December 28, 2007:
The biggest arms exporter on the planet, on a
per capita basis, is Israel where about $600 worth of arms is exported for each
Israeli. But number two is Canada, which exports about $2 billion worth of arms
a year, which is about $60 worth for each Canadian. However, there's a catch.
About 80 percent of Canadian arms exports are to the United States, usually by
Canadian subsidiaries of American weapons manufacturers. The several hundred
million dollars worth of arms sent elsewhere sometimes ends up in the hands of
the wrong people, which is a hot story in Canada at the moment. The U.S.
exports about $15 billion worth of arms a year, about $50 worth for each
American.