Counter Terrorism
Chair: Andrea Rendón 6020
Moderators: Claudia Canales 4010 & Alexa Cuevas 305
Topic A: Arms Trading to Politically and Socially Unstable Countries.
Throughout the past years many military uprisings have occurred in several parts in the world, especially in the Middle East and Africa. These civil or interstate conflicts are based on racial, ethnic, ideological or religious hatred. Most of these armed conflicts take place on high-populated areas resulting in non-combatants to be an increasing rate of the 75% of all casualties.
Most of the countries, as well as other paramilitary groups involved are not arm producers and depend on other nations for their arm supply. Licit arm trade is monitored and restricted, so arms may not be use indiscriminately and against innocent people, however the increasing illicit arm trade, which has no regulations occurs within the same producing nations and works as the fuel for minor armed conflicts, inflicting misery on the lives of countless innocents.
The top arm producers in the world are the United States of America and the European Union but there are more than 90 other countries involved in arm production. According to SIPRI’s (Stockoholm International Peace Research Institute) database the global arm trade in 2011 was at least worth $43 billion USD.
Arms used by the wrong people in an increasing number and indiscriminately, make the consequences for innocent lives devastating. The UN has encouraged States in that sub region to join forces in order fully to implement measures to curb the illicit trade and to create mechanisms and regional networks for sharing information on the circulation and trafficking of weapons.
Useful links:
http://www.mherrera.org/trouble.htm
http://www.sipri.org/research/armaments/transfers/measuring/financial_values
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/war/
http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2010/sc9886.doc.htm
http://www.sipri.org/research/armaments/production/Top100
Topic B: Arm Trading in the U.S.A. – Mexico Frontier, the base of terrorism.
Arm trading is one of the most powerful and dangerous businesses in the world, and also one of the most important issues to be solved. The United States is the most important contributor to the global supply of firearms in illicit markets. Civilian firearms market continues to supply criminal networks with high-powered weaponry. Mexico is suffering from an epidemic gun trading, especially to the drug cartels.
United States is feeding Mexico’s gun violence. The U.S-Mexico border is the link between illegal guns and drug trade. Studies found that nearly half of United States arm dealers are economically dependent on Mexico’s demand. Meanwhile less than 15 percent of the firearms at the border are seized. There are approximated 6,700 licensed firearms dealers in the U.S-Mexico border. There is one legal firearms retailer in Mexico. Nearly 70% of guns recovered from Mexican criminals are originated from sales in the United States. In recent years there have been accusations from the Mexican cartel “The Zetas” of having acquired arms through an U.S government program like the Direct Commercial Sales Program. Supervised by the State Department.
Unfortunately guns are relatively easy to smuggle across borders. There is a direct relation between gun ownership in cities and gun violence. As one increases, so does the other. The United Nations voted in favor of a global treaty aimed at controlling the sale and shipment of guns across borders. People need to combat this major issue for the safety and wellbeing of communities on both sides of the border, in order to protect the security of each human in the world.
Useful links:
http://www.insightcrime.org/news-briefs/san-diego-university-study-mexico-gun-trafficking-us
http://igarape.org.br/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Paper_The_Way_of_the_Gun_web2.pdf
http://www.cfr.org/arms-industries-and-trade/strategy-reduce-gun-trafficking-violence-- americas/p31155
http://fas.org/asmp/library/publications/us-mexico.htm
http://www.lawg.org/action-center/lawg-blog/69/892
http://www.iansa.org/workarea/border-controls