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United Arab Emirates,Qatar,Oman,Kuwait,Bahamas,Germany,Saudi Arabia

Germany Doubles Arms Supplies To Persian Gulf Nations

25 February 2013

RT-TV Novosti (Russia)

German military exports to Persian Gulf nations doubled in 2012 amid repeatedly-voiced international concerns over gross human rights violations in the region. The German government has been fiercely accused of unscrupulousness in arms sales. The latest report published by Munich-based Süddeutsche Zeitung newspaper suggests that German arms export to the six nations belonging to the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf has grown two-fold, from 570... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: RT-TV Novosti (Russia)

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United Arab Emirates,Russia

Russia Offers UAE Ammo Production Deal

18 February 2013

RIA Novosti (Russia)

ABU-DHABI - Russia is ready to offer the United Arab Emirates license-production of ammunition for BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicles previously sold to the country, Pribor defense firm chief Oleg Chizhevsky said on Monday. "About 700 BMP-3's have been delivered to the UAE; naturally, there is high demand for those shells and we are ready to meet it in any form, in any format," he said at the IDEX-2013 international arms exhibition in Abu Dhabi. He did not specify which... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: RIA Novosti (Russia)

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Switzerland,Saudi Arabia,Syria,Jordan,United Arab Emirates

Swiss Weapons Sale to Saudi Arabia Blocked on HR Grounds

23 January 2013

SwissInfo

The Swiss government has vetoed the planned sale by the firearms group KRISS of weapon components to Saudi Arabia, arguing that the weapons made from them could be used to violate human rights. The Swiss group's application for an export licence was for items worth SFr436,000 ($468,000), according to the economics ministry. The ministry said the application was for components for pistols to be sent to the United States for assembly, and then exported to Saudi Arabia... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: SwissInfo

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Tunisia,Egypt,Qatar,United Arab Emirates,Kuwait,Bahrain,Oman,Iraq,Saudi Arabia,Yemen,Iran,United States

How US, Middle East Gun Laws Measure Up

19 December 2012

Al Arabiya (Dubai)

The fatal Dec. 14 shooting at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut which claimed the lives of 28 people, including 20 innocent children under 10 once again brought to light the dilemma of gun ownership in the United States and despite the fact that it received no response from the gun rights advocates but a deafening silence, laid emphasis on the necessity for the United States to revise its gun policies. The shooting rampage, in which a mentally... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: Al Arabiya (Dubai)

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United Arab Emirates,Sri Lanka,United Kingdom

UAE Detains Floating Gun Arsenal, Experts say Regulation Needed

17 October 2012

National (Abu Dhabi)

DUBAI - Alarm bells have sounded over the appearance of ships doubling as floating arsenals near UAE waters. Of the estimated 12 armoury ships operating globally, at least four are known to operate off the coast of Fujairah. They rent weapons to security companies that guard merchant vessels in the areas where pirates are active, and act as ammunition stores for security companies en route to UAE, Yemen or Saudi Arabian waters, where weapons from other countries are... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: National (Abu Dhabi)

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Turkey,Djibouti,United Arab Emirates

Men Cleared of Trafficking Arms from Turkey to UAE

26 September 2012

National (Abu Dhabi)

The State Security Court has cleared four men of smuggling firearms and bullets into the UAE. Customs detected the "large amount" of guns and ammunition as they passed through Jebel Ali Port on their way to Djibouti from Turkey. Accompanying documents said it contained soap. The lawyer for the four men said they had no knowledge of the contents. He said they worked for a company in Dubai that specialises in shipments that transit through the UAE. The company is said... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: National (Abu Dhabi)

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United Arab Emirates

Rifles Top Sellers at UAE Hunting Exhibition, Licences Available On Site

10 September 2012

National (Abu Dhabi)

ABU DHABI - Firearms sales increased by between 10 to 20 per cent at this year's Abu Dhabi International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition (Adihex). German hunting rifles, 9mm pistols and .408 calibre sniper rifles were the top sellers. The four-day exhibition, at Adnec, welcomed more than 100,000 visitors - up from 97,812 last year. In the first three days, 1,002 firearm licences were issued and sales representatives said demand rises each year. In 2010, 1,016... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: National (Abu Dhabi)

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Syria,Canada,United Arab Emirates,Venezuela,Lebanon,Iraq

No Gun Control Plus Idle Youth Equals Recipe for Trouble - Opinion

6 June 2012

National (Abu Dhabi), Opinion

'The weapon first, fighting second," goes an Arabic proverb, which pretty much explains why there is so much conflict in the world today. But it also describes perfectly what I have had the misfortune of seeing as I've travelled and worked in war zones across the region. I remember the time I was in Iraq, and the family I was staying with insisted that I carry some form of weapon as "defence" and protection. Even their grandmother carried a small hand gun in her purse... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: National (Abu Dhabi)

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Panama,Liberia,Oman,Yemen,Egypt,Saudi Arabia,Mauritius,Seychelles,Mongolia,Djibouti,Madagascar,United Arab Emirates,United Kingdom,Somalia,Kenya

Anti-piracy Security Firms Keep Guns in Floating Armouries to Avoid Law

22 March 2012

Associated Press

NAIROBI, Kenya — Private security firms are storing their guns aboard floating armories in international waters so ships that want armed anti-piracy guards for East Africa's pirate-infested waters can cut costs and circumvent laws limiting the import and export of weapons, industry officials say. Companies and legal experts say the operation of the armories is a "legal gray area" because few, if any, governments have laws governing the practice. Some security... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: Associated Press

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Madagascar,Guinea,Ghana,Botswana,Angola,Algeria,South Africa,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa,Russia,Austria,Israel,Germany,Italy,United States,Yemen,Philippines,Pakistan,Sri Lanka,Tunisia,Brazil,Burkina Faso,Egypt,Côte d'Ivoire,Malawi,Mauritania,Morocco,Namibia,Niger,Nigeria,Congo (ROC),Senegal,Tanzania,Uganda,Zambia,Zimbabwe,Argentina,Ecuador

Brazilian Gun Industry Seeks New Markets: Africa and Asia [Portugues]

27 January 2012

Publica (Brazil)

[Translated summary: With the support of the Ministries of Defence and Foreign Affairs, Brazilian gun manufacturers seek new markets in countries with a history of human rights violations: Tunisia, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Philippines and Yemen. Brazil is among the six countries in the world with annual exports exceeding $ 100 million, according to recent research from Small Arms Survey. According to the Army, responsible for supervising and controlling exports from 2005 to... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: Publica (Brazil)

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Thailand,Colombia,Russia,United States,Uganda,Rwanda,South Africa,United Arab Emirates,Belgium,Sudan,Somalia,Côte d'Ivoire,Liberia,Angola,Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa,Congo (DRC)

Stopping the Trade in Death, Gun Trafficking, Smuggling - Opinion

6 December 2011

New York Times, Opinion

On a dark November morning in 2004, I woke up in my bungalow overlooking Lake Kivu, tense with anticipation. Our small United Nations team was about to undertake a surprise inspection of three airfields in eastern Congo, notorious for smuggling operations. With the backing of U.N. peacekeeping forces and a U.N. Security Council mandate, we searched almost every incoming and outgoing aircraft that day. By evening, we had the evidence to link several aviation front... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: New York Times

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United Kingdom,United States,United Arab Emirates,Jordan

Former UK Gun Lobby Leader Nears Plea on US-Middle East Gun Running

27 March 2011

Tennessean (Nashville)

Illegally trafficked assault rifles and gun parts manufactured in Nashville ultimately found their way to Middle Eastern countries such as Jordan and the United Arab Emirates, according to federal court documents unsealed Wednesday. The documents — sworn statements written by federal agents in support of search warrants for facilities owned by Sabre Defence Industries — reveal many new details about an alleged conspiracy to skirt U.S. regulators and law enforcement... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: Tennessean (Nashville)

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West Asia,United Arab Emirates,Egypt,Yemen,Turkey

Turkey Probes 'Unauthorised' Shipment of 16,000 Handguns to Yemen

25 March 2011

Associated Press

ANKARA, Turkey - Turkey says it is investigating a shipment of thousands of Turkish-made small arms bound for Yemen that were seized by Dubai police. A statement from Turkey's Foreign Ministry on Friday insisted that no such shipment had been authorized by Turkish officials. Dubai's police found 16,000 pistols concealed in a cargo shipping container. It says the shipment originated in Turkey and passed through an Egyptian port before reaching the Gulf Emirate. The... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: Associated Press

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United Arab Emirates

United Arab Emirates Aim for Self Sufficiency in Ammunition Manufacture

29 August 2010

National (United Arab Emirates)

Abu Dhabi is aiming to expand its arms manufacturing industry with plans to complete an ammunition plant next year. Tawazun Holding, the investment arm of the Offset Programme Bureau, said the plant would supply 9mm, 5.56mm and 7.62mm bullets for pistols and rifles. The company said it had reached an agreement with the General Headquarters of the UAE Armed Forces to guarantee the supply of small-calibre ammunition when production begins at the plant next year. The... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: National (United Arab Emirates)

33227

Zimbabwe,India,Algeria,Chad,Angola,Saudi Arabia,Colombia,Libya,South Africa,Swaziland,Cameroon,United Arab Emirates

South Africa Takes Fire for Gun Sales to Conflict Areas, Blacklisted Nations

1 July 2010

Christian Science Monitor

JOHANNESBURG - South Africa, which has been winning applause for its hosting of the 2010 World Cup, is now coming under fire for another success: global arms sales. According to the South African watch group, Ceasefire Campaign, South African arms merchants have sold $1.7 billion worth of weapons in the past decade to "problematic" countries that are either involved in internal conflicts or with poor human rights records. The arms sales would appear to be in violation... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: Christian Science Monitor

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United Arab Emirates,India,China

Indian Army Grounds UAE Air Force Plane Carrying Guns to China

8 September 2009

Times of India

KOLKATA — After trying to fob off Indian officials and investigators all of Sunday night, one of the pilots of the United Arab Emirates air force aircraft detained at Kolkata airport since Sunday finally admitted to the plane carrying a consignment of weapons. The C-130 Hercules among the biggest transport aircraft in the world was on its way to Xiangyang, China, from UAEAF's Western Air Command base in Abu Dhabi. Although the UAE government had the necessary... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: Times of India

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Somalia,Ethiopia,Eritrea,Yemen,United Arab Emirates,Saudi Arabia,West Asia

Weapons for Warlords: Gun Running, Arms Trafficking in the Gulf of Aden

18 June 2009

Jamestown Foundation (USA) / Terrorism Monitor Volume 7, Issue 17, Web page

In the Hobbesian anarchy that has been the norm in Somalia since the late 1980s, the proliferation of weapons has been associated not only with the pursuit of political power but also with international terrorism and the protection and furtherance of economic objectives in the region. Somalia lies at the heart of regional arms trafficking networks that include governments and private traders in East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. Developed over many years, this... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: Jamestown Foundation (USA) / Terrorism Monitor Volume 7, Issue 17

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United Arab Emirates,United States

Dubai Handgun Maker Caracal Sees Bright Future in US Pistol Market

26 February 2009

Gulf News (Dubai)

The new 9mm Caracal sub-compact handgun, launched at the 9th International Defence Exhibition and Conference (IDEX-2009), is more than just a deadly firearm soon to be in use by security forces around the world. Manufacturers said the UAE-made firearm is a symbol of quality being produced by Emiratis in a country where manufacturing is virtually non-existent. Caracal is the only small arms manufacturer in the Gulf region. "It's not so much that we're producing... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: Gulf News (Dubai)

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United Arab Emirates

Celebratory Shooting Turns Wedding Into a Funeral in United Arab Emirates

10 February 2008

Gulf News (Dubai)

RAS AL KHAIMAH — A wedding celebration here turned to tragedy when one revellers was killed by a stray bullet. Mohammad Ahmad Samt, a 45-year-old Emirati, was fatally hit on Saturday while revellers were firing shots in the air at a wedding in the Shamal area. His friends said Samt cupped his chest during celebrations, fell to the ground and died. Lieutenant Colonel Salem Saeed Al Alkim, head of Al Ma'amourah Police Station, said the victim was also firing in the... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: Gulf News (Dubai)

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India,United Arab Emirates

Influential Airline Chairman Caught Carrying Gun, Bullets on Air India Flight

19 January 2007

BBC News

DELHI — Aviation chiefs in India have launched an enquiry after a prominent industrialist checked-in a pistol and bullets on an international flight. The businessman is a grandson of Pakistan's founder Mohammad Ali Jinnah. The Indian national carrier, Air India, has removed at least one official as a result of the security breach. The officials was alleged to have been present at the time the lapse occurred, and airport security apparatus failed to detect the... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: BBC News

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