Weapons trade

In every post conflict society the issue of weapons become a top priority. Even in peaceful countries weapons are a hot topic. A statement that is true and quite hilarious has been made that guns do not kill people, people kill people. Further to that argument, there have been points made that the genocide in Rwanda was carried out with machetes more than guns. The logic is similar in both statements that people kill people not weapons.

We can trace the logic of such statements around like a dog going after its tail. The odd time we will actually bite the tail, which will produce a yelp and then we look around to find out who bit us. Then of course we see the dam tail again and off we go chasing it. Think that is funny? This very situation has been going on for a long time, even as I write this.

In an earlier posting the topic concerned Viktor Bout. This man sold weapons to rebels and delivered aid the same places that were under attack by the rebels he armed. Viktor Bout was able to carry out his activities because the major powers saw him as useful.

Another example of the dog chasing its tail, when the Soviet Union went into transition the RUSA purchased 400 000 A-K 47s and shipped them to Colombia. These weapons went into the hands of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). The government of Colombia is being supported by the RUSA to fight the revolutionary forces. Basically the RUSA has armed both sides. The same situation was taking place in Chechnya where Russia was fighting against people being supplied with the same weapons.

In Syria there are reports that the defecting members of the military have taken large weapons caches that were supplied by Russia. Now a group of western countries want to supply weapons to the opposition forces as well. These opposition forces are known to include Al Qaeda soldiers. If the western countries supply weapons they will be giving weapons to the same group they are fighting in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. 

Now if you really want to get your mind in a twirl start digging in the subject of the Kashmir Region and Balochistan. This area is akin to a war of incest, supplied by just about every weapons producing country. Pakistan is fighting its own people, India, Afghanistan and has attacked everyone else in some manner. However, Pakistan is being supplied weapons to continue on fighting.

All of this is just nerve racking and frustrating to say the least. It gets even more crazy when the world tries to enact measures to control the weapons trade. The counties that are slowing the process are the ones supplying the weapons. This is like the police giving all criminals weapons and then having to go out and fight them.

The argument for supplying weapons rests in the fact that everyone has a right to protect themselves. But is it really a good idea to arm the village idiot and bully at the same time?

Ignorance/uncaring allows Corruption

The last few postings have been about UNESCO funding and weapons trading.  It may not seem like these two have much in common but as I have stated before I look for such broad connections.  The common factor here that ties UNESCO funding and weapons trade together is the exact situation Palestine lives with.  The situation deals with, corruption, war, oppression and dichotomy of law.

First of all we have to live with the fact that there is a two tiered law system (if not more).  The only reason that this situation exist is due to ignorance and uncaring.  For example, The legality of NATO entering Yugoslavia during 1995 has always been a legal debatable issue from the outset.  So too has Russia in Georgia, Britain in the Falkland Islands and USA in Iraq (2001) have each been circumvented around international law and the Securioty Council.  This is the dichotomy of a two tiered system that exists.  This two tiered system allows for corruption to reign, weapons to be sold and ultimately lives lost and/or seriously altered.

If you deal with any issue of injustice you are dealing with corruption that continues to take place through ignorance or sadly a severe lack of concern for a peaceful world.  For whatever reason, at some point the laws are not adhered to.  I firmly believe we have enough law to enforce any activity that takes place.  What we lack is the will to enforce these laws and the complete disregard of law.

Recently, 3 Nov 2010 Viktor Bout was convicted of selling weapons to a terrorist organization.  That in itself is not going to do much to end the violence of war.  What is more important is for the countries that produce weapons to stop or at least do a better job to monitor the life of each weapon and ammunition produced then sold.  The sale, training  and use of these weapons are mere steps to the impact that these weapons will have and it will last for many years to come.  

Looking at the countries that are listed in the bottom ten of the UNDP Human Development Index(HDI), most have experienced long violent wars.  The Democratic Republic of Congo has endured a violent society since the 1950’s and sits at the bottom of the 2011 Human Development Index.  So does Sierra Leone, Liberia, Equatorial Guinea, Mozambique, Central African Republic, Chad, Niger and Burundi.  There is a direct link to illegal weapons trade and trade in resources such as minerals, oil, drugs and slave trading to name a few.

Compare the bottom ten of the UNDP HDI with the Transparency International (TI) list of most corrupt countries and you will notice some duplication.  In the TI list, the bottom ten include Chad, Burundi and Equatorial Guinea.  Also included on the TI list are Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia, Sudan and Myanmar.  Each of these countries has/is experiencing violent war. 

Now I am not that naïve to think these wars take place because weapons are available.  I do think these wars are prolonged due to the trade in weapons and resources.  These wars are also prolonged due to a significant lack of accountability on the part of the entire world.

Merchant of Death, Viktor Bout

Viktor Bout

This man has been sitting in a jail cell for the last year while governments work to have him extradited.  When Bout was detained there was no agreement between the countries (United States, Russia )that wanted him and the country that held him (Thailand).  He sat in jail until those agreements could be made legal.  The second the agreement was made Viktor Bout was off to the United States for trial on charges against him for weapons dealing.

Viktor Bout has been named as the largest weapons dealer since 1994.  However that note of fame is very tenuous because I am sure the largest weapons dealer is the United States.  With that aside, Bout has been pointed out as the person who sold massive amounts of weapons and ammunition to warlords in Sierra Leone, Liberia, DRC, Sudan, Columbia, Indonesia, etc…    Of course he was called upon a number of times to fly in humanitarian aid for the United Nations and a host of other countries.

Viktor Bout has maintained that he is only providing transportation, which is what the many world governments were using him as, cargo carrying into hot zones.  He was able to do this because his connections made sure that his airplanes were safe.  The weird part of all this is that Viktor Bout was easily reached and had dealings with world governments.  It is only now that he is a wanted man.  The only reason he is wanted now is because he has outlived his usefulness or he is being used as a sacrificial lamb.

He is recognized as selling weapons that have killed millions of people and prolonged many wars.  Yet this one person is a shining example of how chaotic the world is;  A weapons dealer being charged by a country that has committed the exact same crime.  At least Viktor Bout has not illegally invaded another country. 

Honestly what will this do for the world?  The arms manufacturers are still making weapons, wars will still continue on and the countries that can stop the weapons trade will sit by and do nothing to stop it.  The only reason Viktor Bout could do his job rested squarely on the shoulders of governments doing nothing in the first place.  So cheer for the victory of taking one merchant of death off the streets while the devil itself roams free in the halls of the UN Security Council.

Hip Hip, shut up.