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Statement Of Violence Policy Center On State Department Decision
Josey1
Member Posts: 9,598 ✭✭
Statement Of Violence Policy Center On State Department Decision To Bar Export Of Fifty Caliber Sniper Rifles To Civilians Abroad To: National Desk Contact: Naomi Seligman of the Violence Policy Center, 202-822-8200, ext. 105; Web site: http://www.vpc.org WASHINGTON, Dec. 19 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The Violence Policy Center (VPC) today commended the U.S. Department of State for its decision to restrict the export of deadly 50 caliber long-range sniper rifles for sale to civilians abroad. The department's decision was based on its concerns regarding the use of these powerful weapons as tools for terrorism, as documented in a comprehensive October 2001 VPC report on the weapons -- Voting from the Rooftops: How the Gun Industry Armed Osama bin Laden, Other Foreign and Domestic Terrorists, and Common Criminals with 50 Caliber Sniper Rifles -- by VPC Senior Policy Analyst Tom Diaz. While the State Department action reduces the threat posed by these weapons abroad, these "super guns" can still be purchased here in the United States more easily than a handgun. Until these weapons are placed under the same restrictions as fully automatic machine guns, they will continue to pose an unprecedented threat to homeland security by both terrorists and criminals. The 101-page VPC study has been made available to officials of the State Department, other federal and state agencies with key roles in the war against terrorism, and law enforcement officials nationwide. Among other things, the report documents specific capabilities of the 50 caliber sniper rifle that make it an ideal tool for assassination and terror. These include its long range of 2,000 yards, and an array of armor-piercing, incendiary, and explosive ammunition that enable it to shoot down helicopters, penetrate armored limousines, ignite bulk fuel storage, and rupture toxic chemical storage containers. The VPC also congratulated Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) for his diligence in bringing the export issue to the State Department's attention. The VPC has worked closely with Waxman, Rep. Rod Blagojevich (D-Ill.), and Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) on the 50 caliber sniper rifle issue since issuing its 1999 report, One Shot, One Kill: Civilian Sales of Military Sniper Rifles, the seminal work on the growing trend of selling military sniper rifles to the civilian market. http://www.usnewswire.com/topnews/temp/1219-125.html