WASHINGTON Ñ Egypt and Israel led countries in foreign arms
purchases in 2001, a new report says.
The Congressional Research Service, an arm of the Library of Congress,
said Israel was the largest purchaser of weapons last year. Israel was
followed by China and Egypt.
Israel's purchases in 2001 included a $2.5 billion order for 50 F-16
Block 52 fighter-jets from the United States. The congressional agency said
Israel signed $2.5 billion worth of contracts last year.
China was the second largest purchaser of weapons, signing $2.1 billion
in 2001. Egypt was third with $2 billion in contracts.
The report, entitled "Conventional Arms Transfers to Developing Nations,
1994-2001," said the Middle East remains a major consumer of weapons amid
the lowest global military spending since 1997. The congressional agency
cited economic decline around the world as the reason for decreased arms
purchases, particularly to the developing world.
The congressional agency said the United States sold Israel 52 F-16D
fighter-jets in 2001 for more than $1.8 billion. Another sale to Israel
cited was that of six AH-64 Apache Longbow helicopters.
For its part, Egypt signed an agreement for more than $500 million for
the coproduction of the M1A1 Abrams main battle tank. The report did not
cite any other major U.S. sales to Egypt in 2001.
"The Near East has generally been the largest arms market in the
developing
world," the report said. "In 1994-1997, it accounted for 47.9 percent of the
total value of all developing
nations arms transfer agreements [$37.3 billion in current dollars]. During
1998-
2001, the region accounted for 46.5 percent of all such agreements [$38.2
billion in current
dollars]."
The report said Israel ranked fourth in arms transfer agreements with
developing nations in 2001, with $500 million in orders. For its part, Egypt
was China's main arms client with Cairo purchasing $400 million in weapons
and defense systems from 1998 to 2001.
Gulf Cooperation Council nations, for years a leading consumer of
weapons, continued to record a decline in arms purchases, the report said.
The exception was the United Arab Emirates, which signed $16 billion in arms
contracts from 1994 to 2001, the highest in the developing world.
"Notable new arms sales may occur with specific countries in the Near
East, Asia, and Latin America in the next few years," the report said.
"Various nations in the developed world wish to replace older military
equipment. Yet the developing world as a whole has barely recovered from the
Asian financial crisis of the late 1990's and the notable fluctuations in
the price of crude oil in the last few years. Traditionally high profile
weapons purchasers
in Asia and the Near East were greatly affected by these events and
consequently have been very cautious in seeking new arms agreements."
The report, authored by Richard Grimmett. said the United States
continues to be the world's leading arms exporter, including to the Middle
East, signing accords valued at nearly $7 billion. This represented 43.6
percent of the market.
Russia, which has increased sales to such countries as Algeria and Iran,
came in second with $5.7 billion, or 29.6 percent of the market. China, a
leading supplier of military systems to such countries as Iran, Iraq, Libya,
Sudan and Syria, was reported as having $600 million or 3.8 percent of the
market.
The report cited Iran as a leading arms consumer. The congressional
agency said Russia signed $900 million with Iran from 1998 to 2001. European
nations sold Iran another $300 million in weapons during that period.
China sold Iran another $900 million in weapons to Iran from 1994 to
1997. European countries sold Iran $500 million and Russia signed $200
million worth of contracts with Teheran during this period.
On Thursday, Iran again warned that its military would retaliate against
any attack on the Islamic republic. Iran has been swept by rumors that the
United States and Israel were ready to attack Iran's nuclear facility at
Bushehr.
"In regards to the defense of our country we say that our forces will
retaliate firmly and with all the means at our disposal to any aggression,"
Iranian Defense Minister Ali Shamkhani said.
World global arms deals were valued at $26.4 billion in 2001. The figure
in 2000 was $40 million. In 1997, global arms sales reached $25.4 billion.
"This is a substantial decrease in arms agreements values over 2000, and
is the first time since 1997 that total arms agreements decreased from the
previous year," the report said.
