Saddam's Small Arms, Capable of Destabilising the Middle East
Geneva-based Institute Presents Report on Small Arms in the World and the Need for Security
Geneva (AsiaNews/AP) Weapons of mass destruction are not the only danger. All you need to destabilise the Middle East is the huge quantity of small arms left behind by the Iraqi army after the fall of Saddam. This is the conclusion of a survey published on June 30 by the Graduate Institute of International Studies of Geneva.
"Millions of firearms suddenly flooded a chaotic social landscape," the 335-page report said. "The collapse [of the dictatorship] precipitated what almost certainly was one of the largest and fastest transfers of small arms ever," the report added. The number of firearms-related murders in Baghdad rose dramatically and "violence became a major barrier to the restoration of legitimate authority."
Today there are approximately 7-8 million small firearms in the hands of the Iraqi population. However, there are still fewer firearms per person in Iraq than in countries like Finland. The problem is not one of numbers. In Iraq these weapons are more dangerous because of the social instability and the speed with which people can get their hands on them. According to Keith Krause, program director for the survey, "Iraq now poses a regional proliferation risk."
The survey of global small arms is carried out every year by a team of researchers coordinated by the Graduate Institute of International Studies in Geneva and financed by a dozen Western governments. There are about 200,000 non-war related homicides every year in the world, mostly in South America where, from this point of view, the situation is certainly worse than in Iraq. The survey also points out that countries as different as Albania and South Africa are also affected by this problem.
For Keith Krause, "many of the problems are caused by governments failing to provide security, as people then use weapons to protect themselves and their property." He adds that "the international community should pay greater attention to the duty of states to treat security as a public good."
The tense situation created by the US war on terrorism has led to tighter controls of gun ownership. But it has also meant that U.S. airline pilots are now allowed to carry guns on board and has led to a greater use of armed sky marshals.
The survey shows a dangerous proliferation of mobile surface-to-air missile launchers, better known as MANPADs. For this reason the Graduate Institute of International Studies has called upon the international community to impose greater controls. According to the Geneva-based Institute more than 27 organisations, some linked to al-Qaeda, possess MANPADs capable of shooting down civilian airliners.
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17/11/2020 09:28
03/09/2005
