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UNITED STATES POLICY ON THE GLOBAL TRADE IN SMALL ARMS AND LIGHT WEAPONSThe United States is one of the world's leading manufacturers and exporters of small arms and light weapons. It has also taken some steps -- usually in conjunction with other governments and the United Nations or regional organizations -- to curb the global proliferation and misuse of small arms and light weapons. A summary of official U.S. positions on small arms issues is contained in "U.S. Comprehensive Initiative on Small Arms and Illicit Trafficking," a Fact Sheet available on-line from the U.S. Department of State. Another indication of U.S. policy in this area is the September 24, 1999 speech by Secretary of State Madeleine Albright to the UN Security Council Ministerial on Small Arms. A more extended explication of U.S. policy was provided in the statement of John D. Holum, senior Advisor for Arms Control and International Security of the U.S. Department of States, at a conference convened by the Small Arms Working Group at the Paul Nitze School of Advanced International Studies in Washington, DC on February 4, 2000. Various U.S. government statements on small arms policy can be accessed at the web site of the Federation of American Scientists (FAS) in Washington, D.C. Many NGOs in the human rights and disarmament field are critical of official U.S. positions on small arms proliferation, or would like to see the government do more in this area. A number of these groups have joined together to form the Small Arms Working Group, based in Washington, D.C. Links to other organizations which have worked on this issue is available at the web site of the Federation of American Scientists (FAS) in Washington, D.C. For a critical view of U.S. policy regarding small arms exports, see "Leader of the Pack" by Lora Lumpe, from the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, January/February 1999. Home | About Us | Contact Us | Help |
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