----- Original Message ----- From: "Eli Pariser, 9-11Peace" Sent: Wednesday, May 15, 2002 10:08 PM Subject: The Weapons Industry > THE WEAPONS INDUSTRY > Wednesday, May 15, 2002 > Susan V. Thompson, ed. > > Read online or subscribe at: > http://www.9-11peace.org/bulletin.php3 > > > CONTENTS > --------- > 1. Introduction > 2. Call for Submissions > 3. One Link: Background on the Arms Trade > 4. The Small Arms Trade > 5. The American Weapons Industry > 6. Israel and the Arms Trade > 7. Updates > 8. Get Involved > 9. About the Bulletin > > > INTRODUCTION > ------------- > Someone made and sold each bomb and every bullet. For weapons > manufacturers, wars are a windfall; conflict increases the > profit margin. The War on Terrorism is no different: large > American companies have already landed multi-million dollar > contracts from the US government, and defense industry stocks > are on the rise. In a truly vicious circle, weapons > manufacturers financially support the most hawkish elements of > each administration, and the resulting conflicts increase sales, > and the profits are used to fortify lobbying efforts. > > Weapons manufacturers don't just sell their goods to their own > countries, though. Profit is the key, and if there is money to > be made by selling arms to a dictatorship, or a human rights > abuser, or a rebel group, or even both sides of the same > conflict, the ethical problems are usually put aside. The > recipients of those weapons may also decide to sell them to > others, spreading them even further afield. As the world's > largest arms dealer, US industry sells about half of the world's > weapons. "Made in the USA" can thus be found on arms the world > over, even on the weapons used by many of America's enemies. > That American soldiers are often killed with American guns > apparently isn't a good enough argument to staunch the flow of > deadly weaponry. > > So while peace groups work towards disarmament, weapons industry > lobbyists pressure the US government to buy more bombs. While > the Bush administration calls on Israel to stop its occupation > of the West Bank, Israel uses American-made tanks and > helicopters to continue. And while people in the poorest > countries die in bloody wars, people in the richest country in > the world get richer by fanning their flames. This is the > business of war, and at the moment, business is good. > > > CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS > --------------------- > Weapons manufacturers provide a good argument for despair. But > we believe that the millions of individuals around the world who > are working for peace have potent reasons to be hopeful. We're > collecting stories for next week's Bulletin, and we'd like to > hear yours. Just send us a short essay (500 words or less, > please). You may want to answer one or more of the following > questions: > > 1) How did you originally become interested in peace work? What > got you involved? What keeps you involved? > 2) Write about a time that you or your group successfully > applied the principles of non-violence to a conflict. > 3) Who are the people or groups who inspire you to keep working > for peace? > 4) A large part of being an advocate for peace is talking to > people about your opinions. Have you had a conversation with > someone that was particularly hopeful or meaningful to you? Tell > us about it. > > Please try to keep your essays focused and positive in tone; > creativity is encouraged. Send your entry along with your name > and address to: > > essays@9-11peace.org > > We need to receive your essay no later than this coming Sunday, > May 19. We will let you know beforehand if we are including > your work in next week's Bulletin. > > > ONE LINK: BACKGROUND ON THE ARMS TRADE > --------------------------------------- > What is the arms trade? How can it be curbed? What has been done > to bring about disarmament so far? Learn the answers to these > questions and more from this informative fact sheet. > http://9-11peace.org/r.php3?r=197 > > > THE SMALL ARMS TRADE > --------------------- > The general public usually thinks of the move towards > disarmament as focusing on nuclear weapons and other weapons of > mass destruction. But many groups are now focusing on the damage > done by small arms, which are the weapon of choice in civil wars > and enable huge numbers of civilian deaths every year. According > to the Red Cross, small arms are the principal cause of death in > conflicts, and their accessibility around the world is a very > real problem. > > This primer on the global threat created by small arms is an > excellent introduction to the issue. It's in a clear and > understandable question-and-answer format. > http://www.fas.org/asmp/campaigns/smallarms/primer.html > > According to the UN: "Small arms and light weapons fuel civil > wars and other conflicts, causing harm to millions of people, > particularly in Africa. These small weapons are only part of a > larger trade that includes heavier and more lethal weaponry, but > light arms are often especially baneful because they are cheap, > easy to transport and can be handled by ill-trained rebel > soldiers and even children." This page provides a number of > links and articles related to small arms and what the UN is > doing to try to stop the illicit trade in these weapons. > http://www.globalpolicy.org/security/smallarms/salwindx.htm > > In 2001, the International Action Network on Small Arms (IANSA) > launched a global campaign to curb trafficking in small arms. > This article explains the scope of the problem and describes the > various initiatives meant to address it. Some interesting facts > from the article are that the five permanent members of the UN > Security Council (the United States, Britain, France, China and > Russia) are responsible for approximately 85 percent of the > global arms trade, and small arms have been the "primary choice > of weaponry" in 47 of the 49 civil conflicts since 1990. > http://www.commondreams.org/headlines01/0109-01.htm > > The United Nations has since adopted the first global agreement > on curbing illicit sales of small weapons. The negotiations were > greatly hindered by US opposition to any provisions that seemed > to threaten the right of American citizens to carry such > weapons, as well as any provisions which restricted selling > small arms to "non-state actors," or rebel groups. As a result, > the agreement has been adopted in a "diluted" form. > http://www.commondreams.org/headlines01/0723-02.htm > > > THE AMERICAN WEAPONS INDUSTRY > ------------------------------ > This excellent backgrounder on the US arms industry provides a > brief introduction followed by a wealth of quick facts with > links for more information. Highly recommended if you'd like to > get a sense of the key issues relating to the manufacture and > sales of arms in both the US and the world. > http://fas.org/asmp/fast_facts.htm#WolrdMilitaryExpenditures > > A 2000 report by the Congressional Research Service revealed > that the United States is the world's leading arms merchant, > followed by Russia, France, Germany, Britain, China, and Italy. > The report found that the US is responsible for almost half the > weapons sold around the world, and 70% of those are supplied to > developing countries. > http://www.commondreams.org/views01/0821-02.htm > > The war in the Balkans was very profitable for US arms > manufacturers. > http://www.wsws.org/articles/1999/may1999/war-m22.shtml > > The "war on terrorism" is also great news for weapons > manufacturers such as Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, Boeing and > Lockheed Martin. This article is composed of brief profiles of > these companies, listing some of the specific weapons that they > manufacture. The author also reports on the government > connections that these companies are cultivating while their > lobbyists pressure the US government for more money and new > contracts. > http://www.commondreams.org/views01/1218-03.htm > > Since Sept. 11, the US has increased arms sales to several > countries in exchange for their support, including countries > with a history of instability. In so doing, the US may be > fostering new conflicts, and possibly even putting weapons into > the hands of present and future enemies. > http://9-11peace.org/r.php3?r=198 > > This article details the arms sales that have taken place since > Sept. 11. A little dense but a good resource nonetheless. > http://www.fas.org/terrorism/at/index.html > > How do US arms sales compare to those of the countries named in > Bush's "axis of evil"? Find out in this jolting "rant" from the > Guerrilla News Network. > http://www.guerrillanews.com/war_on_terrorism/doc312.html > > This article from 2000 demonstrates how the major arms > manufacturers cultivate political ties with both the Republican > and Democratic parties, making massive campaign contributions > (although Republican candidates are favored). The authors even > explain why George W. Bush and Dick Cheney are the weapons > industry's "dream team," a fact to keep in mind now that they > are both in office and running a war that is potentially very > profitable. > http://www.worldpolicy.org/projects/arms/reports/lockheedgop.htm > > This chart compares defense industry contributions to Republican > and Democratic political candidates in 2001-2002. > http://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/sector.asp?txt=D01&cycle=2002 > > The Carlyle Group is most likely profiting from the current "war > on terrorism" through United Defense, one of the companies that > it owns. Since the Bush family has close ties to the Carlyle > Group, they profit as well. > http://www.guardian.co.uk/wtccrash/story/0,1300,583869,00.html > > A US Arms Transfer Code of Conduct could possibly help limit the > extent of US arms sales. This site provides links to background > information on the move towards such a code, and updates on the > process. > http://www.fas.org/asmp/campaigns/code/uscodecon.html > > Some good news: Russia and the US have just agreed to nuclear > arms cuts. This article includes a chart of the number of > nuclear weapons owned by each country. > http://9-11peace.org/r.php3?r=199 > > Finally, if you have the time, you may want to read this > comprehensive handbook on the US role in the global arms trade > from the Federation of American Scientists. It's called "The > Arms Trade Revealed" and it's intended for "investigators and > activists." > http://www.fas.org/asmp/library/handbook/cover.html > > > ISRAEL AND THE ARMS TRADE > -------------------------- > Israel is one of the biggest buyers of US arms, many of which > are purchased using the military aid supplied to Israel by the > US government. While Britain has publicly objected to the use of > British-supplied weapons in Israel's controversial military > campaign against the Palestinians, the Bush administration has > remained largely silent on the issue. > http://www.commondreams.org/headlines02/0323-05.htm > > This fact sheet lists US contributions to Israel's military > through weapons sales and grants and through military aid. It > includes a chart that lists the American weapons currently in > the Israeli arsenal, along with their manufacturer and cost. > http://9-11peace.org/r.php3?r=200 > > Robert Jensen argues compellingly for ending US aid and arms > sales to Israel in order to help broker a lasting peace in the > Middle East. > http://www.commondreams.org/views02/0409-07.htm > > The arms that the US sells to Israel do not necessarily stay in > that country. There is evidence that Israel routinely reverse- > engineers American weapons technology and sells the results. > These have made their way into the hands of countries such as > China, Cambodia, and even Iraq -- on of Israel's greatest > enemies. > http://www.commondreams.org/views02/0509-07.htm > > Israeli Military Industry (IMI) is one of Israel's major arms > manufacturers, and has supplied arms to a number of Arab states. > This 1997 article illustrates the types of weapons that Israel > produces (including Uzis, "environmentally-friendly" shells and > bombs, and self-detonating cluster bombs,) and where they end > up. > http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/971119/1997111918.html > > > UPDATES > -------- > In last week's issue, we noted the US government's opposition to > the new International Criminal Court (ICC). Apparently a US > House committee has now authorized the President to use force to > rescue any American held by the new International Criminal Court > and to bar arms aid to nations that ratify the court treaty. > This would basically mean that the US could attack the > Netherlands if the ICC attempted to try an American citizen. > Representative Tom DeLay, who sponsored the measure, called the > ICC a "rogue court." > http://www.iht.com/articles/57496.html > > Correction: In last week's bulletin, under the section on the > Srebenica massacre, we reported that the entire Dutch parliament > resigned. According to a representative of the Hague, this > should have read that the entire Dutch government resigned. > > > GET INVOLVED > ------------- > We're always looking for people who can devote a few hours a > week to doing research on bulletin topics. If you're interested > in helping out, please send us a note at editor@9-11peace.org > that gives us a sense of who you are and why you're interested. > > If you would like us to include an action, news article, or > source for more information in the bulletin, please write to > bulletin@9-11peace.org and describe your item in the subject > line. > > > ABOUT THE BULLETIN > ------------------- > The 9-11Peace.org bulletin is a weekly newsletter providing > resources, news, and action ideas to over 28,500 people around > the world. The full text of the bulletin is online at > http://www.9-11peace.org/bulletin.php3; users can subscribe to > the bulletin at that address also. The bulletin is a project of > 9-11Peace.org. Contact bulletin@9-11peace.org for more > information. > > --------------------------------------------------------- > This is a message from the 9-11peace campaign of MoveOn.org > If you wish to remove yourself from this list, please visit > our subscription management page at: > http://www.moveon.org/subscrip/i.html?id=526-725602-W%2BOgO4owYgLOLFVbsUy9tQ
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