Arms aren't needed

If Bill Clinton cherishes the democratic and economic revival that transformed much of Latin America in the 1990s, he will overrule the recommendations of his departing secretaries of defense and state and maintain the ban on exporting advanced weapons to the region.

The Pentagon, pleading the case of American arms exporters and eager potential customers like the Chilean military, has long favored elimination of the restrictions. The ban was first imposed by President Jimmy Carter in response to the belligerent rhetoric and human rights abuses of Latin American military regimes.

The State Department, reflecting the administration's goal of curbing the regional arms races and encouraging poor countries to shift scarce resources from military to civilian needs, argued for maintaining the ban. But, just before leaving office, Secretary of State Warren Christopher reconsidered his views and joined with outgoing Defense Secretary William Perry in recommending an end to the ban.

Madeleine Albright, nominated as Christopher's successor, has generally championed restraints on arms sales but has not yet specifically addressed the Latin American question.

Those who favor arms sales note that with the exception of Cuba, all Latin American governments are now headed by elected civilians. But selling expensive, high-tech weapons like F-16 fighter planes is no way to nurture these developing democracies. Significantly, the loudest cry for unrestricted arms sales comes from Chile, where the military is not yet under full civilian control.

Although the United States is the largest arms seller to Latin America, other countries also sell weapons to the region and some are ready to sell high-tech equipment. But when Belarus recently sold two types of advanced aircraft to Peru, Washington rightly tried to discourage the deals, warning that they threatened regional stability. It is hard to see why that logic should not apply to American sales as well.

-- The New York Times