I have been thinking we ought to cut back on the N. Korea proliferates weapons talk

[NNN0LHI]

Otherwise they are going to make us look stupid.

http://www.truthout.org/010709C

United States Re-emerges as Leading Arms Supplier to the Developing World

Tuesday 30 December 2008

On Oct. 23, 2008, the Congressional Research Service released the most recent version of its annual arms transfer report, "Conventional Arms Transfers to Developing Nations, 2000-2007." According to the report, U.S. arms agreements to both developed and developing countries increased from 2006 levels, re-establishing the U.S. position of top arms supplier to the developing world, a position that Russia claimed in 2006.

The CRS report (also known as the Grimmett report after its author, CRS Specialist in National Defense Richard Grimmett) defines developing nations as all countries except the United States, Russia, the European nations, Canada, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. The report examines 14 categories of conventional weapons: tanks and self-propelled guns, artillery, armored personnel carriers and armored cars, major surface combatants, minor surface combatants, submarines, guided missile patrol boats, supersonic combat aircraft, subsonic combat aircraft, other aircraft, helicopters, surface to air missiles, surface to surface missiles and anti-ship missiles.

Global arms sales totaled nearly $60 billion in 2007, an increase of 9.2 percent from 2006 values. The United States was again the world's most dominant arms exporter, making $24.8 billion (41.5 percent) of all global arms agreements. Although Russia maintained its second place position in overall sales, its new arms agreements were valued at $10.4 billion (17.3 percent), a decrease from its $14.3 billion in 2006. The United Kingdom held the third spot for new global arms agreements in 2007, with $9.8 billion, more than doubling its $4.1 billion total in 2006. Together, the United States, Russia and the United Kingdom made up 75.2 percent of global arms agreements.

Global arms deliveries fell in 2007, to $31 billion, down from $33.6 billion. The United States was also the largest deliverer of arms worldwide, responsible for over 41 percent of global arms deliveries with approximately $12.8 billion (41.3 percent). Russia was second with $4.7 billion, and the United Kingdom was third, with 2.6 billion. These three top countries were responsible for over $20 billion in global arms deliveries (64.8 percent).