Stopping the arms trade

With our economy a mess and the world economy messy as well, it is easy to forget about other problems. One of those "other problems" is the proliferation of arms. It is especially easy to forget, given that our export economy includes a significant sale of armaments.

There is a campaign to stop this trade called "The World Is Watching." The goal? To get the 153 governments who voted at the United Nations to develop an arms treaty. This vote took place in 2006, but so far there is no treaty.

This proposed treaty is not about nuclear arms. It is about the use of conventional war arms. There has been a history of various agreements made in conflict areas, and the agreements are something that any civilized society can agree with. For example: Transfers of arms, ammunition, explosives and other related material shall not be carried to or from states which … commit or sponsor crimes against humanity or human rights violations (Code of Conduct-Central American States), or member states will not issue an export license if there is a clear risk that the proposed export might be used for internal repression (European Union Code of Conduct).

According to an Amnesty International report, the United States was the biggest source of illicit small arms seized in Colombia. The U.S. was the primary source by thousands followed by Germany, Venezuela and Russia, in that order. Russia wins the arms sweepstakes in some other countries such as Cote d'Ivoire.

China is not exempt from the arms export business either. It has "made available" huge amounts of arms sales to the Sudan. It has a very vested interest. China has become cozy with the Sudanese government because of its oil. It has looked the other way while the Sudanese government has committed unspeakable acts in Darfur. China has continued to supply arms to Sudan while the government pushes into Southern Sudan in partnership with the Chinese to drill for oil. The grand total in small arms in 2006 was $17.2 million. Within one year from 2006 to 2007 there were 409 military and police flights to Darfur from the larger government. The Chinese government has made available eight K-8 jet fighters for use in Darfur. According to Amnesty International, these jets were equipped with cannons, rockets and bombs. The Russians contributed planes as well to the Sudan government.

So, the question is how do you prevent such insanity? The only option is for a worldwide treaty with pressure from each country's citizens. Recommendations have included outlining provisions for state-to-state transfer of weapons, commercial sales rules and loans and gifts from governments to other governments.

One of the ways that an arms treaty that would end arms to the bad guys of the world is to make sure that countries passed their own laws that mandated certain restrictions and transparency rules as to how small arms would be sold and tracked if they were produced in that country. That would take massive country-by-country pressure from citizens.

Legal small-arms exports from the United States have been tracked at about one half billion dollars per year. It would be easy in this economy to increase this as a way to help our balance of trade. We need to pressure the next president to decrease small arms exports and push through national legislation to make sure they don't go to the bad guys. In the long run, it costs all of us as we fight rogue regimes and human-rights violators.

Press Conference by East-West Institute on Disarmament at the United Nations


Sergio Duarte, UN High Representative for Disarmament Affairs (TBC); Sergey Kislyak, Russian Ambassador to the U.S. and an expert on weapons of mass destruction; Max Kampelman, Former Head of the U.S. Delegation to the Negotiations with the Soviet Union on Nuclear and Space Arms; Ved Malik, Former Chief of Army Staff of India (TBC); and John Mroz, President of the East West Institute, to brief on a new initiative to break the logjam on nuclear non-proliferation
This was discussed as an action agenda and seizing the moment. They said that many people are asking questions about armaments. The concept is to launch an effort to build consensus.

Ambassador Kislyak: It is not a Russian initiative , but they have been invited to comment and participate in the debate. Russia has put forth initiatives. What is missing is a willingness to work on this. Nuclear weapons security is important to be worked on. The START treaty expires next year. Russia has always been supportive a nuclear free Mid-East. On the issue of regional enrichment centers the issue is to make it attractive to countries like Iran but you need to make it a joint venture. The proposal is to have Russians servicing the centrifuges. So far the Iranian government has not accepted this proposal but they have not rejected it. Other former Soviet Bloc countries have been interested in the proposal. The current treaty is for reductions and verification of those reductions. It is being implemented successfully. What the Russians want is to also cover delivery systems and that includes a number of rules that they have established such as accounting rules. Some of our American friends do not see the post START treaty in the same way. There are things that must go first before you start the zero option such as START. The question is how do you move to zero? It has to be practical not just theoretical.

Ved Malik: When it comes to nuclear weapons this must be discussed on a global level not regional.

John Mroz: It is now possible to speak in the US for the first time to get rid of all nuclear weapons. It could not have been spoken about before. This is a mobilization to work with many other NGO’s. Assumption that this is a new time and that also the global economic crises is related to this. There was real verification that the North Korean’s nuclear facility was destroyed. In the Secretary General’s Five points that he proposed today were actionable items. Things are in flux and the question is how you can use this time.

Ambassador Kampleman: This is an effort by both Democrats and Republicans to understand that the world is in serious danger. There is a keen and not a partisan interest in disarmament. Recent public opinion polls show that this issue concerns the American people. The task is to have a coordinated effort. The human race is theoretically in some danger. The Zero option is not making a campaign for fewer weapons we are making a campaign for zero weapons. One weapon can do enormous damage.

The criminal underground's aid in the Siege of Sarajevo

Have United Nations workers and other NGO volunteers always maintained peace, or have they been the central piece to a war economy?

Scholar and author Peter Andreas of “Blue Helmets and Black Markets: The Business of Survival in the Siege of Sarajevo” portrays in his new book the double-sided affects of the international involvement during the Siege of Sarajevo. Andreas stressed that the Unites Nations was a main player in the siege’s peacekeeping, but it also allowed an underground criminal economy to facilitate positive and negative forces in Sarajevo.

Andreas said, “criminality involved looting the city, but also saving it. It involved perpetuating the siege, but also ending the war. And it involved state deformation and formation at the same time”. Andreas said the criminal underground emerged in the absence of an organized army in Sarajevo, and became “overnight patriotic heroes.” In a secret tunnel beneath the Sarajevo Airport, these criminals served as profiteers---selling cigarettes, alcohol, and arms---as well as a lifeline, providing money, medical supplies and an escape for civilians.

The UN controlled the airport during the siege. It was through the airport that civilians and criminal leaders ran their market of aid and corruption. Although he recognized that NATO air strikes were significant in the siege’s conclusion, he says most of the war’s conclusion was due to the shifting military balance in the arms embargo under the UN controlled airport. International aid was significant in publicizing and aiding the siege, but Andreas’ “backstage” conclusions may be the reason there is now a new criminalized elite in Sarajevo and elsewhere in Bosnia.