The Foreign Military Sales Act of 1971, , was created as an amendment to the

Foreign Military Sales Act of 1968 The Foreign Military Sales Act of 1968, , was supplemental legislation to the Arms Control and Disarmament Act of 1961 and the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961. The Act discloses the United States commitment and sustainment to a world free from the ...

. The Act of 1971 established declarations to promote international peace and national security for economic, political, and social progress. The declaration provided coordination for international armament appropriations meeting the objectives of the Nixon Administration's foreign policy. The H.R. 15628

legislation Legislation is the process or result of enrolled bill, enrolling, enactment of a bill, enacting, or promulgation, promulgating laws by a legislature, parliament, or analogous Government, governing body. Before an item of legislation becomes law i ...

supported multilateral discussions between countries concerning the control of conventional armaments and restraints for the worldwide

arms trade Arms trade may refer to: *the global markets for any product of the arms industry *Small arms trade *Illegal arms trade (arms trafficking) See also *Arms Trade Treaty *Arms control *Nuclear proliferation * Chemical weapon proliferation *Arms race ...

. The United States legislation provided provisions for negotiations with the

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...

on the limitation of arm shipments to the

Middle East The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabian Peninsula, Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Anatolia, Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Pro ...

and

global trade International trade is the exchange of capital, goods, and services across international borders or territories because there is a need or want of goods or services. (see: World economy) In most countries, such trade represents a significant s ...

of international fighter aircraft. The

Act of Congress An Act of Congress is a statute enacted by the United States Congress. Acts may apply only to individual entities (called Public and private bills, private laws), or to the general public (Public and private bills, public laws). For a Bill (law) ...

authorized a repeal of the

Gulf of Tonkin Resolution The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution or the Southeast Asia Resolution, , was a joint resolution that the United States Congress passed on August 7, 1964, in response to the Gulf of Tonkin incident. It is of historic significance because it gave U.S. p ...

. The H.R. 15628 bill was passed by the 91st U.S. Congressional session and endorsed by the 37th President of the United States Richard M. Nixon on January 12, 1971.

Provisions of the Act

The Foreign Military Sales Act of 1971 appropriations and resolutions as stated by the Act. * ''Waiver and report'' - No sales, credits, or guaranties shall be made or extended to any country during a period of one year after such country seizes, or takes into custody, or fines an American fishing vessel engaging in fishing more than twelve miles from the coast of that country. The President of the United States may waive the provisions when determined it to be important to the security of the United States or the President receives reasonable assurances from the country involved that future violations will not occur, and promptly reports to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the

Senate Committee on Foreign Relations The United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations is a standing committee of the U.S. Senate charged with leading foreign-policy legislation and debate in the Senate. It is generally responsible for overseeing and funding foreign aid p ...

. * ''Ceiling on foreign military sales credits'' - There is authorized to be appropriated to the United States to carry out this Act not to exceed $250,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 1970 and 1971. Unobligated balances of funds made available are authorized to be continued available by appropriations legislation to carry out this Act. The aggregate total of credits or participation in credits, extended pursuant to this Act (excluding credits covered by guaranties), shall not exceed $340,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 1970 and 1971. * ''Policy statement'' - It is the sense of Congress that sales and guaranties shall not be approved where they would have the effect of arming military dictators who are denying the growth of

fundamental rights Fundamental rights are a group of rights that have been recognized by a high degree of protection from encroachment. These rights are specifically identified in a constitution, or have been found under due process of law. The United Nations' Sustai ...

social progress Progress is the movement towards a refined, improved, or otherwise desired state. In the context of progressivism, it refers to the proposition that advancements in technology, science, and social organization have resulted, and by extension wi ...

to their own people. * ''Conventional arms trade'' - The President of the United States should take action as appropriate to initiate multilateral discussions among

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

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Union of Soviet Socialist Republics The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...

West Germany West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 O ...

, and other countries with regards to control the international trade of armaments. The United States was to commence a general debate in the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...

with respect to the control of the conventional arms trade. * ''International fighter aircraft'' - The sale, grant, loan, or transfer of any international

fighter aircraft Fighter aircraft are fixed-wing military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat. In military conflict, the role of fighter aircraft is to establish air superiority of the battlespace. Domination of the airspace above a battlefield ...

authorized by and made in accordance with the Foreign Military Sales Act or the

Foreign Assistance Act The Foreign Assistance Act (, et seq.) is a United States law governing foreign aid policy. It outlined the political and ideological principles of U.S. foreign aid, significantly overhauled and reorganized the structure U.S. foreign assistance ...

of 1961, or is a regular commercial transaction (not financed by the United States) between a party other than the United States and a foreign country, no such aircraft may be sold, granted, loaned, or otherwise transferred to any foreign country (or agency thereof) other than

South Vietnam South Vietnam, officially the Republic of Vietnam ( vi, Việt Nam Cộng hòa), was a state in Southeast Asia that existed from 1955 to 1975, the period when the southern portion of Vietnam was a member of the Western Bloc during part of th ...

. * ''Gulf of Tonkin Resolution'' - The joint resolution entitled "Joint resolution to promote the maintenance of international peace and security in Southeast Asia", approved August 10, 1964, is terminated effective upon the day that the second session of the 91st Congress is last adjourned. * ''Chemical munitions transportation'' - No funds authorized or appropriated pursuant to this or any other law may be used to transport

chemical munitions A chemical weapon (CW) is a specialized Ammunition, munition that uses chemicals chemical engineering, formulated to inflict death or harm on humans. According to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), this can be an ...

from the Island of Okinawa to the United States. Such funds as are necessary for the detoxification or destruction of the above described chemical munitions are authorized and shall be used for the detoxification or destruction of chemical munitions only outside the United States.

References

External links

* * * * * * * {{cite web , url=http://gao.gov/assets/210/201423.pdf , title=Government Operations: Reorganization Proposals Relative to Foreign Aid and Foreign Military Sales Programs , date=November 24, 1971 , website=U.S. GAO ~ 095466 , publisher=U.S. Government Accountability Office , oclc=969405 1971 in American law 1971 in international relations 1971 in military history United States foreign relations legislation Arms control Foreign Military Sales 91st United States Congress