A New Call To Arms Control.(Periscope; International Law)(Brief article)

Byline: Patrick Falby

About half a million people worldwide are killed every year by small arms. That's far more victims than are slain by missiles or WMD, yet they get all the attention of international arms-control agreements.

Now nearly 100 countries are trying to change that, by pushing for the creation of a new treaty that would finally regulate the highly lethal international trade in smaller arms. The initiative, which is being pushed by Britain, Japan and others under U.N. auspices, would prohibit the sale of these weapons (which include various guns and portable grenade launchers) to states with poor human-rights records or those likely to use the arms to perpetuate wars.

Proponents of the idea have submitted various proposals for a treaty to U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, and he's expected to soon appoint experts from two dozen countries to study them and report on their feasibility. But there are reasons for pessimism. The United States -- which is the world's biggest exporter by far of such weapons, having inked about $13 billion in ...