It’s Not About the Hercules

Dean Cheng /

The Obama administration has decided to terminate the suspensions of issuance of temporary munitions export licenses for exports regarding C-130 Hercules cargo aircraft that will be used in oil spill response operations at sea that might involve the People’s Republic of China (PRC). That’s bureaucratese for lifting restrictions on the use of U.S. made C-130s for use in China – part of a much more general restriction regarding U.S. military equipment in place since the 1989 Tienanmen massacre.

The move is wrongheaded, not for the specific assistance it provides China, but because of the many questions it raises. The incident demonstrates the importance of paying careful attention to one’s actions, especially how those actions may be perceived—and what happens when you fail to do so. (more…)