The Southern Cone Has Grown Up: Easing Advanced Arms Transfer Restrictions to Mercosur

The current policy of reviewing each advanced weapons transfer request by Mercosur member states on a case-by-case basis is justified in light of the following 1 the growing economic power of Mercosur that allows these nations to buy advanced weapons on the global arms market with or without U.S. approval, 2 the politicization of Mercosur and its decision to allow only democratic governments into the consortium, 3 the subordination of the armed services to the countries civilian governments, 4 the need to ensure that Mercosur economic and security strategies are in concert with U.S. National Security Strategy, and 5 the international arms control and monitoring agreements in which the nations of Mercosur have voluntarily entered into to ensure that no nation achieves regional hegemony. This paper begins by providing a short historical review of U.S. advanced arms transfer policy towards Latin America. Succeeding chapters provide economic and political interests of the United States in Mercosur, the role of the military in Mercosur, and an analysis of the current U.S. policy toward advanced arms transfers to Mercosur. The Clinton Administrations policy of a case-by-case review of advanced weapons transfers to Latin America, specifically Mercosur, is adequate and appropriate. This new policy treats Mercosur countries on equal footing with the rest of the world, and accepts them as equal partners in the regional security of the Western Hemisphere. A more stringent advanced arms transfer policy in view of the self-imposed restrictions these countries have instituted to control and monitor weapons coupled with their resolute support for democracy in the region would only alienate their security policy from the United States. Furthermore, a more stringent policy may allow other foreign powers to become the preferred partners in the region.