Introduction
Armed with a rocket-propelled grenade launcher, a Libyan rebel fights loyalists of Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi during the civil war that began during the 2011 Arab Spring and ended with the death of the longtime dictator. Since the war ended in October, some Libyan small arms have ended up in Algeria, Egypt, Mali, Niger, Nigeria and Somalia. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
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From brutal civil wars in Africa to vicious drug-cartel rivalries in Mexico, violence around the world has one thing in common: vast quantities of hand-held weapons such as Kalashnikov assault rifles, mortars and rocket-propelled grenades. Nearly a billion small arms are scattered across the globe, about three-quarters of them in civilian hands. Many have been recycled from recent conflicts, such as last year's Libyan civil war; some have come from former Soviet Union stockpiles. While most are used for hunting, sport shooting and personal protection, millions end up in the hands of rebel groups, gangs and criminals. Some experts argue that the growing proliferation of small weapons can exacerbate a potentially violent situation, but others insist the mere presence of weapons does not necessarily promote violence. This summer the U.N. will try to negotiate a treaty governing the global trade in all weapons. Some negotiators want small arms included, but gun-rights groups oppose overly restrictive regulations on the small arms trade.
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Arms Sales and Trafficking |
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Jun. 19, 2012 |
Small Arms Trade |
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Dec. 09, 1994 |
Arms Sales |
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Apr. 17, 1987 |
Third World Arms Industries |
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May 04, 1979 |
America's Arms Sales |
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May 07, 1976 |
World Arms Sales |
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Sep. 02, 1970 |
International Arms Sales |
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Apr. 28, 1965 |
Traffic in Arms |
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Sep. 09, 1936 |
Government Manufacture of Munitions |
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May 11, 1933 |
Arms Embargoes and the Traffic in Munitions |
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Apr. 27, 1925 |
Conference for Control of the International Traffic in Arms |
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