Arms Control & Non Proliferation

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20 July 2007
Conventional Weapons Being Destroyed Globally with U.S. Aid

This op-ed by Stephen D. Mull, U.S. acting assistant secretary of state for political-military affairs, was released July 20 and is in the public domain. There are no republication restrictions.

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More Than 1 Million Conventional Weapons Destroyed Globally with U.S. Aid
By Stephen D. Mull
U.S. Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs

Afghanistan and the Democratic Republic of Congo reside on different continents and have disparate histories, but they share one common experience: the murderous effects of terrorists, criminals, or insurgents using illicit small arms and light weapons against government forces and civilians in bloody conflicts.

On July 9, each of these countries, as well as Albania, Honduras, Ukraine, and Angola, joined the United States in observing International Small Arms Destruction Day with the symbolic elimination of a small arm or light weapon. The events were sponsored by the Department of State and commemorated the United States’ global efforts to secure or destroy surplus, illicit, and poorly secured small arms and light weapons. Recently the Department’s program surpassed the 1,000,000th weapon destroyed with its assistance since 2001, making it by far the largest effort of its kind in the world.

To understand the problem, consider for a moment the weapons themselves and their origin. As popularized in recent films such as Blood Diamond and Lord of War, countless small arms and light weapons flooded world markets after the Cold War. One example is the ubiquitous AK-47 assault rifle and its variants, easily distinguished by its curved ammunition clip, of which an estimated 100 million have been manufactured. During the Cold War these weapons were distributed to allies of the Soviet Union and production facilities were built in more than 25 countries. With the collapse of the Soviet Union, unscrupulous brokers transferred weaponry to conflict zones such as Sudan, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Sri Lanka, Zaire, Rwanda and Angola.

Such weapons in the hands of terrorists and criminals exacerbate existing conditions of insecurity. The developing world is also replete with poorly secured government stockpiles that are vulnerable to theft. Moreover, such weapons are often stored with obsolete and deteriorating explosive materials that can spontaneously combust, particularly in tropical heat, causing widespread loss of life and property. Earlier this year, for instance, a weapons and ammunition depot in Mozambique blew up, resulting in 104 dead, over 500 wounded, and approximately 4,500 homes damaged or destroyed.

To ensure its own weapons are not part of the problem, the United States employs transparent and robust arms export controls on defense articles and services. The U.S. also requires registration and licensing of manufacturers, exporters, and brokers, and applies rigorous weapons marking and tracing standards. These regulations are regarded internationally as among the most effective in the world.

The United States has made a concentrated effort to assist other countries by providing financial and technical support in destroying excess weapons that are otherwise in danger of pilferage. Since 2001 the United States has provided over $58 million to 25 countries to destroy over 1 million small arms and light weapons, over 90 million pieces of ammunition, and over 21,000 man-portable air defense systems (MANPADS). The U.S. also has provided many countries with assistance in upgrading the security of their national armories.

One success story is Ukraine. The U.S. has contributed more than $3.6 million to a NATO project which will destroy 133,000 tons of munitions and 1.5 million small arms and light weapons, including more than 1,000 MANPADS, that are excess to Ukraine’s needs. Other countries among the 25 similarly assisted include Afghanistan, Albania, Angola, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Burundi, Cambodia, El Salvador, Serbia, and Suriname.

The United States envisions a world where illicit, unsecured, and indiscriminately used weapons of war are not available to bad actors. Securing those weapons takes constructive engagement with our international partners and actions of proven worth such as enforcing tough regulations, securing at-risk stockpiles, and destroying excess and obsolete weapons. Our meaningful actions today will prevent adverse consequences tomorrow.

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(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)

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