The Business of Arms Sales

Arms sale creates more conflict and war than it can prevent.

War is not just the presence of conflict by leaders, terrorists and other activist organizations, in-country, cross-country and a multi-nation aggression. It is likewise generated by sheer corporate greed as well by those business whose means of earning profit is nothing but sell arms to those who needs it. Never mind if kills humanity as long as it earns profit.

Conflict and wars are or can be instigated by countries whose national economic policy includes creating an industry that depends on killing humanity because they believe that conflict and war creates economic opportunities.

Arms sales worldwide is a whopping $29.16 billion dollar industry in 2003 alone or about P1.5 trillion pesos - bigger than national budget of the Philippines. That’s how big this industry is. The United States lead in the arms sales with $14.5 billion dollars in 2003 followed by the Russia with $5.9 billion and Germany with $1.4 billion. The rest comes from other arms exporting countries in ranking order such as France, Italy, China and Great Britain among others.

Armament exports includes military aircrafts, naval ships and seacrafts, missiles, tanks, rifles, military gadgets including communications equipments. Nuclear weapons and technology is prohibited for export. The limit on export of the nuclear technology forced so many countries to develop their own. This worries much the superpowers such the United States. Among developing countries which are now capable of producing nuclear arms are Pakistan and China.

In addition to arms sales, developed nations also provide export for spare parts, ammunitions, ordnance, training and support services.

Developing nations in Asia are relatively making increases in arms purchases. Asian countries such as United Arab Emirates lead among importing countries which made purchases from 1996-2003 a whopping total of $15.7 billion. This is followed by China with $13.6, Israel with $9.9 billion, Saudi Arabia with $9.4, South Korea with $8.8 billion, Malaysia with $5 billion and Pakistan with 3.8 billion.

Only South Africa entered in the column of big importing mostly Asian countries with $5.3 billion dollars in arms purchases.

It is believed that countries in the Middle East are among the biggest spender for arms stockpile. Endless border conflict is the major cause for armament stockpile preparing each country for war while terroristic and activist organizations have made their own arms stockpiles even with complicity of their own government and foreign superpowers.

In the rest of Asia such the Philippines, rebel groups have made their arms acquisitions uncontrolled despite government effort. It is widely believed that rebel groups may have acquired these arms through the back doors in Mindanao involving a third country as a shipment point.