The Small Arms Trade (Paperback)  | Released: 30 Dec 2006

Small Arms are responsible for over half a million deaths each year. Despite this terrifying statistic, millions of guns flow into the streets of the world each year. It is a multi-billion dollar industry, and one which is barely regulated. From AK-47s to M16 rifles; from Terrorist-owned shoulder-fired missiles to child soldiers, this enlightening guide reveals the disturbing reality behind the murky underworld of international arms trading. Explaining how deals can often operate on the edge of legality, and listing the world's main players, it goes on to ask how the exchange of small arms can be tightened in the future. Full of insight and anticipating the danger of ever lighter and more powerful weapons, this is required reading for anyone who wishes to understand the world today and one of the key threats to development, prosperity and international peace.About the Author: Rachel Stohl is Senior Analyst at the Center for Defense Information at the World Security Institute in Washington, DC. Matt Schroeder is the Manager of the Arms Sales Monitoring Project at the Federation of American Scientists. Colonel Dan Smith is the Senior Fellow on Military Affairs at the Friends Committee on National Legislation. He retired from the US army in 1992, highly decorated.