Stray Bullets - USA Puts Dollars Before Rights And UN Slams The World

Largest Ever USA Arms Deal

The USA is to sell over $60 billion worth of arms to Saudi Arabia [1], in what is believed to be the largest ever arms deal for the US. In a notification to Congress, the Obama administration [2] aims to allow Saudi Arabia to buy more than 80 F-15 fighters and over 100 helicopters over a period of 10 years. It is hoped that the deal will support at least 75,000 jobs [3] in the USA. However, Robert L. Bernstein, the founding chairman of Human Rights Watch, has expressed concerns: “It is almost ludicrous that with our own Secretary of State being a woman, the rights of women are not centre stage on any meeting between the United States and Saudi Arabia.”

Richard Lemmer scopes out the latest breaking news from across the globe: USA puts arms deal with Saudi Arabia before women's rights, UN critises us all, Qur'an-burning sparks protests in Kashmir and Trident project meets resistance.

UN Slams Pretty Much The Whole World For Human Rights Record

Navi Pillay, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, has criticised the world’s superpowers [4] for their human rights record. Addressing the 47-nation UN Human Rights Council, Pillay criticised [5] Russia for failing to bring to justice the killers of murdered journalists, China for cracking down on human rights activists, USA for its conduct during the war on terror; France, Egypt, The Democratic Republic of Congo, Iran, Iraq and Somalia were also mentioned.

“When the vast majority of the world’s countries have no need for nukes, it makes no sense at a time of economic crisis for the government to commit at least £70 billion of our hard earned taxes on replacing nuclear weapons.”

Protests In Kashmir Over Allegedly Burned Qur‘an

Indian security forces have killed 13 protesters [6] during a day of unrest fuelled by reports that a Qur’an was burned in USA [7]. The reports came from an Iranian state run television channel, which stated that a handful of Christians in USA had burned or ripped Qur’ans. Rioters in the Kashmiri village of Tangmarg burned a Christian run school, and elsewhere an effigy of Barack Obama was burned. The riots in Kashmir come after three months of unrest against Indian rule, killing more than 60 people.

Protest Against Trident

Anti-Trident group Trident Ploughshare [8] has blockaded Aldermaston Weapons Establishment to protest against plans to build a multi-million pound warhead testing facility at the site. More than 20 activists occupied the site and four chained themselves with arm tubes in front of the main gates. Three activists cut through the base’s outer fence and then erected a sign saying "Open For Disarmament: All Welcome". Chris Bluemel, a teacher and activist from Southampton, said, “When the vast majority of the world’s countries have no need for nukes, it makes no sense at a time of economic crisis for the government to commit at least £70 billion of our hard earned taxes on replacing nuclear weapons.”

Words: Richard Lemmer
Photo: Flickr user Lloyd Horgan