1) Former French spy accuses MI6 of smuggling arms to terrorists
Another example of use of “plausible deniability” by western intelligence agencies. Link
2) Pakistani Supreme Court orders action against illegal arms, vehicles in Quetta
A country which effectively declares it’s whole provinces as lawless badlands, invites foreigners to administer others and disowns it’s own soldiers can surely follow this ruling. That too in three days :))
3) We must pursue arms trade treaty : DNAIndia
The Indian government’s stance on the forthcoming Arms Trade Treaty leaves us somewhat uncertain. The first discordant note from India had come in 2006 when it abstained from voting on this resolution 61/89 along with a motley group of 24 nations when 153 nations had voted for the resolution.
Its antipathy towards the treaty processes was clearly manifested subsequently. In February 2012, the Indian delegate reminded the chairman of the Preparatory Committeethat as stated in resolution 61/89, the treaty document should be progressed in an open and transparent manner and on the basis of consensus. This has been seen as declining confidence in the proceedings. (As if other nations which matter are very serious and India is being a tyrant by not playing ball)
Mind you, many Indian misgivings are in sync with the country’s security woes in which illicit transfer of weapons remains the focal syndrome. What continues to disturb the Indian establishment is not recognising the non-state actor ( Paki terrorists are hardly non-state) as the likely recipient of illicit arms. In the Indian experience, this is crucial to its interests; and also a valid global anxiety worth fighting for. Similarly, including technology transfer and manufacture under licence in the document would have no meaningful objective as they do not impinge in the basic theme.
Text in bold font is my addition
4) Bankrupt Zimbabawe buys weapons worth R2.25 million($276,000) from South Africa
$276,000 looks like pocket change in a deal involving weapons, but it undoubtedly is a huge sum for a troubled nation like Zimbabwe. SA says that the arms were meant for internal peace-keeping and consisted of mostly non-lethal items like tear-gas.
Links: All Africa and News24
5) Russia: No sign Iran developing atomic arms, report
Russia says it has found no evidence showing that Iran is developing nuclear weapons, defying a recent IAEA report on Iran which alleged that the country has expanded its atomic work despite outside pressures.
6) Russian manufacturer of AK-47 close to bankruptcy
200-year-old arms manufacturing company, Izhmash, is close to folding because the Russian Defence Ministry stopped buying the world’s most famous and effective assault rifle a year ago.