including firearms commonly available in the US.

The US is by far the world's biggest arms merchant, selling over $100 billion in weapons, services, and training a year.

Defense firms and activists scrutinize such policies for insight into the government's posture as it balances the interests of exporters like Lockheed Martin Co. and Raytheon Technologies against the country's commitment to human rights.

One change is how the CAT policy addresses the possibility that arms from the US could be used for major human rights violations, the officials said.

Under the new policy, a weapons transfer will not be approved if the State Department assesses the arms "more likely than not" will be used to commit or facilitate genocide, crimes against humanity, breaches of the Geneva conventions, or serious violations of international law.

Previous CAT policy had said such transfers would not be authorized only when Washington had "actual knowledge" that the arms would be used in such actions. One official said “we are looking at a policy of prevention when there is a risk of violation of human rights."

He declined to specify countries that the new policy might affect. Advocates in the past have questioned weapons sales to countries like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates over the civilian toll of the war in Yemen, as well as the Philippines.

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