Progressive Politics

On paper, the guardrails are clear. When the U.S. ships weapons overseas, partner governments promise three things: That they’ll use them only for authorized purposes, keep them secure, and not hand them off to third parties.

If those conditions are violated or serious suspicions arise that they are, the State Department is obligated to investigate and, in many cases, alert Congress.

In practice, however, a new Government Accountability Office report shows the system is ad hoc, with little guidance or follow through. The State Department largely relies on overseas Defense Department officials for tips about potential end-use violations.

Since 2019, the Pentagon has flagged more than 150 incidents that could be violations. But the State Department has reported just three end-use violations to Capitol Hill.