Elias Yousif

Sep 24, 2024 | stimson.org | Elias Yousif |Joaquin Matamis

When it comes to the weighty decisions around U.S. arms transfers, transparency is fundamental to ensuring that the U.S. security cooperation and assistance enterprise aligns with broad national interests, does not compromise democratic values, and is based on rigorous analysis of impact and efficacy. In short, transparency is a prerequisite for effective oversight, accountability, and management of U.S. arms transfers.

Sep 16, 2024 | stimson.org | Elias Yousif |Joaquin Matamis

Transparency is essential for ensuring effective and responsible stewardship of the U.S. arms trade. It is a pre-requisite for oversight and accountability, most especially in times of conflict – amidst multi-billion-dollar U.S. military assistance efforts to Ukraine and Israel, such meaningful oversight becomes all the more important. But despite representing a sizeable portion of U.S. arms transfers, public information on commercial arms sales remains especially opaque.

Sep 13, 2024 | stimson.org | Elias Yousif |Joaquin Matamis

Demands for greater transparency surrounding U.S. arms transfers to Israel have continued to be a top priority for advocates seeking to address and scrutinize the devastating toll the war has had on Gaza’s civilian population. These requests have been a persistent priority for lawmakers, advocates, and researchers alike, illustrating how important transparency is to ensuring U.S. arms transfers are accountable, responsible, and well-managed.

Jul 15, 2024 | stimson.org | Elias Yousif |Joaquin Matamis

As leaders gathered in Washington for the NATO summit, Ukraine was unsurprisingly at the center of many of the alliance’s discussions. Russia’s full-scale invasion has, in many ways, galvanized the alliance and led to renewed promises that Ukraine would be given a pathway toward membership.

Jul 9, 2024 | stimson.org | Elias Yousif |Joaquin Matamis

While billions of dollars in U.S. arms transfers to Ukraine and Israel have dominated headlines in recent months, these defense partnerships are far from the only ones the United States maintains. In nearly every corner of the globe, security forces are acquiring and employing U.S. weaponry. Accordingly, as the world’s leading arms exporter, the United States carries a unique responsibility to uphold the highest standards in its security cooperation and assistance efforts.