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Small Arms
Small arms a huge problem in Iraq, worldwide Last week marked an unfortunate anniversary: The U.S. presence in Iraq is now longer than U.S. involvement in World War II. A major reason for the length of our stay in Iraq has been the widespread use of large numbers of small arms and light weapons as the primary tool of war. These weapons are devastating in terms of lives lost, but in Iraq, and many other conflict areas, small arms proliferation also has substantially hindered economic recovery.
Small arms and light weapons are the primary weapons of today's conflicts, killing hundreds of thousands of people every year and injuring countless more. But the indirect costs of small-arms violence - opportunities lost because of perpetual violence and crime - affect millions more worldwide. This violence inflicts a heavy economic toll on countries engaged in or emerging from conflict, and these economic losses can impede a country's long-term viability as much as loss of human capital, making small-arms control even more of an imperative. Expert Group on Illicit Small Arms and Light Weapons Brokering The United Nations Group of Governmental Experts to consider further steps to enhance international cooperation in preventing, combating and eradicating illicit brokering in small arms and light weapons will hold its first session in Geneva from 27 November to 1 December 2006. The Group of Experts, which was established by General Assembly resolution 60/81 of 8 December 2005, will be chaired by Mr. Danil Prins of the Netherlands. Illicit brokering is considered to be one of the major obstacles to international efforts to combat the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons and to ensure full implementation of United Nations arms embargoes. Illicit brokers need not to be physically close to the shipments they facilitate; they tend to operate from anywhere in the world. Currently, most countries lack adequate legislation to regulate the activities of brokers dealing in small arms and light weapons. New Book Exposes Global Impact of the Small Arms Trade WASHINGTON - November 30 - The Small Arms Trade covers everything from gun-toting militias to child soldiers to terrorists armed with shoulder-fired missiles, and is loaded with fascinating anecdotes and disturbing statistics. This captivating new book provides a gripping overview of the global impact that these cheap and easily obtainable weapons have had, the extent of their proliferation, the threat they pose in the wrong hands, and strategies for reigning in this deadly scourge.
Nearly 640 million small arms and light weapons pistols, carbines, assault rifles, light machine guns and surface to air missiles are in circulation around the world. In the hands of irresponsible government armies, rebel groups, and terrorists, these weapons cause tremendous human suffering. The wars that ravaged Central America and that continue in Afghanistan, Liberia, the Sudan and dozens of other countries wars in which millions of innocent men, women and children have died and millions more have been deprived of the economic opportunities were (and still are) fought primarily with small arms.
A few thoughts on Small Arms for the 360 Someone sent me an e-mail asking for my thoughts on Small Arms, so I thought I'd go ahead and put some up. I'm not going to give the game a minireview simply because there is not that much to say about it. It certainly looks nice for an Xbox Live Arcade title; at first I thought we had a new classic in our midst. It had all the trappings of a sleeper hit. The more I played it though, the less happy I became. I didn't like the controls. Getting my little guy to move and fire didn't feel smooth to me and I felt like I was fighting with the game for the hours I played it. After I played online a few times, I got the impression Small Arms was a lot less tactics-oriented than Smash Bros., a game it clearly raided for inspiration. The thing about Smash Bros. is that while fun button-mashing abounds, there is also a lot of depth there if you want to learn the game and the characters. Small Arms Hits Live Wednesday Small Arms is set to hit the Xbox Live Arcade this Wednesday! I've been looking forward to this one, because I am a big fan of anything that successfully combines cute and deadly, two great adjectives that go great together.It's like Super Smash Bros with guns on speed. In "Small Arms," up to four players can join in the battles across many dynamic and richly detailed levels. Gamers can choose from a cast of outrageous fighters like the cyborg tabby cat, assassin truffle pig and mutant chimney sweep. While jumping from platform to platform shooting with 360° aim, gamers of all skill levels will be able to pick up and play this innovative side-scrolling action title.Dibs on the cyborg tabby cat! The game should be available this Wednesday morning at 1AM PST, for the price of 800 Microsoft Points. |
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