Exclusive: Trump to call on Pentagon, diplomats to play bigger role on arms sales

[DonViejo]

Source: Reuters




JANUARY 8, 2018 / 6:04 AM / UPDATED 3 HOURS AGO
Mike Stone, Matt Spetalnick

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Trump administration is nearing completion of a new “Buy American” plan that calls for U.S. military attaches and diplomats to help drum up billions of dollars more in business overseas for the American weapons industry, going beyond the assistance they currently provide, U.S. officials said.

President Donald Trump as early as February is expected to announce a “whole of government” effort to ease export rules on purchases by foreign countries of U.S.-made military equipment, from fighter jets and drones to warships and artillery, according to people familiar with the plan.

Trump is seeking to fulfill a 2016 election campaign promise to create jobs in the United States by selling more goods and services abroad to bring down the U.S. trade deficit from a six-year high of $50 billion.

The administration is also under pressure from U.S. defense contractors facing growing competition from foreign rivals such as China and Russia. But any loosening of the restrictions on weapons sales would be in defiance of human rights and arms control advocates who said there was too great a risk of fueling violence in regions such as the Middle East and South Asia or arms being diverted to be used in terrorist attacks.






Read more: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-weapons/exclusive-trump-to-call-on-pentagon-diplomats-to-play-bigger-role-on-arms-sales-idUSKBN1EX0WX

[mjvpi]

1. We The People will now pay the military industrial complexs sales representatives.

If it weren’t so evil, it would be brilliant.

[Javaman]

2. spreading his grifting philosophy. nt

[neohippie]

3. Aren't there laws to prevent sales to human rights violators

Congress has passed laws that were designed to prevent the US from selling weapons to countries that have proven to violate human rights.

Like the Leahy Law and so on...

I know that when Tillerson took over the US State Department he moved human rights down as a priority for his department to favor economic growth instead, this administration is only interested in greed, the plight of the civilians in the areas where these weapons sales occur and they don't seem to care about the refugees that these arms sales create.

Look at the ongoing tragedies in Yemen, caused by the Saudis, now Trump wants to export more instability across the world.

The US is no longer leading the march for human rights globally we are looking more and more like an empire that only is concerned with making sure that the wealthiest people in the world are able to grow their wealth.

This is more of the Trump administrations march towards fascism.

[dalton99a]

4. The Foreign Service Institute will be renamed the Donald J. Trump School of Military Sales

Make all commissions payable to Donald J. Trump, proprietor

[Nitram]

5. Trump see every branch and agency of the government as parts of his company, all designed

to help him do business.

[Lonestarblue]

6. Come one, come all to the biggest show under the Big Top of government for sale!

Dictators and petty tyrants especially welcome and get front-row seats in the center show ring for the hawking of the means of destruction around the world. Diplomats who are still left in the State Department will be retrained in the latest sales tactics and the grandest, best ever showmanship. I hope they get a commission on sales.