Gun Policy News, 22 January 2007
Australian Defence Armoury Staff 'Sold Military Guns to Outlaw Gangs'
22 January 2007
Australian (Sydney)
Staff at one of the Australian Defence Force's largest weapon storage facilities have for years allegedly been involved in stealing and rebirthing military issue firearms and selling them to outlaw motorcycle gangs.
The claims are made in secret police intelligence documents that have been leaked to The Australian.
Despite the seriousness of the allegations, no one has been identified or charged over the allegations.
The documents show that Defence officials knew... (GunPolicy.org)
Australia's Missing Military Guns, Rockets Deserve Full Investigation
22 January 2007
Australian (Sydney), Editorial
A full investigation must be launched into missing weapons
Coming on the heels of last month's news that nine rocket launchers went missing from defence stockpiles only to find their way into the hands of criminals and would-be terrorists, the latest news is not good. According to documents leaked exclusively to The Australian, for nearly a decade officials with the Australian Defence Forces have been aware that one of their largest armouries was the target of a scam... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Control Plea by Father of Scots Boy Shot in His Pram
22 January 2007
Scotsman (Edinburgh)
The father of a two-year-old Scots boy shot dead in his pushchair while on a family holiday will join with other gun control campaigners in London today.
David Grimason and his wife Ozlem joined the Control Arms campaign after their two-year-old son Alistair was shot during a gunfight in a Turkish café.
Mr Grimason, from Edinburgh, will join other campaigners to celebrate the United Nations General Assembly's endorsement of an arms-trade treaty.
Last month, 153... (GunPolicy.org)
US Soldier Among Seven Men Arrested for Philippine Gun Ban Violation
22 January 2007
ABS-CBN News (Manila)
Seven men, including an American soldier, were arrested in separate incidents after they were caught carrying firearms despite the prevailing gun ban implemented nationwide for the coming elections, Bandila reported Friday.
The report said Master Sergeant Steve Saunders was carrying a gun in General Santos City, South Cotabato while he was inside a bar. He was arrested by Task Force GenSan but he was later released after investigators found out that his gun permit was... (GunPolicy.org)
Guns Everywhere in America, Especially Handguns: Today is a Tough Time
22 January 2007
Kansas City Star (Missouri), Opinion
We grew up in easier times.
It's a phrase commonly heard when men of my generation reflect among themselves on the contemporary state of their world.
The term "easier," of course, demands some qualifying.
Our parents suffered through the years of the dust bowl, the Great Depression and two world wars. There were bread lines and broken dreams. Farms were lost. Careers were derailed.
Poverty and prejudice and gangsterism were curses for many in this land.
Certainly... (GunPolicy.org)
One Year On, Tory Pledge to Kill Canada's Gun Registry Still Empty Threat
22 January 2007
Canadian Press
OTTAWA — A year after the federal Conservatives won power promising to abolish the gun registry, the program is still running — and any hope of killing it before the next election appears to be fading.
Even gun enthusiasts who have long railed against the long-gun registry have lost faith that Prime Minister Stephen Harper can muster the votes to do away with it in the current minority Parliament.
"The best thing to do would be to forget about it," David... (GunPolicy.org)
In El Salvador, 7 in 10 Want to Ban Carrying Guns, Government Refuses
22 January 2007
Prensa Latina (Havana)
SAN SALVADOR — Although 96.1 percent of Salvadorians admit the danger weapons represent and 69.2 percent favour prohibiting carrying these deadly weapons, the Salvadoran government opposes legislation making carrying them illegal.
A poll by LPG-Data in the daily La Prensa Grafica reflects that the legislation presented by the pluralist Commission for Solidarity and Social Peace is supported by seven of ten people in this country.
The survey responded to the local... (GunPolicy.org)
Virginia Should Screen All Gun Transactions, Including Gun Show Sales
22 January 2007
Virginian-Pilot (Virginia), Editorial
Some years back, gun-rights and gun-control groups reached a rare accord.
Both sides agreed that keeping firearms out of the hands of felons was not only the law; it also made good common sense. To that end, lawmakers required licensed dealers to conduct a quick background check through a computerized data base before selling a customer a gun.
As happens with many laws, a few loopholes later came to light. Prime among them: Unlicensed dealers can show up at popular... (GunPolicy.org)
Licensed Indian Gun Owners Surrender Their Weapons During Elections
22 January 2007
Daily India / ANI
TARN TARAN — To ensure free and fair Assembly elections in the state, the authorities in Punjab have directed all private licensed fire arms owners to deposit them to their respective arms dealer or to their area's police station.
According to a standard routine across the country, all private arms have to surrender temporarily, ahead of polls to ensure free and fair polling. And, following the directive, the licensed gun owners here have begun depositing their arms... (GunPolicy.org)
Solomons PM Firm on Guns for VIP Police, Accuses Australia of Bullying
22 January 2007
Sydney Morning Herald / AAP
Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare has accused Australia of bullying tactics over its opposition to his plan to re-arm Solomons police.
The Australian head of the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI) has told Sogavare the mission opposes his government's push to return weapons to the force.
RAMSI Special Coordinator Tim George said there was no evidence Solomon Islanders wanted guns back in their communities following years of ethnic... (GunPolicy.org)
Australia 'Interfering,' Opposing Guns for Solomon Islands VIP Guards
22 January 2007
ABC News (Australia) / AFP
Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare has accused Australia of interfering in his attempt to re-arm the country's police.
Mr Sogavare wants to arm the members of a unit assigned to guard him.
But a training scheme for them in Taiwan has had the firearm training component removed.
Taiwan says the decision was made after it was told of concerns from the Australian-led regional aid mission, RAMSI, about local police being armed.
Mr Sogavare says he has... (GunPolicy.org)
RAMSI Warns Against Allowing Guns for Solomon Islands VIP Squad
22 January 2007
ABC News (Australia)
The head of the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI) has told the Pacific nation's Government he is opposed to the country's police force being rearmed in the near future.
RAMSI special coordinator Tim George has told Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare it could not support the country's police force being rearmed at this time.
Mr George says RAMSI cannot see a workable plan for training, buying, maintaining and securing weapons.... (GunPolicy.org)
Unlicensed Australian Firm Took 1m Kina for Missing PNGDF Ammunition
22 January 2007
Post-Courier (Port Moresby)
An Australian company that the Papua New Guinea Defence Force paid K1 million for blank bullets reportedly does not have an ammunition export licence.
The Australian Department of Defence has revealed that it does not have any record of Cairns-based firm, Intex International Exports, being issued a licence or permit to export ammunition.
A spokesperson for the Department of Defence said the export of ammunition from Australia was prohibited unless the Minister for... (GunPolicy.org)