Tell the Truth About the Arms Treaty
On April 2, the United States joined an overwhelming majority of countries at the United Nations in voting to adopt a treaty regulating the international trade in conventional weapons — a monumental achievement after seven years of diplomacy, lobbying and out-and-out arm-twisting.
The United States pushed for the General Assembly vote last week after securing, in a March conference, the treaty language its negotiators wanted.
Yet now, just days after the United Nations’ 154-to-3 vote, top United States officials are already hedging on whether President Obama will sign the treaty when it opens for signature at the United Nations on June 3 — let alone whether the United States will ratify it, an act that would require the approval of two-thirds of the Senate.… Seguir leyendo »