weapons

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Mitchell Calls for Lasting Peace as New Violence Hits Gaza

18 injured in Israeli counterstrike

(Newser) - Fresh violence in Gaza today threatened the fragile ceasefire as George Mitchell called for a lasting truce between Hamas and Israel, AFP reports. An Israeli air strike wounded 18 Palestinians, including 11 children and a pregnant woman. The Israeli army said it was targeting a Hamas policeman responsible for a...

Details Emerge on Belgian Baby Killer

Thousands march to honor dead; worker praised as a hero

(Newser) - Details of a Belgian daycare stabbing spree emerged today as thousands marched to honor three dead and 12 wounded in the attack, the Telegraph and AP report. A photo has surfaced of suspect Kim de Gelder, a loner who sniggered during police questioning and refused to cooperate. Police believe he...

Israel Probes Phosphorus Use in Gaza
Israel Probes Phosphorus
Use in Gaza
Jan 21, 2009 10:17 AM CST

Israel Probes Phosphorus Use in Gaza

Admits deadly shells may have hit civilian areas, violating law

(Newser) - Under pressure from the international community, Israel has admitted its troops might have inappropriately used white phosphorus in attacks on Gaza, and has launched an investigation. International law only permits the caustic chemical for creating smokescreens in troop areas, which wouldn’t explain hits on United Nations facilities in Gaza,...

Skirting Laws, Iran Buys Bomb Parts From US Firms

Materials used to make top weapon against US troops

(Newser) - Through front firms and complex maneuvering, Iran skirts trading laws to buy bomb parts from US companies, the Washington Post reports. The equipment allows production of improvised explosive devices, or IEDS, bombs that are the leading killer of US troops in Iraq, according to Justice Department documents and a new...

Blackwater Faces Hefty Fine for Iraq Gun Violations

Contractor shipped firearms without permit; some may now be on black market

(Newser) - The government will hit security firm Blackwater USA with a multimillion-dollar fine for shipping hundreds of unauthorized guns to Iraq, McClatchy reports. A lengthy State Department investigation has concluded that the security contractor shipped some 900 weapons to the country—some of which likely wound up on the black market—...

Georgian Cluster Bombs Killed Own Civilians

Human rights group says 3 killed by malfunctioning bombs

(Newser) - The cluster bombs Georgia used during its war with Russia malfunctioned on an “absolutely massive scale,” killing at least three civilians, and leaving the country littered with deadly unexploded bombs, according to new research from Human Rights Watch. The Georgian Ministry of Defense said the findings were “...

Silver Screen's Ray Guns Become Battlefield Reality

Ground troops testing laser weapons, tagged for missile-defense systems, too

(Newser) - Ray guns aren't just for Flash Gordon anymore, the Economist reports. The US military and defense contractors are experimenting with “directed energy” weapons systems on the battlefield and in labs, most of which help troops zap unexploded bombs and incoming fire. One model, the Zeus, is designed to more...

Pirates Discuss Ransom for Arms Shipment

But demands diminish as international noose appears to tighten

(Newser) - The Somali pirates who hijacked a Ukranian ship carrying a weapons shipment are in ransom negotiations with the vessel’s owners, the BBC reports. No governments are involved in the talks, sources said. The pirates seem to be flexible: They initially asked for a $35 million ransom, then $20 million,...

Islamists Eye Weapons on Pirate Ship

Ukrainian vessel surrounded by Western warships off Somalia

(Newser) - Islamic extremists are preparing to unload anti-aircraft guns and grenades from a Ukrainian ship captured by Somali pirates, the Times of London reports, though the ship, taken Thursday as it approached Kenya, is surrounded by US and European warships. Speaking via satellite phone, the seized vessel’s captain said one...

Russia Snubs US, Sells Arms to Iran

Rice blasts belligerence as Moscow sells surface-to-air missiles

(Newser) - Defying the objections of the United States, Russia has announced plans to sell military hardware to Iran and Venezuela. In the latest escalation of the diplomatic standoff between Russia and the West, the state arms exporter will sell anti-aircraft systems to the two countries, the Times of London reports. "...

US Arms Sales Skyrocket
 US Arms Sales Skyrocket 
Sep 14, 2008 8:26 AM CDT

US Arms Sales Skyrocket

Some fear sparking 'arms race'

(Newser) - Seeking to arm allies and contain countries like Iran and North Korea, the Bush Administration has significantly stepped up international weapons sales, the New York Times reports. The Defense Department will sell or transfer $32 billion in arms this year, particularly in the Middle East, compared to $12 billion two...

Army to Speed High-Tech Gear Into Combat

New weapons could hit Iraq, Afghanistan by 2011

(Newser) - The US Army has moved up the timetable for its high-tech weapons program, hoping to get new devices into the field by late 2010, 5 years ahead of its original schedule, Popular Mechanics reports. It’s also shifting focus away from conventional warfare tech like tanks and artillery and toward...

Court Rejects NYC Suit Against Gun Makers

City says too many criminals get weapons

(Newser) - A federal appeals court today tossed out a lawsuit brought by New York City against gun manufacturers for allowing their weapons to get into criminal hands, the New York Times reports. The city said gun makers create a public nuisance by not keeping a closer eye on retailers—thus supplying...

Iraq's Secret $833M Arms Buy Raises Concern

Purchase from Serbia reveals Baghdad's military woes

(Newser) - A secret arms deal highlights Baghdad's trouble arming its troops and securing Iraq, the New York Times reports. Officials signed the $833 million deal with Serbia last month, without approval in Baghdad—and procured faulty or useless planes, tanks, and other arms. Iraqi Defense Minister Abdul Qadir defended the move,...

Thais Nab 'Merchant of Death'
Thais Nab 'Merchant of Death'
Mar 6, 2008 5:18 PM CST

Thais Nab 'Merchant of Death'

Russian arms dealer may face US trial for supplying terror groups worldwide

(Newser) - The Russian arms dealer branded "the merchant of death" was apprehended in Thailand today after US intelligence linked him to Colombia rebels, the New York Times reports. Viktor Bout is on international most-wanted lists for allegedly using his private air fleet to supply al Qaeda and the Taliban—plus...

Poisoned Arrows Riddle Kenya
Poisoned Arrows Riddle Kenya
Mar 1, 2008 7:58 PM CST

Poisoned Arrows Riddle Kenya

Peace has come, but edgy populace stocks deadly new weapon

(Newser) - Kenya has struck a peace agreement, but its people are still stockpiling a new weapon of choice: poisoned arrows. A primitive arms industry is supplying ethnic warriors with the projectiles to replace their time-tested machetes, Time reports. “This is obviously something very wrong and very new,” said one...

Group Counts 932 Falsehoods in Runup to War

False statements by Bush, top officials were 'orchestrated campaign'

(Newser) - President Bush and top administration officials made hundreds of false statements—932, to be exact—about the national security threat from Iraq following 9/11, report two nonprofit journalism organizations. In the two years after the attacks, Bush and top officials stated at least 532 times that Iraq had weapons of...

US Drone Use Over Iraq Soars
US Drone Use Over Iraq Soars
Jan 2, 2008 12:50 PM CST

US Drone Use Over Iraq Soars

Drones over Iraq hit 500K hours

(Newser) - The US military's use of unmanned aircraft in surveillance, reconnaissance, and combat missions has climbed to more than 500,000 flight hours. The drones are mostly deployed in Iraq, but they're being flown remotely by Air Force pilots based in the US. And as troops begin to trickle back home,...

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