United States
Wealthy Arms Dealer On Trial in New York for 'Terrorist' Gun Sale Deal
Associated Press
6 Nov 2008
NEW YORK -- A wealthy arms dealer with a checkered past sought to make millions of dollars by selling heavy weaponry to Colombian militants fighting American forces, a prosecutor said Wednesday at the start of his federal trial. When approached by men posing as members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia -- classified by the United States as a terrorist group -- Monzer al-Kassar "without hesitation agreed to supply them with everything they asked for and more," prosecutor Brendan McGuire said in opening statements. Told they needed surface-to-air missile systems, rocket-propelled grenade launchers, thousands of machine guns and millions of... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Election Triggers Upsurge in Sales of Military-style Assault Weapons
Salt Lake Tribune (Utah)
6 Nov 2008
As polls and pundits in recent weeks increasingly pointed to the election of Barack Obama as the next president, scores of Utahns flocked to gun stores. Obama has supported renewing the expired federal Assault Weapons Ban, which stops the manufacture of several semiautomatic guns with large magazines. "Such weapons belong on foreign battlefields and not on our streets," Obama's Web site states. Local gun dealers quickly are running out of stock of magazines for Colt AR-15s and AK models and many have seen a sharp increase in the sales of those guns. "Pretty much anything with more than 10 rounds is in high demand right now," said Michael... ( gunpolicy.org )
Bosnia & Herzegovina
Police Battle Bosnia-to-Europe International Gun Smuggling Rings
Southeast European Times (Sarajevo)
6 Nov 2008
Through a large-scale international operation, police in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) have been making a concerted effort to suppress organised crime rings smuggling weapons via its territory to other rings operating in the EU countries. Operation West was conducted over the past several months in BiH and in some of its neighbours. Police from the Federation of BiH and Republika Srpska co-operated with counterparts in neighbouring countries and in some EU member states, including Slovenia, France, Austria and Croatia. The State Information and Protection Agency (SIPA) was also involved. Since January, when investigations began, police have netted a large... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Obama Victory Reveals Failure of US Gun Lobby's $15m Election Spend
MSNBC-NBC TV News (USA) / First Read, Web Page
6 Nov 2008
During the Democratic primary, when Barack Obama told donors in San Francisco that "bitter" voters in hardscrabble Pennsylvania "cling to their guns and religion," the words rang like music in his political opponents' ears. Obama foes hoped that the senator's inartful description of economically-strapped gun enthusiasts would cut his support from rural whites off at the knees. The comment also put an exclamation point on Obama's record on guns, which has drifted to the center since his days as an Illinois state senator. As the general election heated up, the National Rifle Association announced an eye-popping $15 million ad campaign intended to serve as a loudspeaker... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
'Liberals Like to Ban Guns,' so Texans Rush to Buy Assault Weapons
Houston Chronicle (Texas) / AP
6 Nov 2008
FORT WORTH, Texas -- While watching Republican presidential candidate John McCain's concession speech, gun owner AJ Sullivan had a sinking feeling. "Liberals like to ban guns. That's what it comes down to," said Sullivan, 25, a Texas Christian University student. Sullivan was among hundreds scrambling to buy a weapon Thursday at the gun store Cheaper Than Dirt! -- which sold $101,000 in merchandise the day after the election, shattering its single-day sales record, said store owner DeWayne Irwin. Stories were similar across Texas, where residents are fiercely protective of their Second Amendment rights and now fear stricter gun-control laws... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Colorado Gun Stores See Rush on Firearms 'Before They're Made Illegal'
Grand Junction Free Press (Colorado)
6 Nov 2008
GRAND JUNCTION, Colorado -- On a normal day, a background check for someone wanting to buy a gun takes about five to 10 minutes. Wednesday, the day after President-elect Barack Obama was elected, the time stretched to two hours, said some gun shop owners in Grand Junction. Other gun and pawn shop owners attribute the increase to hunting season. "I'm a lot busier than Christmas," said Jimmy Wilcox, owner of A Pawn Shop at 353 Pitkin Ave. Wilcox estimated he's been selling between 400 and 500 guns a month, and in the last few weeks leading up to the election, that number's increased. "Yesterday was crazy," Wilcox said. Wednesday,... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Colorado Gun Sales 'Gone Mad,' FBI Reports US Firearm Sales up 10%
Denver Post (Colorado)
6 Nov 2008
GRAND JUNCTION -- John Faulkner and his wife, Brenda, thought Wednesday was a good day to buy a handgun. "I'm 37 years old, and this is the first time in my life that I am really scared for our future," said Faulkner, an oil field worker, as he perused the collection of weaponry in A Pawn Shop here. At Aurora's Firing Line gun shop, Steve Wickham was also purchasing. "Anything I can get my hands on," he said as he cradled a $699 9mm handgun. Same thing in Lakewood: "I was selling guns before I even opened the door," said George Horne, owner of The Gun Room. "It's gone completely mad. Everyone is buying everything I've got on the shelves. Sales... ( gunpolicy.org )
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