[2007/12/29] S. Korea among top five purchasers of U.S. arms
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South Korea was the world’s fifth-largest buyer of American weapons between 1999 and 2006, a U.S. congressional report showed.
According to the report by the Congressional Research Service, the policy research division of the U.S. Congress, which was released on December 26, South Korea has purchased US.6 billion worth of weapons from the United States over the past eight years via government-to-government sales under the Foreign Military Sale program, putting South Korea among the top five purchasers of U.S. arms in the world. The program is operated by the U.S. Department of Defense.
Between 1999 and 2002, South Korea bought US.2 billion worth of U.S. arms and was ranked the fourth-largest buyer in the world, the report said. In addition, South Korea purchased .4 billion worth of weapons and ranked seventh between 2003 and 2006. In 2006 alone, South Korea bought 0 million worth of weapons and placed eighth.
Over the past eight years, the biggest buyer of U.S. arms was Saudi Arabia, purchasing and receiving a total of US.3 billion worth of weapons. Taiwan was second with .9 billion and Egypt was third with .6 billion. Israel came fourth with .5 billion, while Greece was sixth with billion, followed by Japan, which had .7 billion, and Britain, which had .2 billion. Last year, Australia was first on the list with just tpf=board/list&board_code=11.7 billion in arms purchases.
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