Lord Of War! by Liora Leah

Lord of War

Lord of War illustrates the deadly impact of the uncontrolled global arms trade.
Learn more. »

Amnesty International USA is thrilled to promote the new film, Lord of War, directed by Andrew Niccol, starring Academy Award-Winner Nicolas Cage. The movie opens across the country today.

Lord of War is an action thriller chronicling the global exploits of Yuri Orlov (Cage), a US-based arms broker who traffics weapons to dictators and human rights abusers while trying to stay out of the clutches of an intrepid Interpol Agent (Ethan Hawke). AIUSA's collaboration with the film will help advance our US-based action work within the international Control Arms Campaign.

See the film, join Amnesty International, and lobby the US government to lead global efforts to stop transfers of small arms and light weapons to human rights abusers.

Visit the Lord of War home page. »

Watch the movie trailer
56 k » | 300 k »

Take Action
Join Amnesty International activists around the globe to demand tougher international arms controls.
Download this action guide to get started (in PDF). »

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Armaments remain a big business worldwide. On June 7 the Stockholm International Peace
Research Institute released its annual report on the arms industry. According to
the SIPRI Yearbook 2005: Armaments, Disarmament and International
Security," world military expenditure in 2004 is estimated to have been $1.03
trillion in current dollars.

The average annual rate of increase in military expenditure during
1995-2004 was 2.4% in real terms. This period, however, can be divided into two:
first the post Cold War reduction in military spending which culminated
around 1998; second, an increasing trend since 1998, accelerating to an annual
average increase of around 6% in real terms over the three-year period
2002-2004.

The report notes that as a global average, 2004 military expenditures
correspond to $162 per capita, or 2.6% of the world's gross domestic
product But there is a wide variation between regions and countries.

Military expenditure by the United States makes up 47% of the world
total. US. spending increased rapidly during 2002-2004 as a result of the fight
against terrorism, and the military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.
According to the SIPRI report, there was a growing debate about the
sustainability of the current U.S. military efforts, due to its impact
on the federal budget deficit and on economic growth.

5 big sellers

SIPRI data show that the value of the combined arms sales of the top
100 companies in the world, excluding China, rose 25% in 2003, to $236
billion (in current dollars). Of these 100 companies, 38 are U.S.-based. One is
based in Canada. These 39 accounted for 63.2% of arms sales by the top
100, while 42 European companies (including six based in Russia) accounted
for another 30.5% of sales.

The report noted that only limited information is available on
commercial arms sales worldwide. "This lack of data," it said, "makes it difficult
to establish a firm foundation for political and public discussion of
issues relating to arms production and arms sales."

Overall arms sales were concentrated in a small group of countries.
France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States made up 81%
of all deliveries in 2000-2004. In the realm of international trade in
conventional arms, Russia replaced the United States as the main supplier of major
weapons during 2000-2004. But SIPRI speculated that the Russia's lead
could diminish in the future, due to the old technology of its equipment.

The top buyers of arms in 2004 were China and India. China, though
almost completely dependent on Russia for its arms imports, is now developing
its own weapons. And India, another major Russian client, is looking at
buying from other suppliers, including the United States.

The European Union maintains an arms embargo against China, imposed
after the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown, but is now considering lifting the
restrictions. In fact, the report said, the embargo has not stopped
several European countries from supplying military technology to China. The
United States strongly opposes lifting the embargo, in order to prevent a
Chinese military buildup, and it has threatened the EU with sanctions if the
embargo is lifted.

Nuclear stalling

Arms control is still fraught with problems. Regarding illegal nuclear,
biological and chemical weapon programs, the SIPRI report states: "For
almost a decade there has been little progress in multilateral arms
control in general, and some processes have suffered severe setbacks."
Moreover, states in a number of instances have violated their obligations under
arms control treaties, the report adds.

The SIPRI considers that developments in relation to nuclear arms
during 2004 "raised serious questions about the future of the nuclear
non-proliferation regime and its principal legal foundation, the 1968
Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons."

Evidence surfaced about a clandestine network supplying Pakistan's
nuclear program. The network reportedly involved supplying nuclear technology
to Iran and Libya and possibly to other states. As well, controversy
continued over the nature of Iran's nuclear program. And there was little
progress made in the international talks on the future of North Korea's nuclear
program.

In addition, the states that are party to the 1968 treaty are
deadlocked over the continuing implementation of its provisions and have failed to
even agree on an agenda for the 2005 Review Conference.

There was some positive news, with the decision by Libya to implement
its December 2003 pledge to abandon and dismantle its weapons of mass
destruction and ballistic missile programs.

The situation was better regarding chemical weapons, as countries
continued to destroy their stocks. Out of 71,373 tons of declared chemical
weapons, 10698 tons had been verifiably destroyed as of last Jan. 31. The largest
remaining stock to be destroyed is in Russia, and further international
assistance for this destruction was agreed to in 2004.

By contrast, there was no progress in implementing the 1990 Treaty on
Conventional Armed Forces in Europe, as member countries of NATO and
Russia failed to resolve their differences.

Progress did continue to be made, however, in reducing the problems of
mines worldwide, although the report noted that the dilemma remains of
choosing between a total ban and adopting restraint in their application.

Peace missions

The number of peace missions continued at a high level in 2004. More
than 64000 military and civilian police personnel and 4,000 civilian personnel
were deployed in 21 U.N. missions. In addition, 35 peace missions, with a
total of 225,385 military and civilian personnel, were carried out by
regional organizations and U.N.-sanctioned coalitions of states.

In many cases the missions also involve aiding in the construction of a
new state. This task is difficult, the report noted. Afghanistan is an
example of the complexities involved, with continuing problems over the
demobilization of armed groups.

The report also noted the political difficulties in carrying out the
peace missions. Parliaments, both at the national level and at the
international level, have little possibility to influence or judge international
peace missions. "Their near-exclusion from the sensitive judgments
surrounding intervention seems incongruous in an age that generally emphasizes
democracy" the report stated.

The Vatican recently spoke out about weapons trade. On July 11
Archbishop Celestino Migliore, the Holy See's permanent observer to the United
Nations, addressed the 2nd Biennial Meeting of States to Consider the
Implementation of the Program of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit
Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons.

In his speech the archbishop recommended formulating long-term
strategies will need to combat the proliferation of small arms. "The Holy See is
convinced that investment in prevention, peacemaking, peacekeeping and
peace-building has the potential to save millions of lives," he stated.

Archbishop Migliore also recommended that the world community seriously
consider debating an arms trade treaty "based on the best principles of
international law on human rights and humanitarian law." A modest
proposal in a heavily armed world.

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