State Department Approved Export of U.S.-Made Tear Gas to Egyptian Gov’t

[kpete]

Source: ProPublica

State Department Approved Export of U.S.-Made Tear Gas to Egyptian Gov’t

by Marian Wang

The American-made tear gas used to disperse pro-democracy protestors in Egypt earlier this week was sold to the country after government review, a State Department spokeswoman told us.

The tear gas canisters used by Egyptian police against the protesters bore the label “Made in U.S.A. <1>,” stirring controversy and bolstering the impression among Egyptians that the U.S. has propped up a dictatorship <1> at the expense of its citizens.

Two government agencies, the Department of State and Department of Commerce, regulate the export of tear gas by granting export licenses allowing U.S. manufacturers to sell tear gas to foreign buyers. The State spokeswoman, Nicole Thompson, said she didn’t immediately know when the approval was given for Egypt.

The chemical compounds in the tear gas determine whether it’s State or Commerce that’s responsible for licensing the product. In general, the State Department licenses the export of defense items—including military-grade tear gas—as spelled out on its Munitions List <2>. The Commerce Department licenses the export of tear gas formulations that are considered “dual use”—that is, for either military or civilian purposes—as well as products considered strictly civilian.


Read more: http://www.propublica.org/blog/item/state-department-approved-export-of-u.s.-made-tear-gas-to-egyptian-govt

[Kip Humphrey]

1. How incredibly awesomely STUPID!!!

[Igel]

6. You're right.

They saved the American-produced tear gas for the purpose of suppressing democratic forces.

The tear gas they used in suppressing the Christian riots in Alexandria in December 2010 after the church bombing was probably made in a righteous Christian country like Vatican City.

Or, perhaps, we can say that using tear gas to suppress any riot is incredibly awesomely stupid, and that the proper democratic--if not Democratic--thing to do would have been to let the Xians riot and kill Muslims, and then let Muslims riot and kill Xians.

They want to blame the stuff and its origin for the intent behind using it. It's like blaming the gun for the murder (even if I know people who have used handguns for the quite different coup de grace administered while hunting deer) and knives for stabbings.

One frequently narrows the context and limits the data available in order to achieve the answer one already has. It's much harder to widen the context and search for data to undermine the answer you already have. Striving for justification and to be proven right usually makes anything like objectivity not only impossible but unimagineable.

[plumbob]

2. I'm sure we've sold a lot worse than that to a lot more people.

Just replace any thoughts about decency, humanity, or peace, and replace them with $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ in your mind, and the reasons why will be soothing and evident.

[LawnKorn]

3. What would you bet it was a Republican Administration that gave approval

It is the Republicans who's interests are served by keeping 'friendly dictators' in power.

[Wilms]

4. Well how was the State Dept. supposed to know the Egyptian gov't. wasn't stable?

:shrug:

[jberryhill]

5. Yes, exports of lots of things require a federal license

Is the point that a US company shouldn't have been allowed to sell it, or what?