FT.com / Home UK / UK - US takes China to task over Iraq and Afghan arms

FT.com / Home UK / UK - US takes China to task over Iraq and Afghan arms

Arms: their use, distribution, and manufacturer have a definite geographic character. Many countries are net weapons exporters. France, Great Britain, China, North Korea, Iran, Syria, Germany, and, of course, the United States. The United States is the world's leader in weapon's production and export, according to FAS.org, Foreign Policy in Focus, and the World Policy Institute.

Sometimes, I wonder how long it will be before we are attacked with our own ordinance. A widely-reported fear is that our own military or commerical aircraft will be shot down with a Stinger missile.

Recently, the US has scrapped many of its own F-14 Tomcats so replacement parts will not fall into the hands of the Iranian Air Force. We sold a few of those to the former Shah of Iran, before The Great Revolution.

Iran has recently been accused of helping manufacturer IEDs used recently in Iraq. Now, China has been targeted by our administration, as Chinese-made armor-piercing munitions are finding their ways nto Afghanistan and Iraq.

Please note the Pentagon official's name. The irony should not be lost.