The Hill News

President Obama’s evolving policy towards the rapid changes in the Middle East and North Africa has one glaring omission: a plan to stem the flow of conventional weaponry into the region.From Libya to Syria, and Bahrain to Yemen, imported weaponry has been used to put down nascent pro-democracy movements.
 
Tracing how those weapons got there and figuring out how best to prevent irresponsible exports to the region going forward should be a priority for U.S. policy. 

In the most egregious cases of armed repression â€" Libya and Syria â€" the United States has played little or no role as a supplier. On the other hand, in Bahrain and Yemen, U.S.-supplied arms have bolstered repressive regimes and most likely been used against demonstrators.  

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