Arms control

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During 2005, the United States "provided nearly half of the weapons sold to militaries in the developing world, as major arms sales to the most unstable regions—many already engaged in conflict—grew to the highest level in eight years," according to a Congressional Research Service (CRS) report. [1] The United States "supplied $8.1 billion worth of weapons to developing countries," which was "45.8 percent of the total and far more than second-ranked Russia with 15 percent and Britain with a little more than 13 percent."

"Arms control specialists said the figures underscore how the largely unchecked arms trade to the developing world has become a major staple of the American weapons industry, even though introducing many of the weapons risks fueling conflicts rather than aiding long-term US interests." [2]

"The United States, for instance, also signed an estimated $6.2 billion worth of new deals last year to sell attack helicopters, missiles, and other armaments to developing nations such as the United Arab Emirates, Pakistan, India, Israel, Egypt, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia. Developing nations are designated as all those except in North America, Western Europe, Russia, Australia, and New Zealand.

"In addition to weapons already delivered, new contracts for future weapons deliveries topped $44 billion last year—the highest overall since 1998, according to the report. Nearly 70 percent of them were designated for developing nations." [3]


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