The executive order imposes discipline on the licensing process by requiring decisions within fixed periods and by making each agency aware of and accountable for licensing decisions. It creates a structure of interagency committees for dispute resolution, imposes appropriate timelines on the licensing process, and guarantees each agency the right to full transparency and to have its objections heard at the highest levels of government before State approves a license. This process makes the policy decisions on what classified military information can be released to which foreign government before State issues an accompanying license. This redundancy can be eliminated. When the U.S. government decides that it is acceptable to sell a military system to another government, all the items logistically related to that system should be approved as a package, reflecting the policy decision to make the sale in the first place.
State now requires for approved transfers do nothing for national security or foreign policy.
A license to sell F-16s to a country should be a standing authorization that need not be reengaged every time that country has to replenish its supply of spare parts or missiles, unless there is a qualitative upgrade to the components or subsystems that requires a subsequent security assessment. As part of this licensing process, the commission believes that the Department of State must retain the ability to postpone a decision for diplomatic reasons. Major arms sales involve substantial foreign policy or defense considerations, and for these items, the secretary of state should retain the ability to have these applications held for some specified period, with the concurrence of the president. These cases are infrequent-a small minority of all licensing cases. They usually involve major arms transfers to countries like Taiwan, Saudi Arabia, or Turkey.