Det danske Fredsakademi

Kronologi over fredssagen og international politik 12. April 1999 / Time Line April 12, 1999

11. April 1999, 13. April 1999

04/12/1999
NATO-fly angriber et serbisk tog. 14 serbiske togpassagerer mister livet.

04/12/1999
Tax Breaks for Big Guns
A new bill would make it cheaper and easier than ever for U.S. arms manufacturers to export military equipment.
by Daniel G. Dupont
In 1976, when the United States was still reeling from the end of the Vietnam War, Congress added a provision to the tax code that reduced by 50 percent the tax breaks extended to U.S. defense companies that export arms. It was all about market share: U.S. companies were so dominant in selling weapons to foreign countries, the thinking went, they didn't need any extra help.
Twenty-three years later, as shown in the MoJo Wire's recent special report, "Arms Around the World," the U.S. share of the global arms-market has increased sharply, even with fewer tax breaks. Yet a growing number of lawmakers are campaigning to repeal the 1976 tax-code provision anyway, and make it even cheaper for U.S. arms dealers to export their wares (and for their customers to buy the weapons). Not surprisingly, the Pentagon -- the world's biggest consumer of military equipment -- is solidly behind the effort.

04/12/1999

Top