Arms Sales, Military Industry Archives

US And Japan Affirm Security Alliance Amid Heightened Tensions In Asia

5Oct

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Arms Sales, Military Industry, Geopolitics, Types of News: Brief

US And Japan Affirm Security Alliance Amid Heightened Tensions In Asia

Japanese Defense Minister Minoru Kihara and U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin affirmed the U.S.-Japan security alliance on Oct. 4, 2023. October 5, 2023—Defense ministers from the United States and Japan strengthened their two countries' security alliance on Wednesday amid heightened tensions in Asia. Japan is expediting a planned purchase of Tomahawk cruise missiles, moving the date up one year. The United States, meanwhile, reaffirmed its promise to defend Japan's mainland and territories in what U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin called an "ironclad commitment." U.S.-Japan Alliance "This is a time of historic momentum in the U.S.-Japan alliance," Austin said on Wednesday. "We support your government's bold decisions to invest in advanced capabilities including counterstrike...

Migrant Workers At U.S. Military Bases Face Forced To Stay By Private Contractors

31Oct

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Arms Sales, Military Industry, Human rights, Immigration, Migration, Types of News: Brief

Migrant Workers At U.S. Military Bases Face Forced To Stay By Private Contractors

Photo NBC Complaints Of Forced Labor Linger While Private Firms Continue To Win U.S. Contracts October 31, 2022—In an irony of ironies, the U.S. government opposes to human trafficking and forced labor at the same time that its Defense Department hires private contractors that routinely conducting those practices. Migrant civilians working on U.S. military bases in the Persian Gulf are subject to trafficking and abusive labor practices, according to a groundbreaking investigation conducted by a team of international journalists. The team included investigative reporters from the Washington Post, NBC News, the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, and Arab Reporters for Investigative Journalists to uncover the story. Their findings came to light late last...

3 Things That Cross The U.S.-Mexican Border: Drugs, Guns, And Migrants

19Oct

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Arms Sales, Military Industry, Corruption, Bribes, Illicit Finance & Money Laundering, Diplomacy and International Law, Types of News: Analysis

3 Things That Cross The U.S.-Mexican Border: Drugs, Guns, And Migrants

October 19, 2022—The United States and Mexico have at least three things in common: drugs, guns and migrants. The U.S.-Mexico border is porous, and trafficking of all three runs rampant. In the United States, deadly drugs from the South kill Americans. Conversely, in Mexico, illegal firearms from the North empower cartels and endanger society. Meanwhile, migrants from around the world risk their lives to make it across the border. A Shared Border, Shared Problems Leaders in both governments recognize the problems. Their presidents are making plans to address them. Speaking by phone late Tuesday, U.S. President Joe Biden and Mexican President Andres Manuel López Obrador reviewed plans to improve security along the border, prosecute gun traffickers, reduce illegal migration, ...

U.S. Treasury Assesses Impact Of Sanctions On Russia

17Oct

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Arms Sales, Military Industry, Eastern Europe, Sanctions

U.S. Treasury Assesses Impact Of Sanctions On Russia

U.S. Government Warns About Secondary Sanctions To People Or Entities Supporting Russia's War October 17, 2022—As Russia has waged war against Ukraine and Ukraine fought back, Western governments have carefully weighed in on the battle through the global financial system. It's a powerful economic coalition that comprises 37 countries. The U.S. government alone issued roughly 1,500 new sanctions and amended 750 more. They target Russia's defense industrial base, the aerospace sector, the microelectronic industry, financial institutions, elites and oligarchs, luxury goods, and oil refining. The sanctions are having an impact on the Russian economy. But is it enough to have an impact strong enough to end the war? Impact of Sanctions On Friday, the U.S. Treasury Department rele...

NATO Reaffirms Support For Ukraine, Strengthens Air Defense

13Oct

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Arms Sales, Military Industry, Eastern Europe, Geopolitics, Organizations, IMF, WTO, G7, UN Security Council, Types of News: Brief

NATO Reaffirms Support For Ukraine, Strengthens Air Defense

Photo by Kongsberg October 13, 2022—As NATO ministers met in Brussels yesterday and today, Russia's bombardment of Ukraine's capital and nine other cities was fresh on their minds. The war intensified, and NATO and the G7 nations of Western countries strengthened their support for Ukraine. Ukraine has asked the military alliance of 30 countries to fast track its request for membership. Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that would lead to World War II. And many NATO-member leaders took heed. "We do not want world war," French President Emmanuel Macron said on Twitter. Germany, meanwhile, is leading the effort to strengthen Europe's military defense. Air Defense System While NATO treads lightly on expansion. Today, 14 NATO members agreed to jointly develop an air de...

INTERVIEW: Mexico’s Case Against The Gun Industry

9Jun

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Arms Sales, Military Industry, Types of News: Videos

INTERVIEW: Mexico’s Case Against The Gun Industry

June 9, 2022--As attention grows in the United States about gun laws, America's neighbor on its Southern border is awaiting an outcome of its lawsuit against U.S. gun makers. Mexico is asking for injunctive relief. This is Part 1 of 2 videos where GER's Editor Patti Mohr discusses the case with Bill Slomanson, professor of law at Thomas Jefferson School of Law. He currently teaches International Human Rights Law for San Diego State University’s Osher Institute and the University of San Diego’s University of the Third Age. https://youtu.be/UfTXSsR8N24

‘Choice of Law’ Comes Into Play In Mexico’s Civil Case Against U.S. Gun Makers

6Jun

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Arms Sales, Military Industry, Types of News: Brief

‘Choice of Law’ Comes Into Play In Mexico’s Civil Case Against U.S. Gun Makers

Photo by Sebastion Pichler June 6, 2022—Massachusetts's "choice of law" rules come into question in the civil case that Mexico brought against U.S. gun manufacturers. The Mexican government started the case against U.S. firms Smith & Wesson, Barrett Firearms, Beretta U.S.A, Colt's Manufacturing, Glock Inc., and Century International Arms, among others. While the manufacturers are headquartered in various U.S. states, Boston, MA is a hub for the distribution of firearms. "Defendants' willfully blind, standardless distribution practices aid and abet the killing and maiming of children, judges, journalists, police, and ordinary citizens throughout Mexico." Case 1:21-cv-11269-FDS, initial filing Cost to Mexico The government's attorneys filed it as a personal injury lawsuit...

Mexico Sues U.S. Gun Manufacturers, Saying Defendants ‘Knowingly Sell to Criminals’

5Aug

By Patti Mohr1 Comment

Arms Sales, Military Industry, Corruption, Bribes, Illicit Finance & Money Laundering, Global Trade, Types of News: Brief

Mexico Sues U.S. Gun Manufacturers, Saying Defendants ‘Knowingly Sell to Criminals’

It is illegal to sell military-style weapons in Mexico. Lawsuit Sheds Light On Gun Sales And Criminal Cartels August 5, 2021--The government of Mexico filed a personal injury lawsuit against 10 U.S. gun manufacturers yesterday. It's significant that the lawsuit accuses U.S. gun manufacturers of knowingly and willingly selling their products to criminals. "The flow of guns from Defendants’ U.S. manufacturing plants and stores to the streets of Mexico is not an inevitable, natural phenomenon like the migration of monarch butterflies," the lawsuit says. "The flow of guns into Mexico is a foreseeable result of Defendants’ deliberate and knowing decisions to design, market, distribute, and sell guns in ways they know with virtual certainty will supply criminals in Mexico." 10 Defend...

Russia Signs Arms, Energy Deals with African Countries

24Oct

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Arms Sales, Military Industry, Diplomacy and International Law, Energy Policy, Oil & Gas, Geopolitics

Russia Signs Arms, Energy Deals with African Countries

October 24, 2019—In the first-ever Russia-African Summit being held this week in Sochi, Russia, Russia signed a series of memorandum of understandings and trade agreements with 54 African countries, the Moscow Times reported. The deals include $4 billion worth of Russian weapons, military helicopters, an investment cooperation deal on an oil pipeline, and potentially a nuclear power station in Ethiopia, according to the article. Debt Write-Off Russian President Vladimir Putin offered to write off $20 billion worth of African debt. Furthermore, he said he plans to double Russia's trade with the African continent within four to five years. Rosatom, a state-nuclear company is in talks with the government of Ethiopia to build a nuclear power station. The Russian enterprise already has...

U.S. Firms Sold Saudi Arabia $139 Billion of Weapons in Last 10 Years

31Oct

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Arms Sales, Military Industry, Geopolitics, Types of News: Brief

U.S. Firms Sold Saudi Arabia $139 Billion of Weapons in Last 10 Years

October 31, 2018-U.S. defense companies sold the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia nearly $139 billion of military equipment and defense services over the last 10 years. That's more than the $110 billion in sales projected for the next 10 years. International arms sales to the kingdom are coming under greater scrutiny in the aftermath of the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi Arabian officials in Istanbul, Turkey on Oct. 2. Last week, the European Parliament passed a resolution urging member states to ban arm sales to Saudi Arabia. Some U.S. lawmakers, like Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., are urging colleagues to to do same. Ongoing Arms Sales The highest grossing year of sales to the Saudi military for U.S. defense companies was 2010 with $60.9 billion of sales. Sales include Chinook, Apache ...