Secretary of Defense Cohen stated in his 1997 annual report that technology security and export controls are an important element in strengthening the preventive defense pillar of U.S. defense strategy. Secretary Cohen emphasized that DOD's technology security efforts serve two main purposes. Second, export controls seek to preserve U.S. military technological advantages by controlling conventional arms and sensitive dual-use goods, services, and technologies.
Proliferation threatens U.S. national security interests.
DOD believes that this proliferation threat can be effectively addressed through support for nonproliferation regimes, promotion of effective national export controls, and close export control cooperation with foreign governments that are responsible members of the world community and that share our concerns regarding proliferation. We know that carefully targeted and rigorously enforced export controls can and do dramatically slow the pace of proliferation and raise the cost for potential proliferators. We also believe that it is important to continue to carefully regulate exports of potentially destabilizing conventional arms and sensitive dual-use technologies. It is no coincidence that countries seeking NBC weapons and missiles are also simultaneously attempting to build up their conventional weapons capabilities. Let me also note that DOD sees no signs that the underlying forces which are causing WMD proliferation and destabilizing conventional arms build-ups are abating.