Quien paga y quien sufre las bajas en las misiones de paz de la ONU

Who fights, and who pays for UN peacekeeping missions
The Economist

Siguen en aumento las ventas de armas a civiles

Pausing for thought over arms sales

Conventional weapons sales to developing countries persist despite concerns over how those weapons are used and other consequences
The Economist




IN DECEMBER America’s Congressional Research Service (CRS) published its annual study on arms sales worldwide. Deals with developing countries have accounted for about four-fifths of all “arms-transfer agreements” for many years. In 2015 such transactions made up $65bn of the $80bn arms deals done globally. America remained the world’s biggest supplier, though French contracts soared to $15.3bn from $5.7bn in 2014, surpassing Russia to become the second-biggest exporter. Saudi Arabia has been the biggest customer in the developing world for Western weapons, though its involvement in the war in Yemen—and the civilian casualties there—has prompted some soul-searching in the United States. A spokesman for the National Security Council recently warned the kingdom that American security co-operation was “not a blank cheque”. Other countries are having similar concerns about supplying arms to conflict areas, none more so than Germany.

Indeed, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute produces an alternative measure on the transfer of military resources (rather than the value of deals). Its “trend-indicator value” of weapons sales takes into consideration the worth of refurbished second-hand arms, among other things, and ranks Germany third in the world in the decade to 2015. Last summer a senior member of the left-wing Die Linke party called for a ban on German arms exports to all countries in conflict, saying it was “scandalous” that Germany should send weapons abroad and then wonder why so many refugees end up on its doorstep.



Just before Christmas Germany’s Catholic and Protestant churches commissioned a report on the country’s defence exports. It found that they had surged to an “exorbitantly high” level in 2015 and the first half of 2016. Qatar, a member of the Saudi coalition in Yemen, was the main recipient of German weapons, and also topped the latest year in the CRS’s report as the biggest purchaser. Many Germans are steadfast in maintaining the pacifist stance the country has held since the second world war, and are alarmed at the rise in German weapon exports. The terrorist attack on the Christmas market in Berlin, and previous terror attacks in France, could strengthen such sentiments.

Infografía: Fuerzas militares y políticas en el conflicto sirio

Interactive: Mapping Syria's rebellion

Al Jazeera examines the military and political opposition groups trying to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad.

Military Forces

Syria's opposition took up arms against President Bashar al-Assad's regime following a heavy military crackdown by his troops.

But more than two years on, the rebels have not managed to form a united front in their fight against the regime.

The map below gives a rough snapshot of the military opposition in Syria. It shows battalions formally under the command of the Council and the most influential independent groups. In addition to those shown on the chart, there are many less prominent and less public groups fighting in the country.

Since Syrians first took up arms against the regime, hundreds of battalions have emerged. What began as modest armed resistance has flourished with the help of money from Syrian businessmen, expats and Arab philanthropists, and by funding from foreign states.

While united in the goal of removing Assad from power, the groups disagree on how to depose him, who should replace him and what the future of Syria should look like.

The groups have different ideologies and interests that - in many cases - mirror those of their donors. Ultra-conservative foreign fighters, some affiliated with al-Qaeda, have made their way into the country.

In an attempt to unite the different armed groups and to isolate what were seen as extremist elements, the Syrian Supreme Military Council was set up with the backing of Western and regional powers.

The Council, led by defected general Salim Idriss, claims it commands about 900 groups and a total of at least 300,000 fighters. Many of the groups are poorly armed, with basic military training. Most commanders of large groups say that while they are officially under the banner of the Council, they receive little or no financial and military assistance from it.

Political Forces