For countries in conflict, the unfettered transfer of weapons can pose a significant risk to armed forces and civilian populations, as well as to long-term security and stability. Better understanding of the complex global arms trade can help curb these risks and has the benefit of providing insight on the inner-workings of illicit networks around the world. Identifying and tracking weapons being used in armed conflicts is, therefore, a vital and often dangerous task. At times this is done by investigators on the ground, but often relies on footage and other evidence viewed from afar.
Join us April 7, when Jonah Leff, Director of Operations, Conflict Armament Research, reported on findings of field investigations and the new iTrace system of nearly 40,000 weapons and rounds of ammunition discovered in the Middle East. Leff discussed the prevalence of U.S. weapons found among Islamic State fighters; findings of newly manufactured Russian, Iranian, and Sudanese ammunition; evidence of supply to Syrian rebels from Saudi Arabia; and large scale industrial production and use of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in Syria and Iraq.
This event was co-hosted by the Forum on the Arms Trade and the Stimson Center and represented the third in a Stimson series on missing and illicit weapons. Previous events were held on missing weapons in Libya and the risk of unauthorized retransfers.
This event was featured in the Middleburry Institute of International Studies at Monterey’s alumni magazine.
Watch this event below or here:
WHAT: Experts will discuss how they are tracking weapons used in Syria and Iraq, and share some of their recent findings.
WHERE: The Stimson Center, 1211 Connecticut Avenue NW, 8th Floor, Washington DC, 20036.
Featuring:
Jonah Leff, Director of Operations, Conflict Armament Research
Shawn Harris, Field Investigator, Conflict Armament Research
Tim Michetti, Field Investigator, Conflict Armament Research
Moderated by:
Rachel Stohl, Senior Associate, Managing Across Boundaries, Stimson Center
FOLLOW: The Stimson Center, Forum Arms Trade, Conflict Armament Research, Jeff Abramson, Jonah Leff, Tim Michetti and Rachel Stohl on Twitter for event news, and use #StimsonToday to join the conversation.