[Reader-list] What an achievement

[Taraprakash]

Global Military Spending Hits $1.2 Trillion. Associated Press.
STOCKHOLM, Sweden -- 
The U.S. remained the world's biggest military spender last year, devoting 
about $529 billion to arms, while China overtook Japan as
Asia's top arms spender, a Swedish research institute said Monday.
The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute said the U.S. spent the 
most on arms, ahead of Britain and France. Global military spending rose 
3.5%
to $1.2 trillion.
Top 10 military spenders, in 2005 dollars and percent of global spending.
1. U.S., $528.7 billion, 46% 2. Britain, $59.2 billion, 5% 3. France, $53.1 
billion, 5% 4. China, $49.5 billion, 4% 5. Japan, $43.7 billion, 4% 6. 
Germany,
$37.0 billion, 3% 7. Russia, $34.7 billion, 3% 8. Italy, $29.9 billion, 3% 
9. Saudi Arabia, $29.0 billion, 3% 10. India, $23.9 billion, 2%
Source: Stockholm International Peace Research Institute
The large increase in the USA's military spending is to a great extent due 
to the costly military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq," SIPRI said in 
its
annual report, noting that the U.S. spent $505 billion in 2005.
China's growing military expenditures reached nearly $50 billion, making it 
the fourth biggest arms spender in the world, SIPRI said in its annual 
report.
Japan was fifth with $43.7 billion. The figures cited were in 2005 dollars.
International arms transfers have grown continuously since 2002, with China 
and India being the biggest importers and the U.S. and Russia the two major
exporters, the Stockholm-based institute said. Russia, which spent $34.7 
billion on arms, has used its energy wealth to revive national pride, to 
restore
its influence" in surrounding countries and to maximize its geopolitical 
power," SIPRI said.
Five Middle Eastern countries were among the top 10 importers of weapons. 
While much media attention was given to arms deliveries to Iran, mainly from 
Russia,
deliveries from the USA and European countries to Israel, Saudi Arabia and 
the United Arab Emirates were significantly larger," the report said.
The institute said the U.S., Russia, France, Britain and China together held 
more than 26,000 nuclear warheads at the start of 2007. Although the total
number of warheads is gradually being cut, all five countries are 
undertaking or planning major programs to update their nuclear weapon 
arsenals," SIPRI
said.
The report said that the U.S. government provided a total of $432 billion in 
supplemental appropriations for the war on terrorism between September 2001
and June 2006. This massive increase in U.S. military spending has been one 
of the factors contributing to the deterioration of the U.S. economy since
2001," SIPRI said.
Copyright © 2007 Associated Press