Bush Waives Nuclear Sanctions Against Pakistan

On August 13, President George W. Bush granted a one-time waiver of sanctions that had been imposed on Pakistan for its nuclear activities. The waiver allows the United States to sell spare parts for Cobra helicopters and armored personnel carriers and ammunition to Pakistan, which plans to use the supplies to support peacekeeping activities in Sierra Leone.

The Arms Control Export Act and the Foreign Assistance Act, as amended, bar direct military sales to Pakistan because of its development and testing of nuclear weapons. Legislation passed in 1999 allows the president to waive these sanctions indefinitely.

Then-President Bill Clinton used the 1999 waiver to allow the sale of Sea King naval rescue helicopters to India in January, the only other time such authority has been exercised. (See ACT, March 2001.) Direct military sales to India were cut off after its May 1998 nuclear tests.