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70 Percent of Americans Say Arms Sales Make US Less Safe
A recent Chicago Council survey shows the Trump administration out of step with public opinion.
MARCUS WEISGERBER Defense One Sep 9
Most Americans want the United States to maintain strong alliances overseas, but not through foreign arms sales, a key tactic used by the Obama and Trump administrations..
Those findings from a recent Chicago Council survey arrive as the White House has worked to loosen export restrictions on military drones and circumvented Congress to sell weapons to allies in the Middle East.
“Americans don’t like selling weapons to other countries,” said Ivo Daalder, president of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, and former U.S. ambassador to NATO under President Obama. They are more supportive to allied countries with one exception, he said. “Bipartisan majorities think that selling arms to Taiwan is a bad idea,” and the poll similarly found low support (38 percent) for using U.S. troops “if China invaded Taiwan.”
Seventy percent of those polled said “selling weapons to other countries” makes the United States less safe. Only 9 percent said it makes the United States more safe.
Those findings from a recent Chicago Council survey arrive as the White House has worked to loosen export restrictions on military drones and circumvented Congress to sell weapons to allies in the Middle East.
“Americans don’t like selling weapons to other countries,” said Ivo Daalder, president of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, and former U.S. ambassador to NATO under President Obama. They are more supportive to allied countries with one exception, he said. “Bipartisan majorities think that selling arms to Taiwan is a bad idea,” and the poll similarly found low support (38 percent) for using U.S. troops “if China invaded Taiwan.”
Seventy percent of those polled said “selling weapons to other countries” makes the United States less safe. Only 9 percent said it makes the United States more safe.
More:
https://www.defenseone.com/business/2019/09/70-percent-americans-say-arms-sales-make-us-less-safe/159743/