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benefits of major non-NATO ally (MNNA) status are largely symbolic,
implying a close working relationship with a country's defense forces.
MNNAs do not enjoy the same mutual defense and security guarantees
afforded to members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
The
granting of MNNA status, however, does carry some advantages in
the foreign-assistance process. Major non-NATO allies are eligible
for:
- Priority
delivery of excess defense articles (EDA);
- Stockpiling
of U.S. defense articles;
- Purchase
of depleted uranium anti-tank rounds;
- Participation
in cooperative research and development programs; and
- (For
countries that were MNNAs as of March 31, 1995) participation
in the Defense Export Loan Guarantee (DELG) program, which backs
up private loans for commercial defense exports.
For
now, the list of MNNAs in the Western Hemisphere is limited to one
country. President Bill Clinton designated Argentina as the first
Latin American major non-NATO ally in a determination signed on
January 6, 1998.
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The
notion of "major non-NATO ally" (MNNA) status first surfaced
in 1989, with the addition of section 2350a ("Cooperative agreements
with allies") to Title 10 of the U.S. Code. For several years,
this status was limited to Australia, Egypt, Israel, Japan, and South
Korea.
Public
Law 104-164, enacted in July 1996, added a new section 517 to the
Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (P.L. 87-195) governing the designation
of major non-NATO allies. The new section granted the President
the authority to name new countries to be MNNAs. The President's
designations of new MNNAs take effect thirty days after Congress
is notified in writing.
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