Senate Approves Feinstein Provisions That Make it More Difficult for Terrorists to Obtain Weapons from U.S.
December 21, 2001

Washington, DC - The U.S. Senate last night unanimously approved provisions sponsored by Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) that make it more difficult for terrorists to obtain small arms and light weapons from the United States.

"Small arms and light weapons, such as shoulder-mounted missiles, assault weapons, and grenade launchers, are frequently the weapons of first choice for international terrorists, narco-traffickers, and criminals," Senator Feinstein said. "Due to their widespread availability, they pose a direct threat to our national security interests and to our soldiers abroad, including those in Afghanistan today. In fact, it is estimated that there are 500 million illicit small arms in circulation, and these weapons are linked to the deaths of more than 3 million people in the past decade.

The provisions approved by the Senate last night would make it more difficult for terrorist groups to export small arms from our country and would increase the level of scrutiny on transactions involving these weapons. By reducing the threshold on exported arms from $14 million to $1 million, for instance, these measures will help prevent suspicious transactions of small arms from going under the radar, and we will begin to limit the proliferation of small arms around the world."

Specifically, the provisions, which were approved as part the Security Assistance Act, would:

• Strengthen the current notification and reporting requirements for sales of small arms and light weapons. Currently, those seeking to export small arms and light weapons must report any transaction greater than $14 million to Congress. Under the new legislation, exporters would be required to notify Congress when the sale exceeds $1 million.
  
  
• Require the Secretary of State to write an annual report on arms brokers, including a list of all registered brokers. In the past, large quantities of small arms exported from the United States, even to close allies such as the United Kingdom, have been later found on the gray and black markets. By clearly documenting what happens to small arms after they leave this country, the report will help ensure that weapons sold in the United States do not disappear from legal circulation.
  
  
• Require the Secretary of the Treasury to write an annual report on investigations by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) to stop United States source weapons from being used in terrorist acts. This will give the Congress a clear picture of the extent to which small arms are used in terrorist attacks and, thereby, enable ATF to direct more attention and resources to ensuring that small arms and light weapons sold in the United States do not end up in the hands of terrorists and other criminals.

"In light of a justice department report that indicates that al-Qaeda has instructed its members to purchase small arms in the United States, I believe we need to control the spread of these weapons more now than ever," Senator Feinstein said. "It is my hope that Congress will give final approval to these measures in the coming weeks."

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