A great big thank you to those of you who helped by demanding that the U.S. Congress resume reporting on weapons sales. It has now resumed that reporting after a three-year gap. Here is the new report, and a New York Times article about it. The data included in the new report is radically different from that included in reports by SIPRI and, as far as we know, by anyone else.
International weapons sales are down since 2011 but up in 2014 from 2013. Most sales are still to the governments of poor countries. The top exporter is still the United States, and its share is increasing. The United States exports roughly half the weapons shipped around the world, and its European allies another 25%. Well over half of weapons shipments to the Middle East are still from the United States. This does not include weapons given to “moderates” or used by the United States itself.
The top weapons source for ISIS, Iraq, has a top weapons source: the United States. Every region of the globe has the same top weapons source: the United States. Three-quarters of U.S. weapons shipments are to the Middle East. Top recipients of U.S. weapons include: Saudi Arabia, Iraq, U.A.E., Israel, Kuwait, Oman, and Egypt. The human-rights respecting liberal democracies among top recipients of U.S. weapons include … no nations whatsoever.
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December 31st Deadline to Weigh in: What should World Beyond War work on in 2016?
Our central focus will always be advancing the ending of all war, through education and action, but we want to put some effort globally into one or more of the list of projects you’ll find by clicking here. Please help us choose at
http://worldbeyondwar.org/
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