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Firearm violence, gun control and small arms
Palestinian Judge Killed Accidentally While Cleaning Gun
9 June 2013
Xinhua
GAZA - A Hamas military judge was killed while cleaning a gun at his office in Gaza City, the Hamas health ministry said Sunday.
A bullet was fired from the pistol and ended up in judge Ayman Emad Al-Deen's head, said Ashraf Al-Qedra, a spokesperson of the ministry.
Police spokesperson Ayyoub Abu Sha'ar said that an investigation was underway.
The judge, part of the Hamas military judiciary, was in the panel in charge of several tribunals that handed down death... (GunPolicy.org)
Two Men Arrested After Unregistered Gun Used in Saudi Shooting
6 June 2013
Arab News (Saudi Arabia)
RIYADH - Riyadh police yesterday arrested two men who opened fire at Romansiya Restaurant in Al-Suwaidi district on Monday.
"The brothers have admitted to the crime and explained the incident in detail to the police," said Riyadh police spokesman Col. Nasser bin Saeed Al-Qahtani.
The elder brother admitted that he arrived at the restaurant after hearing about his brother's involvement in a fight with the restaurant workers. He said he started firing his gun randomly... (GunPolicy.org)
Turkish Govt Raises Gun Ownership Age for Some Weapons
3 June 2013
Today's Zaman (Istanbul)
The minimum age for gun ownership in a law proposal being deliberated by the Weapons Sub-commission of the parliamentary Interior Affairs Commission has been raised from 18 to 25, another increase from 23 in the previous version of the draft.
The draft also has provisions in the tear gas category, including pepper spray, which has been in the news recently due to its much criticized overuse by the police force during the Taksim Gezi Park demonstrations in İstanbul and... (GunPolicy.org)
Jordan Govt Endorses New Firearms Draft Law to Curb Violence
30 May 2013
Jordan Times / Zawya
AMMAN - A new draft firearms and ammunition law places further restrictions on the acquisition of automatic weapons, a top official said on Thursday, amid a significant increase in the use of guns and violence across the Kingdom over the past few years.
Minister of State for Media Affairs and Communications Mohammed Momani told The Jordan Times on Thursday that the government will move to have the bill enacted by Parliament as soon as possible.
According to the draft... (GunPolicy.org)
Saudi Arabia,Libya,Mexico,Germany
Weapons Exports Reveal Faults in German System
30 May 2013
Deutsche Welle
Germany prides itself on having "strict, even restrictive regulations" for the export of weapons of war. All the same, German weapons regularly show up in regions they should not be in.
For years, every single government coalition in Germany has stated that the country has particularly strict regulations for sales of weapons of war to foreign countries. Regularly, however, weapons used abroad but "made in Germany" get into the news. People are outraged when assault... (GunPolicy.org)
Turkey Fights to Stem Arms Smuggling
27 May 2013
National (Abu Dhabi)
ISTANBUL - Turkish custom agents knew exactly what they were looking for when they searched the Libyan-flagged fishing vessel.
Thanks to a last-minute tip, what was supposed to be an empty cargo hold was discovered to be carrying almost 1,000 pump-action shotguns and more than 400 handguns.
"Arms and munitions were discovered on a ship bound for Libya on April 21 in Istanbul," a Turkish official said.
The discovery followed other major weapons seizures in the country... (GunPolicy.org)
Armed Fugitive Admits Gun Smuggling in Bahrain
27 May 2013
Gulf Daily News (Bahrain)
An armed fugitive who tried to shoot policemen as he was arrested in Bani Jamra has confessed to being part of a gang that smuggled guns into Bahrain.
Redha Abdulla Isa reportedly admitted bringing a "large number" of automatic weapons and pistols that were used to attack police, as he appeared at the Public Prosecution yesterday.
He also confessed to making explosives and is wanted by police in connection with a car blast outside the Bahrain Financial Harbour (BFH)... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Tragedy Father Honoured by UK Govt as Arms Trade Treaty Passes
23 May 2013
BBC News
A father whose toddler was killed by a gunman with an illegal weapon in Turkey is to be honoured by the UK government for his campaigning efforts.
David Grimason, who lost his two-year-old son Alistair in 2003, has pressed for tighter controls on the trade of weapons for the past decade.
An international arms trade treaty has been approved by the UN.
Scottish Secretary Michael Moore will present Mr Grimason with the letter of thanks during a ceremony in... (GunPolicy.org)
Czech Firm Wins Egyptian Tender For Pistols, Submachine Guns
23 May 2013
Xinhua
PRAGUE - Czech arms firm Ceska zbrojovka won an international tender to supply 50,000 pistols to the Egyptian interior ministry, company CEO Lubomir Kovarik said on Thursday.
Speaking at a defence industry trade fair in Brno, Kovarik said some of the firearms were sent to Egypt last week. The CZ P-07 Duty pistols are smaller than those supplied by Ceska zbrojovka to the Czech military and security forces.
The one-year contract will be followed by the supply of several... (GunPolicy.org)
Israel Announces New Gun-Control Rules After Be'er Sheva Bank Shooting
22 May 2013
Ha'aretz (Tel Aviv)
One day after a Be'er Sheva man shot dead four people in a local bank before turning his gun on himself, the Public Security Ministry on Tuesday announced new rules to limit the number of guns in circulation. School security guards will have to turn in their weapons, which guarding firms will reissue at the start of the new school year. Licensed gun owners will have to store their weapon in a safe at home. Security companies must obtain special exemptions from being... (GunPolicy.org)
Turkish Soldier Dies in Gun Prank Accident
20 May 2013
Today's Zaman (Istanbul)
A soldier was killed when a fellow soldier accidentally shot him during a prank in Mardin's Midyat district on Sunday, according to Turkish media reports.
Private E.Y. was reportedly killed when his friend Pvt. M.S. accidentally shot him while both were on guard duty in Cevat Paşa Barracks in Midyat.
E.Y.'s body was taken to Midyat State Hospital's morgue and an investigation has been started to look into the incident. M.S. was hospitalized after he suffered from a... (GunPolicy.org)
Israeli Gunman Kills Four Then Self with Licensed Handgun
20 May 2013
Washington Post
JERUSALEM — A gunman stormed into a bank in the southern Israeli city of Beersheba Monday, killing four people in a gunfight and taking a hostage before killing himself, police said.
Police initially suspected a bungled bank robbery but later changed their assessment.
They identified the gunman as a former military officer who fell on hard times financially. The 40-year-old man arrived at the bank to withdraw money and settle a debt, police said. He reportedly got... (GunPolicy.org)
Iranian Jailed for Illegal Arms Importation into Nigeria
14 May 2013
This Day (Lagos)
Justice Okechukwu Okeke of the Federal High Court in Lagos monday sentenced an Iranian national, Azim Aghajani, and his Nigerian counterpart, Ali Jega, to 17 years imprisonment each for their involvement in the importation of firearms into Nigeria.
Justice Okeke while delivering his judgment, held that he was not in doubt that the 13 containers loaded with arms were imported into the country, contrary to the claim by the accused persons that the containers contained... (GunPolicy.org)
Israeli Police asks Public to Hand in Illegal Guns After Rise in Murder Rate
13 May 2013
Times of Israel
Following a recent surge in gun murders in Israel, Internal Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovich has called on citizens to hand illegally held guns to police without facing criminal charges. The public will be able to turn the munitions at police stations throughout the country for a month, starting Wednesday.
The law calls for a maximum penalty of seven years in jail for someone caught in possession of an unlicensed firearm. Police sources told Ma'ariv they expected... (GunPolicy.org)
Police Report Shows 80 Percent of Guns Unregistered in Turkey
11 May 2013
World Bulletin (Istanbul)
A report recently drafted by the National Police Department's Anti-Smuggling and Organized Crime Department shows that almost 80 percent of guns that police seized from individuals in incidents threatening public security from 2010-2012 were unregistered.
According to the report, the types of firearms confiscated in police operations over the course of past five years were manufactured guns (51 percent), handmade guns (33 percent), blank guns turned into real guns (16... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Licensing Law Changes Considered in Turkey
10 May 2013
Today's Zaman (Istanbul)
A bill recently submitted to Parliament could give former gun license holders who forgot to renew their licenses another chance.
The current Law on Firearms, Knives and other Weapons states that gun carrying and keeping licenses shall be valid for five years following the date of confirmation and shall be renewed once every five years on condition of payment of the renewal charge. The license holder is also required to inform the public institution that has issued the... (GunPolicy.org)
Turkey Plans Ban on Guns at Bars and Cafes, Safety Training for Owners
9 May 2013
Today's Zaman (Istanbul)
According to a new regulation, people carrying guns will not be allowed as a security measure to enter entertainment venues such as bars, cafés, night clubs and places where wedding ceremonies are held, Interior Minister Muammer Güler announced on Wednesday.
Under the regulation, Güler told reporters, people who want to buy guns will receive training on how to use them safely. Moreover, those carrying weapons will be denied entrance to entertainment venues such as... (GunPolicy.org)
Turkey Launches Locally Made Rifles, Aims for $100M in Exports
6 May 2013
Today's Zaman (Istanbul)
ISTANBUL - Sarsılmaz Firearms Industry, the leading private producer of guns and rifles in Turkey, introduced on Monday the country's first domestically produced infantry rifles as well as new generation pistols, firearms with which the company is targeting to reach the $100 million export mark in the next three years.
The 133-year-old company invested TL 14 million in its new products and plans to increase its investment to TL 27 million in line with an expected... (GunPolicy.org)
Yemen,Argentina,Costa Rica,Libya,Germany,United States,Brazil,Paraguay,Austria
Most Brazilian Guns Exported to US
29 April 2013
Folha de Sao Paulo
BRASILIA - The U.S., currently discussing restrictions on the sale of firearms, purchased 7.9 million guns from Brazil in the past 40 years, and 59% of those were exported during the Lula administration (2003-2010).
That is the result of a new study by the Army Command to which Folha had access through the Access to Information Act, with a detailed record of the sellers and buyers of 9.9 million revolvers, pistols, rifles and shotguns, among other weapons, exported... (GunPolicy.org)
Questions Over Gun Ownership Rates in Israel as Gun Crime, Theft Rises
26 April 2013
Ha'aretz (Tel Aviv)
A 36-year-old mother of four was killed Tuesday by a gunshot in the Galilee village of Rama. Preliminary evidence shows she was killed while her husband, a career soldier in the Israeli army, who possesses a registered weapon as part of his duties, was cleaning his weapon. The loaded firearm apparently discharged a bullet by accident, hitting the woman.
This incident raises – yet again – the question of whether there is a need for all members of the Israeli armed... (GunPolicy.org)
Turkish People Spent TL 117 Million on Guns in 2012
22 April 2013
Today's Zaman (Istanbul)
Turkish people spent TL 117,922,000 on guns and bullets last year, with gun sales increasing by 54 percent, according to data from the state-owned Turkish Mechanical and Chemical Industry Corporation (MKE).
While a total of 19,575 handguns were sold in Turkey in 2011, the number of handguns sold last year rose to 30,207. The price of handguns ranges between TL 570 and TL 12,000. Of the 30,207 handguns, 21,464 were made in Turkey. A total of TL 57.8 million of revenue... (GunPolicy.org)
Nepal Police Concerned Over Rise in Illegal Guns, Crime in Valley
17 April 2013
Himalayan Times (Kathmandu)
KATHMANDU - Metropolitan Police Circle, Balaju, raided a rented house at Mitranagar, and rounded up four crime suspects with a cache of illegal weapons yesterday.
Acting on intelligence input, an MPC team backed by local armed police had cordoned off the house late at night before carrying out a thorough search in all rooms.
Officials informed that Yam Bahadur Thapa, 23, of Gorkha, his sister-in-law Alisha Gurung, 20, of Gorkha, Pankaj Malla, 19, of Banke and Rudra... (GunPolicy.org)
Poland,Ukraine,Israel,Côte d'Ivoire,Bulgaria,Belarus,China,Angola,Russia
Guns Easily Available in Côte D'Ivoire Despite Embargo
16 April 2013
IRIN (UN News)
ABIDJAN - Côte d'Ivoire's recent turbulence - including the ouster of president Henri Konan Bédié in 1999, a long-running insurgency and deadly poll unrest in 2011 - has left the country awash in arms, which have contributed to human rights abuses, widespread crime and persistent insecurity.
Two years after coming to power in 2000, Laurent Gbagbo's administration faced an army mutiny, which morphed into a full-scale rebellion. In response, the government underwent a... (GunPolicy.org)
Levels of Violence Rise at Jordan's Universities, Gun Drawn at Parliament
15 April 2013
Al-Monitor (Washington DC)
Residents of the city of Karak have been dressing in black to mourn the death of a 20-year-old engineering student.
Officials said the man was killed [April 2] on the campus of a public university in this tribal stronghold 120 km (75 miles) south of the Jordanian capital, Amman. Recent violence that has wreaked havoc in Jordan's educational institutions, including student rioting that moved Karak into the forefront, could be a warning that there is a threat to... (GunPolicy.org)
Guns of 15,000 Abusive Men Seized in Turkey
14 April 2013
Today's Zaman (Istanbul)
Family and Social Policy Minister Fatma Şahin has announced that the weapons of 15,000 men found to have been involved in violence against women have been confiscated as a protective measure since the Law on the Prevention of Violence against Women came into effect 13 months ago.
Speaking to the Akşam daily during her visit to Helsinki, Şahin provided some details about the implementation of Law No. 6284 on the Prevention of Violence against Women and the Protection... (GunPolicy.org)
Syria,North Korea,Iran,United States
Expert Says Explaining Benefits of Arms Treaty will Boost US Support
11 April 2013
New York Times, Opinion
On April 2, the United States joined an overwhelming majority of countries at the United Nations in voting to adopt a treaty regulating the international trade in conventional weapons — a monumental achievement after seven years of diplomacy, lobbying and out-and-out arm-twisting.
The United States pushed for the General Assembly vote last week after securing, in a March conference, the treaty language its negotiators wanted.
Yet now, just days after the United... (GunPolicy.org)
Saudi Youths Jailed for Brandishing Guns
11 April 2013
Gulf News (Dubai)
Manama - A Saudi court has sentenced three young men to spend time in jail and to be lashed for brandishing a gun in public.
Two defendants, including the son of a well-known businessman, were given 15 months in prison and 60 lashes, while the third was handed 24 months in jail and 50 lashes and was barred from leaving the country for two years afterwards, Saudi daily Okaz reported on Thursday.
The lashes will be given out over three times, including twice in front of... (GunPolicy.org)
Egypt,Liberia,Mali,Palestine,Chad,Somalia,Tunisia,Algeria,Niger
Egypt Major Recipient of Illicit Libyan Weapons: UN Report
10 April 2013
Daily News (Egypt)
The United Nations published a report on Tuesday which concludes that weapons used during the Libyan civil war against Muammar Gaddafi are being funnelled at an alarming rate to other countries in the region.
The report said these weapons have been found to be used in the recent war in Mali, the West Bank in Palestine and the ongoing Syrian civil war, with Egypt and the Sahel region receiving the most significant amounts. The report said these weapons are fuelling... (GunPolicy.org)
Yemen,England & Wales,United States,Macedonia,Croatia,Slovenia,Kosovo,Bosnia & Herzegovina,Montenegro,Serbia
Citizens in Former Yugoslavia 'Traumatised and Heavily Armed'
10 April 2013
Washington Post
SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina — The wars from 1991 to 1999 as Yugoslavia broke up took up to 200,000 lives, turned millions into refugees and left much of the region's people traumatized and heavily armed. It was the bloodiest conflict in Europe since World War II.
The millions of weapons that remained in possession of civilians after the fighting have caused fatalities every week, as traumatized former soldiers either shoot family members or commit suicide or... (GunPolicy.org)
Turkish Authorities Seize Guns Bound for Syria
29 March 2013
RTÉ (Dublin)
Turkish authorities say they have seized thousands of guns in a warehouse by the Syrian border.
A local news agency said the weapons had been destined for Turkey's war-torn neighbour.
The firearms, including more than 5,000 shotguns and rifles, starting pistols, gunstocks and 10,000 cartridges, were discovered during a raid in a village on the edge of the Turkish town of Akcakale.
The Dogan News Agency said the weapons were being stored on the edge of the border... (GunPolicy.org)
Iran,Syria,United Kingdom,Kenya,North Korea
Iran, N. Korea, Syria Block Arms Trade Treaty at Last Minute
29 March 2013
Australian (Sydney)
Iran, North Korea and Syria have held up agreement on the first global treaty on the $US80 billion ($A76.97 billion) a year conventional arms trade.
The three states twice blocked moves to adopt a treaty by consensus at the end of 10 days of arduous talks at the UN headquarters.
Kenya announced that a coalition of countries from around the world would now take the treaty straight to the 193-member UN General Assembly next week for approval. It can be passed with a two... (GunPolicy.org)
Kuwait Authorities Propose New Gun Law, Buyback to Curb Crime
28 March 2013
Arab Times (Kuwait)
KUWAIT CITY - The Economic and Financial Affairs Committee of the National Assembly Thursday approved the amendment to the loan interest law and agreed on not to allocate more than KD 720 million to the 'Family Fund' which the state should use to buy the loans from the banks.
Speaking after a marathon meeting which was held in the presence of Minister of Finance, Mustafa Al-Shamali and Governor of the Central Bank of Kuwait (CBK) Mohammed Al-Hathil, the Committee... (GunPolicy.org)
Irish Police Chief Rejects Reissue of Machine Guns After Cop Shooting
27 March 2013
BBC News
The Commissioner of the Irish police has rejected calls for detectives to be reissued with Uzi submachine guns.
Martin Callinan said it "would not have made the slightest bit of difference" if a murdered detective had been armed with an Uzi.
Detective Adrian Donohoe was shot during a robbery on 25 January 2013.
The Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (AGSI) passed a motion calling for the reissue of the Israeli-made weapons at its conference.
The guns,... (GunPolicy.org)
Africa,Americas,Asia,Europe,Oceania,United States,Russia,Italy,Germany,Brazil,Switzerland,Israel,Austria,South Korea,Belgium,Spain,Turkey,Norway,Canada,United Kingdom,Australia,France,Pakistan,Yemen,Honduras,El Salvador,Jamaica
Fact and Figures: Global Trade in Small Arms
18 March 2013
al Jazeera
Diplomats from around the world have gathered at the UN for talks on an international arms trade treaty, in an effort to stop the sale of illegal conventional arms.
Similar talks held last July failed, mainly due to the objections of the US and Russia, the world's two largest arms exporters.
Al Jazeera has compiled a list of facts related to the global production and trading of small arms.
1. Authorised international transfers of small arms, light weapons, their... (GunPolicy.org)
India,Egypt,Syria,Russia,United States,Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa
Urgent Call for Tighter Rules on International Arms Trade - Oxfam
12 March 2013
Oxfam International (Oxford), Media release
Draft Arms Trade Treaty text littered with loopholes which need fixing urgently to save lives
More than 325,000 people are estimated to have lost their lives through armed violence since negotiations for a treaty to regulate the global arms trade for the first time ground to a halt in July last year, say Oxfam and Saferworld, part of the Control Arms Coalition.
The Control Arms Coalition calls on world leaders to urgently adopt robust rules on international transfers... (GunPolicy.org)
Sweden,Uruguay,Finland,Iraq,Saudi Arabia,Cyprus,Switzerland,Yemen,Serbia,United States
10 Nations with Highest Gun Ownership
12 March 2013
SiliconIndia
Bangalore: "Force and mind are opposites; morality ends where a gun begins," said novelist Ayn Rand. In an era where the misuse of guns and ammunitions are leading to massacres, it is no more a place of nonviolence. Arms and ammunitions leave bitter memories and scar the human race for ages to come. Here are the 10 countries with highest gun ownership, as listed by yahoo.com.
USA:
USA tops the list of countries with highest gun ownership and this no surprise! The... (GunPolicy.org)
European Union,Sweden,Myanmar,Syria
Stray Swedish Weapons Show Up in Syria, Myanmar Despite EU Ban
7 March 2013
Local (Sweden)
Syrian rebels appear to be using Swedish weapons, visible in a new video that has emerged from the civil war in which an anti-regime fighter cradles a well-known Swedish model of anti-tank rifle.
TV4 news found the video in which a rebel fighter emerges with a Carl Gustaf rocket launcher perched on his right shoulder.
The report dubs the weapon a "Swedish export success story".
It is the second time in the past few months that Swedish weapons have made their way to... (GunPolicy.org)
Yemen Plans Stricter Enforcement of Ban on Gun Carrying in Public
5 March 2013
Al Bawaba (Jordan)
The Interior Ministry ordered security authorities to enforce a public weapons carrying ban in the capital city on Saturday.
The ban is actually a part of a 1992 firearms organizational law that has been loosely enforced.
The law stipulates a ban on carrying firearms unless permitted by concerned authorities.
Following a year of increased assassinations, officials say the plan to implement the ban is in line with a larger security campaign that has been beefed up... (GunPolicy.org)
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)
Handmade Firearms in Syria [Francais]
22 February 2013
Le Figaro (France)
[Translated summary: PHOTOS - The Free Syrian Army is running short of weapons to fight a regular army armed with tanks, planes and helicopters. Thus, rebels now manufacture their own weapons.]
EN IMAGES- L'Armée syrienne libre (ASL) manque d'armes pour affronter une armée régulière munie de tanks, d'avions et d'hélicoptères. Ainsi, face à l'ennemi, les rebelles fabriquent désormais leurs propres armes avec les moyens du... (GunPolicy.org)
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)
Saudi Guards Seize Over 1400 Guns From Smugglers
17 February 2013
Saudi Gazette
RIYADH – Border Guard patrol teams foiled attempts to smuggle about six tons of hashish into the Kingdom over the past three months. They also arrested 1,641 drug traffickers and 75,763 infiltrators who tried to sneak into the country during the period, said a Border Guard spokesman.
Releasing the statistics about the Border Guard operations during the period between Nov. 15, 2012 and Feb. 10, 2013, Brig. Gen. Muhammad Saad Al-Ghamdi also said 126,805 narcotic pills,... (GunPolicy.org)
Reducing Gun Access Could Lower US Suicide Rate
13 February 2013
New York Times
DAYTON, Wyoming — Craig Reichert found his son's body on a winter morning, lying on the floor as if he were napping with his great-uncle's pistol under his knee. The 911 dispatcher told him to administer CPR, but Mr. Reichert, who has had emergency training, told her it was too late. His son, Kameron, 17, was already cold to the touch.
Guns are like a grandmother's diamonds in the Reichert family, heirlooms that carry memory and tradition. They are used on the... (GunPolicy.org)
Yemeni Culture a Barrier to Gun Control
12 February 2013
Atlantic (USA)
SANA'A, Yemen - With shops lining the main road and hard bargaining merchants abounding, Jihana appears to be your average Yemeni market. But instead of shopping for food or clothes, customers peruse a vast assortment of glocks, pistols, AK47s, M16s, anti-aircraft artillery, bazookas, and nearly any other weapon short of an actual tank.
"In Yemen, no matter if you're rich or poor, you must have guns. Even if it's just one piece," insists Abdul Wahab al-Ammari, a tribal... (GunPolicy.org)
Israel Has Fewer Guns, Fewer Deaths Than US
11 February 2013
Forward, the Jewish Daily
WASHINGTON — Nine days after the Newtown, Conn. massacre in which 20 children died, Wayne LaPierre, the National Rifle Association's executive vice president, broke his group's long silence with a bristling attack against gun regulation that included a theme heard frequently among gun rights advocates.
"Israel had a whole lot of school shootings until they did one thing," LaPierre said on NBC's "Meet the Press." "They said, 'We're going to stop it,' and they put... (GunPolicy.org)
Iran,Yemen,North Korea,Libya,Somalia,Africa
UN Monitors See Weapons in Somalia From Yemen, Iran
10 February 2013
Reuters
As the United States pushes for an end to the U.N. arms embargo on Somalia, U.N. monitors are reporting that Islamist militants in the Horn of Africa nation are receiving arms from distribution networks linked to Yemen and Iran, diplomats told Reuters.
The U.N. Security Council's sanctions monitoring team's concerns about Iranian and Yemeni links to arms supplies for al Shabaab militants come as Yemen is asking Tehran to stop backing armed groups on Yemeni soil. Last... (GunPolicy.org)
Yemen,France,United States,Switzerland
Three Dead, Two Injured in Swiss Shooting
8 February 2013
Washington Post
DAILLON, Switzerland — On Jan. 3, the day Sandy Hook Elementary students returned to school in Newtown, Conn., Florian Berthouzoz leaned out his window and opened fire on this tranquil Swiss village with an old military carbine and a 12-gauge shotgun.
By the time he finished shooting, three women were killed, apparently at random, and two men were wounded. Berthouzoz was brought down by a police officer's bullet in the chest.
The shooting in Daillon, on a steep... (GunPolicy.org)
Firearms Ownership Raises Safety Issues in Serbia, Turkey
7 February 2013
Southeast European Times
With data showing that the number of individually owned firearms in Serbia and Turkey has increased, security institutions, civil society and citizens are calling for implementation of laws and a tightened legal framework to keep safety at the forefront.
According to the Belgrade police department, 365 criminal charges for illegal weapon possession were filed in 2011. In the first half of 2012, a total of 151 criminal charges were filed for the same... (GunPolicy.org)
Malaysian Journalist Dies in Lebanon Gun Accident
4 February 2013
New Straits Times (Malaysia)
KUALA LUMPUR - A Malaysian journalist was killed in a firearm accident in Lebanon on Saturday.
Claudia Theophilus, 42, who worked as a web producer with Al-Jazeera English news agency, died after a rifle - which she was looking at, went off accidentally about 2.30am (8.30am Malaysian time).
The incident happened in Baakleen - 45km from Beirut.
Malaysian ambassador to Lebanon Ilango Karuppannan said Theophilus died shortly after she arrived at a general hospital in... (GunPolicy.org)
Russia,Afghanistan,Israel,Belgium,United States
How Video Games Fund Arms Manufacturers and Sell Guns
31 January 2013
EuroGamer
The American confectionery company Victoria Sweets claims to have invented the candy cigarette. A thin stick of chocolate, wrapped in edible paper and designed to impersonate a roll-up, it debuted in 1915 and soon became the accessory of choice for children keen to play grown-up. Hollywood star, GI Joe, team captain: the sweet gave kids the chance try out one of the vogue props of adulthood.
Within 20 years it was so popular that cigarette companies began to take... (GunPolicy.org)
Chile,Brazil,Germany,Libya,Turkey,Denmark,Sweden,Canada
Critics Say German Report on Weapons Exports Reveals Little
30 January 2013
Deutsche Welle
Critics says the government's report on arms exports lacks transparency: exporting companies are not named, and government sales are merely summarized. Yet the government claims it's in-depth and detailed.
How is it that time and again military equipment "made in Germany" shows up in war zones, despite German government claims that it handles its weapon exports "restrictively" and that it maintains a broad ban on exports to countries with questionable track records for... (GunPolicy.org)
Saudi Border Guards Seize Hundreds of Smuggled Weapons
26 January 2013
Yahoo! Maktoob News
Saudi Border Guards in Jazan province foiled numerous attempts to smuggle weapons and ammunition in addition to liquor and narcotics into the Kingdom from Yemen over the last two months, spokesman of the Border Guards in Jazan Col. Abdullah Mahfouz said in a statement to the Saudi Press Agency on Friday.
"The Border Guards seized 308 weapons of various types, 13,051 rounds of live ammunition, 19 bottles of liquor and 78 narcotic tablets, 403,562 kg of hashish and 1,775... (GunPolicy.org)
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)
Iraqis Celebrate Soccer Win with Fatal Gunfire, Authorities Blame Culture
17 January 2013
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (Prague), Blog
Iraq's soccer team sparked widespread jubilation across the country on January 15 when Ahmad Khalil's last-gasp goal gave them victory over Bahrain in the semifinals of the Gulf Cup.
Now only the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.) stands between "The Lions of Mesopotamia" and their first major international trophy since they surprised the world by winning the Asian Cup in 2007.
In a proud soccer country that has long been starved of success, it's no surprise that many... (GunPolicy.org)
Czech Republic,Hungary,Côte d'Ivoire,Iran,Guinea,Niger,Russia,South Sudan,China,Uganda,Afghanistan,Nigeria,Kenya,Iraq,Congo (DRC)
Trail of Bullet Casings Leads From Africa's Wars Back to Iran
11 January 2013
New York Times
The first clues appeared in Kenya, Uganda and what is now South Sudan. A British arms researcher surveying ammunition used by government forces and civilian militias in 2006 found Kalashnikov rifle cartridges he had not seen before. The ammunition bore no factory code, suggesting that its manufacturer hoped to avoid detection.
Within two years other researchers were finding identical cartridges circulating through the ethnic violence in Darfur. Similar ammunition then... (GunPolicy.org)
England & Wales,Djibouti,Sri Lanka,Yemen,Somalia,European Union
British Authorities Question Legality, Security of 'Floating' Gun Armouries
10 January 2013
Guardian (UK)
Private security companies guarding ships against Somali pirates are increasingly storing their weapons on so-called "floating armouries" in international waters, to avoid arms smuggling laws when they dock in ports.
About 20 ships stocked with assault rifles and other small arms as well as ammunition, body armour and night vision goggles are scattered around the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, the EU naval force has confirmed.
The legal status of... (GunPolicy.org)
Russia,Ukraine,Kenya,East Africa,European Union,Israel,Libya,Yemen,Ethiopia,United States,Somalia
Special Investigation: Lack of Gun Treaty Fuels Kenyan Smuggling Trade
9 January 2013
Star (Kenya)
Whether looking after his herd of cattle or taking them to the watering point, Boru hardly leaves his AK47 behind. He lives in the outskirts of Gambella village, a few kilometres from Isiolo town.
"It has become like a stick for me. I carry it around and my enemies fear me. It gives me more power than I had before I acquired it," Boru said.
Taking cover from the scorching sun under the shade of an old acacia tree, Boru, a father of three, told the Star he bought his... (GunPolicy.org)
Yemeni Authorities Seize Guns, Motorbikes After Hit-and-Run Killings
7 January 2013
Al Arabiya News (Dubai) / Agence France Presse
SANAA, Yemen - Yemeni authorities impounded 500 illegal motorbikes in a three-day campaign to put an end to hit-and-run shootings which killed dozens of security officers last year, officials said on Monday.
"The campaign has succeeded in stopping 500 unlicensed motorbikes and 72 cars without number plates, some of which are suspected to have been used in assassinations," an interior ministry report said, adding that 50 weapons such as Kalashnikovs and other firearms... (GunPolicy.org)
Turkey's Gun Regulation Remains Lax, Mental Health Checks a 'Formality'
6 January 2013
Today's Zaman (Istanbul)
"Things just aren't what they used to be," may seem like a knee-jerk truism in Turkey, but few seem to say it with more conviction than Fatih Demirok, a counter clerk at a gun store in İstanbul's old banking and warehouse district of Karaköy.
"Things have changed quite a bit in the gun industry. You can't just walk in and buy a gun these days," the 25 year old says from behind a counter of neatly arrayed shotguns and hunting rifles. "There's a detailed process with... (GunPolicy.org)
Israeli Gun Laws Much Stricter Than US Pro-Gun Advocates Suggest
28 December 2012
Washington Post
The United States stands truly alone in the developed world for its lax gun laws, which have contributed to Americans owning guns at a far higher rate than anyone else. The National Rifle Association, in its pushback against calls for gun restrictions after the Sandy Hook Elementary mass shooting, has portrayed things somewhat differently. NRA chief Wayne LaPierre has drawn comparisons to Israel, saying that the U.S. should follow Israel's example of loose gun laws and... (GunPolicy.org)
Israel,United States,Palestine
Israel Evidence Shows Gun Restrictions Work, Disproves US Lobby Claims
25 December 2012
Washington Post / Associated Press
JERUSALEM — Israel's policy on issuing guns is restrictive, and armed guards at its schools are meant to stop terrorists, not crazed or disgruntled gunmen, experts said Monday, rejecting claims by America's top gun lobby that Israel serves as proof for its philosophy that the U.S. needs more weapons, not fewer.
Far from the image of a heavily armed population where ordinary people have their own arsenals to repel attackers, Israel allows its people to acquire... (GunPolicy.org)
Turkey NGO says Potential for Mass Shootings Due to Lack of Gun Control
23 December 2012
Today's Zaman (Istanbul)
As long as Turkey does not take action to put in place gun control measures, the country is likely to face mass shootings like the one that shook the United States in mid-December, killing 26 people, observers have said.
A 20-year-old man, Adam Peter Lanza, on Dec. 14 shot and killed his mother, Nancy Lanza, at their Newtown home before fatally shooting 20 children and six adult staff members at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. He then took his own... (GunPolicy.org)
United Kingdom,Finland,Colombia,Mexico,Western Europe,Australia,Yemen,Canada,New Zealand,United States
On Guns and Gun Law, America an Outlier Among Developed Nations
20 December 2012
Huffington Post (USA)
How freely do guns flow in the United States compared with the world's other industrialized countries?
According to GunPolicy.org, run by Philip Alpers, a firearms analyst at The University of Sydney, the United States is unusual with what Alpers described as the "two pillars" of gun control: licensing gun owners and registering weapons.
"You are basically the only country in the developed world that doesn't license gun owners across the board and you are almost alone... (GunPolicy.org)
Switzerland,Israel,United States
Israel, Switzerland Have Stringent Gun Control, Fewer Guns Than US
19 December 2012
Foreign Policy (America)
Following the tragic shooting last week in Newtown, Conn., two stories leapt out at me. The first was the astonishing tale of a teacher, Victoria Soto, who hid her first-graders in closets and took a bullet rather than risking the children's lives by hiding with them. The second featured a photograph of an Israeli woman with a military-style long gun slung across her back, herding children protectively. The contrast between the powerful Israeli woman and the unarmed... (GunPolicy.org)
Security Guards Shoot Their Wives, so Israel Re-examines Gun Law
19 December 2012
YNet News (Tel Aviv)
State Comptroller Yosef Shapira is planning to conduct a special inquiry into Israel's gun control regulations following recent incidents involving security guards who murdered their wives – as well as the massacre of children in Newtown, Connecticut.
The inquiry will focus on the Ministry of Public Security, which is responsible for the supervision of firearm licensing and security companies authorized to posses weapons and hand them over to their employees.
The... (GunPolicy.org)
Yemen,Norway,Switzerland,Canada,Germany,Spain,Finland,United States,United Kingdom,Australia
Homicides Down after Tougher Gun Laws Adopted Abroad
19 December 2012
Los Angeles Times
Twelve days after the worst mass murder in Australian history, when 35 people were shot to death at Tasmania state's Port Arthur tourist mecca in 1996, the government issued sweeping reforms of the country's gun laws. There hasn't been a mass shooting since, and suicides, deaths by firearms and robberies at gunpoint have plummeted.
The results of toughened gun rules in Britain after the massacre in the Scottish town of Dunblane that same year weren't so immediate or... (GunPolicy.org)
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)
Israel Gun Control Regulations 'Opposite of US'
18 December 2012
Jerusalem Post (Israel)
There is no full-auto Friday or Ladies night at the "Lahav" gun store in TA, a store that bears little resemblance to its US counterparts.
A gun lover's dream or a stringently controlled police state that would make a National Rifle Association supporter's blood boil? In recent days, following the massacre in Newtown, Connecticut, that left 26 dead, including 20 children, Israel has been mentioned as a country awash in guns yet still free of such random massacres. Many... (GunPolicy.org)
Israel,India,Czech Republic,Switzerland,United States,Italy
Indian Factory to Make 1 Million Rifles for Army Upgrade
16 December 2012
Sunday Standard / New Indian Express (Chennai)
NEW DELHI - The Indian Army has half a million rifles and carbines it doesn't want, and now plans to junk them all over the next five years. The dark lining is that these infantry weapons were developed and manufactured in India to equip four lakh soldiers at an expenditure of Rs 25,000 crore over two decades. So far, so bad. Now add another Rs 50,000 crore that will have to be spent over the next decade to re-equip our soldiers with the four kinds of weapons that are... (GunPolicy.org)
Egypt,Niger,Libya,Belgium,Mali,Palestine,Israel
Experts Suspect Belgian-Made Guns Trafficked from Libya to Gaza
19 November 2012
Foreign Policy
There's one big problem with small arms: They don't come with an expiration date. These reliable killing machines pass from dead soldiers to living insurgents, and from a country's armory to a militia's safe house thousands of miles away. As soon as weapons crates cross international borders, arms-producing countries lose control over where they head next - a fact on full display during recent conflicts across the Middle East, and now in the Gaza Strip.
On Nov. 17,... (GunPolicy.org)
North Africa,Libya,Mali,Egypt,Qatar
Concerns Over Weapons Availability, 'Gangster' Culture in Libya
14 November 2012
Qantara (Germany)
Market day in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi. In the old town quarter of Assabri, traders spread out their wares on folding tables and car bonnets: pistols, machine guns, grenades, ammunition. There's even the odd rocket-propelled grenade on offer. Potential buyers lug bags full of bundles of cash; Libya's largest banknote is the ten dinar note.
"Can I try it out?" asks a customer holding the hand of a small child, grabbing hold of an AK-47 and firing it into... (GunPolicy.org)
Celebratory Gunfire Causes Fatal Accident At Saudi Arabia Wedding
31 October 2012
Yahoo News (UK and Ireland) / Reuters
RIYADH - Celebratory gunfire at a wedding party in eastern Saudi Arabia on Tuesday night brought down an electric cable, killing 23 people, a local civil defence official said.
"At the wedding, the cable fell on a metal door and the 23 people who died were all electrocuted," Eastern Province official Abdullah Khashman said by phone.
A photograph of the aftermath of the accident, published on local newspapers' websites showed a large courtyard strewn with fallen chairs... (GunPolicy.org)
Turkey Shows Off Weapons Industry at US Arms Fair
25 October 2012
Hurriyet Daily News (Turkey)
Turkish defense companies received great interest at the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) Annual Meeting and Exposition in Washington, which ended yesterday.
Five companies under the umbrella of Turkey's Undersecretariat of Defense (SSSM) and Roketsan, a missile maker, showcased their up-to-date products at the fair, including military equipment, weapons, missiles, and defense technology software.
Turkish Ambassador to Washington Namık Tan, who visited... (GunPolicy.org)
Bahrain,Saudi Arabia,United Kingdom
UK Sells Weapons to Bahrain, Saudi Arabia Amid Human Rights Concerns
23 October 2012
Guardian (UK), Blog
MPs have finally recognised what has been blatantly obvious for a long time: human rights and arms exports do not go well together.
This conflict always made a nonsense of the Labour government's call for an "ethical dimension" in foreign policy though the late Robin Cook did his best to try and reconcile Britain's role as one of the biggest sellers of weapons with its stated aim of protecting human rights around the world.
Now, the House of Commons foreign affairs... (GunPolicy.org)
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)
Iraq Govt Signs $4.2b Arms Deal with Russia
9 October 2012
BBC News
Iraq has signed contracts to buy Russian arms worth $4.2bn (£2.6bn; 3.2bn euros) this year, Russian news agencies report.
Moscow, the main supplier of arms to Iraq under Saddam Hussein, thus becomes the country's second-biggest arms supplier after the US.
The new contracts were announced after talks between the two countries' prime ministers near Moscow on Tuesday.
Reports suggest attack helicopters and missiles are included in them.
Iraq has been rebuilding its... (GunPolicy.org)
New York Man Shot and Killed By Israeli Chef Over Personal Dispute
5 October 2012
Guardian (UK)
A young American shot and killed a chef at a hotel in the Red Sea resort city of Eilat Friday, before forces from an anti-terror unit shot the gunman dead, police said. The incident appeared to be based on a personal dispute.
The attacker was on a Jewish work and study program and was employed at the hotel until earlier this week.
Eilat police official Eitan Gedassis told Israel Radio the attacker snatched a gun from a hotel security guard and fired a number of shots... (GunPolicy.org)
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)
Kuwait's Crime and Gun Figures Show Illegal Trafficking an Issue
21 September 2012
Kuwait Times
Three thousand forty-four felony crimes. Two thousand fifty-eight misdemeanor crimes. Twenty-four cases of possession of an unlicensed firearm. Eight-eight muggings at gunpoint. These are official statistics detailing crimes reported last year and published recently by the press. Meanwhile, a local daily published an investigative report about the spread of weapons in Kuwait, which provides a breakdown on the price of firearms sold illegally in the country. For example,... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,United Kingdom,Libya,Sweden,Egypt,Bahrain
British MPs Say Arms Exports Need More Oversight
17 September 2012
Guardian (UK)
British arms exports should be subjected to prior scrutiny by MPs and the risk that the weapons could be used for internal repression must be assessed much more effectively than in the past, two leading members of Labour's shadow cabinet have told the Guardian.
A radical shift in Labour's policy on the arms trade, with tougher controls, and greater transparency and accountability, is spelt out by Douglas Alexander and Jim Murphy, the shadow foreign and defence... (GunPolicy.org)
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)
Egypt Officials Let British Man with 'Bags Full of Weapons' Get on Plane
9 September 2012
Press TV (Egypt)
Officials at Cairo International Airport have surprisingly allowed a British man carrying four bags full of weapons to get on an airliner bound for the Yemeni capital Sana'a.
Metal detectors and X-ray scanners at the airport showed that the Briton had a large quantity of armaments, ranging from sniper rifles to ammunition, in his luggage, the Aden Press news website reported.
Although the security forces were immediately notified about the contents of the bags, the... (GunPolicy.org)
Spanish Authorities Seize 22,272 Pistols Being Smuggled to Djibouti
4 September 2012
Fox News Latino (USA) / EFE News Agency
Authorities in this southern Spanish port seized 22,272 pistols that were being smuggled in a container declared to be transporting textiles from Turkey to the East African nation of Djibouti.
The weapons, which could have fetched more than 2 million euros ($2.5 million) on the international arms market, were seized on Aug. 28 in what is considered to be the largest illegal arms shipment intercepted by Spanish customs authorities in recent years, the Civil Guard and... (GunPolicy.org)
Kuwait Legislators Urge Govt to Enforce Firearm Laws, Confiscate Guns
28 August 2012
Arab Times
KUWAIT CITY - The recent allegations of gun possession by 'some' and shooting incidents have prompted some lawmakers to raise eyebrows and call on the authorities to take immediate action to collect guns from civilians because the situation is spinning out of control.
MP Adnan Al-Mutawa called on the Minister of Interior Sheikh Ahmed Al-Hmoud Al-Sabah to take swift measures to ensure illegal weapons are collected before the situation becomes unbearable.
He added the... (GunPolicy.org)
Lebanon Army Arrests 18 Gunmen, Seizes Weapons In Tripoli
27 August 2012
Xinhua
BEIRUT - The Lebanese army said Sunday it has raided a site in the northern city of Tripoli where it detained 18 gunmen and seized two truckloads of weapons and ammunition.
According to a statement by the army's guidance directorate, the army raided al-Zahriyeh area in Al Qebbeh region in Tripoli after gunmen opened fire at one of the army patrols in the neighborhood.
"Army reinforcements were sent to the area, where they staged a major crackdown on the hideouts of... (GunPolicy.org)
Oman,Saudi Arabia,Bahrain,Kuwait
Friend Kills Groom at Kuwait Wedding with Celebratory Gunfire
22 August 2012
National (Abu Dhabi)
KUWAIT CITY - A Kuwaiti groom was killed on his wedding day after his friend accidentally shot him.
The friend, who surrendered to police, shot Abdullah Al Khaldi, 24, inside a car that was taking the wedding party to the marriage celebration.
Mr Khaldi, who worked for the ministry of defence, died before reaching hospital.
The incident, in Al Jahra neighbourhood of Kuwait City, has reignited a debate about civilian possession of firearms, which is legal in... (GunPolicy.org)
UK Police Seize Assault Weapons Smuggled from Iraq by Ex-Soldier
20 August 2012
Daily Mail (UK)
A former soldier has been jailed for 10 years after smuggling a cache of guns and ammunition from Iraq into the UK in a tank.
Ricardo McKenzie joined the Army in April 2001 as a private in the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment, 1st Battalion, but sneaked the weapons into the UK in 2006.
The 35-year-old served in Iraq before being discharged from duty in September 2008, but was arrested on October 28, 2011, after a police raid on two homes in south London.
Inner... (GunPolicy.org)
Bulgaria-Turkey Border Guards Seize 40,000 Rounds of Ammunition
5 August 2012
Sofia News Agency
Customs officers at the Kapakule border crossing point between Bulgaria and Turkey have intercepted an attempt to smuggle large amounts of ammunition into Turkey.
The X-ray inspection of a car driven by a Turkish national detected a suspicious load.
The car had entered Kapakule from the Kapitan Andreevo border crossing.
A follow-up inspection with a detection dog found 21 000 pistol bullets and an equal amount of bullets for sniper rifles, machine pistols, shotguns,... (GunPolicy.org)
Tampering With Guns Results in Hundreds of Casualties in Yemen
2 August 2012
Yemen Observer
Abdulkhaleq, 8-year-old child, was killed last Wednesday when he was tampering with Russian-made pistol in his district of al-Qaflah, Amran governorate. According to the police, the bullet lodged in his head and died on the spot.
In another accident, an 8-year-old child killed his father during his tampering with a machine gun in his home in Sabwah governorate.
According to the Ministry of Interior, the bullet launched from his fathers' gun that the child was playing... (GunPolicy.org)
Kenya,East Africa,Syria,Uganda
Stemming Gun Violence in Uganda
28 July 2012
The Independent (Kampala)
United Nations diplomats from over 190 countries, including Uganda, are at the organisation's headquarters in New York discussing a pact to regulate the global arms trade.
The Global Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) would especially check the illicit trade in arms in a global arms industry that, while amounting to US$60 billion, remains unregulated. Advocates for the treaty say this lack of regulation of the arms industry is catastrophic, as it fuels conflicts that claim... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,Yemen,Africa,Americas,Asia,Europe,Oceania
Time to Face Facts on Gun Control - Fareed Zakaria, CNN
27 July 2012
CNN, Blog
It has now been just over a week since a lone gunman opened fire on moviegoers in Aurora, Colorado. The airwaves have been dominated by soul searching.
Most of the pundits have concluded that the main cause of this calamity is the dark, strange behavior of the gunman. Talking about anything else, they say, is silly. The New York Times' usually extremely wise columnist, David Brooks, explains that this is a problem of psychology, not sociology.
At one level, this makes... (GunPolicy.org)
Tunisia,Yemen,United States,Japan
Land Without Guns: How Japan Has Virtually Eliminated Firearm Deaths
23 July 2012
Atlantic (USA)
I've heard it said that, if you take a walk around Waikiki, it's only a matter of time until someone hands you a flyer of scantily clad women clutching handguns, overlaid with English and maybe Japanese text advertising one of the many local shooting ranges. The city's largest, the Royal Hawaiian Shooting Club, advertises instructors fluent in Japanese, which is also the default language of its website. For years, this peculiar Hawaiian industry has explicitly targeted... (GunPolicy.org)
The Increasing Cost of Black Market Guns in Syria
17 July 2012
New York Times, Blog
ISLAHIYE, Turkey — Abu Hamed, a former Syrian Army captain who is now a guerrilla commander fighting to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad, sat cross-legged in a tent in a refugee camp this week, echoing one of the Syrian opposition's most common complaints. "We need weapons," he said. "All kinds of weapons."
And then, as the conversation deepened and tea flowed, he spoke of prices. Mr. Hamed leads a battalion near Aleppo. The demand for weapons on his turf is so... (GunPolicy.org)
Syria,Lebanon,Iran,China,United States,Liberia,Africa
Liberia President Warns of New Wars Without Strong Arms Trade Treaty
13 July 2012
New Age (Johannesburg) / AFP
Liberia's President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf said on Thursday that Africa will face more conflict like her country's devastating civil war unless arms trade treaty negotiators produce a tough accord.
The Nobel Peace Prize winning president told envoys negotiating a deal that they had "a once in a lifetime opportunity to agree tough controls on the arms trade."
"The Liberian experience and other experiences in Africa and other parts of the world show that without such a... (GunPolicy.org)
Falkland Islands,Argentina,Bahrain,United Kingdom
Arab Spring Demands Change in UK Small Arms Export Policy - Report
13 July 2012
Al Arabiya / AFP
Britain must exercise more caution in granting licenses for the export of arms to authoritarian regimes such as Bahrain in light of the Arab Spring uprisings, a parliamentary report has urged.
A Commons select committee review of export controls also revealed that Britain's Foreign Office (FCO) is concerned about the sale of equipment to Argentina amid tensions over the Falkland Islands, the Guardian reported Friday.
Select committee chairman John Stanley said the... (GunPolicy.org)
Southern Europe,North Africa,West Asia,France
After Shootings, France Vows to Tighten Gun Control, Tackle Trafficking
9 July 2012
France 24
The subject of gun crime is back on the agenda in France after two separate shootings outside nightclubs within a matter of days. The government has vowed to take action while fearful nightclub owners are demanding police support.
A second nightclub shooting on consecutive weekends in France forced authorities on Monday to promise swift action against the growing issue of gun crime.
Ten people were injured in the early hours of Sunday morning when a man armed with a... (GunPolicy.org)
Angola,Africa,West Africa,Venezuela,Iran,Egypt,Algeria,South Sudan,Liberia,Germany,France,China,United Kingdom,Russia,United States,South Africa
For Africa, Ammunition Control Deserves Global Gun Trade Treaty Focus
9 July 2012
IRIN (UN News)
JOHANNESBURG — For a couple of hundred dollars or less an arms dealer can illegally source a blank end user certificate with the required signatures and stamps - needed to transfer weapons across international borders - and "if no one checks its authenticity (often the case) he can ship his wares to the world's hotspots with minimal risk, for maximum profit," a report by the Small Arms Survey (SAS) said in 2008.
Since then "not much has changed" Glenn McDonald, based... (GunPolicy.org)
Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa,United States,Pakistan,Cuba,Iran,China,Russia
Arms Trade Treaty Should Cover Broad Range of Arms and Ammunition
8 July 2012
New York Times, Editorial
The world is awash in conventional weapons, like tanks, firearms and aircraft, with the market valued at $40 billion to $60 billion a year. Far too many of these arms are fueling conflicts and atrocities in Syria, Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo and beyond. They have been used to kill countless innocent civilians, and they will be used against countless more if the international community does not find a way to keep them out of the hands of unscrupulous regimes,... (GunPolicy.org)
Palestinian President Launched Broadest Crackdown on Illicit Arms Trade
4 July 2012
Washington Post / AP
Palestinian lawmaker Shami Al-Shami, 47, is treated by medics for gun wounds sustained outside his home in the West Bank town of Jenin, Sunday, July 1, 2012. Al-Shami said Sunday he has been shot twice in the leg by assailants as he got out of his car outside his home. Jenin once served as a model for Palestinian law and order, but has experienced a wave of brazen attacks by gunmen over
JENIN REFUGEE CAMP, West Bank — Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has launched... (GunPolicy.org)
Israel,Taiwan,United States,Sweden,Germany,France,United Kingdom,Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa
Talks Begin at UN on Global, Legally Binding Arms, Ammo Trade Treaty
4 July 2012
Associated Press
UNITED NATIONS — The world's nations began a final push Tuesday for the first legally binding global treaty that would regulate the international arms trade and try to prevent the transfer of weapons to armed groups and terrorists.
The 193-member U.N. General Assembly is expected to approve the treaty, which has been in the works since 2006, when the U.S. voted against the resolution that launched the process. The Obama administration later reversed the George W.... (GunPolicy.org)
