As a result, U.S.-supplied weapons are now in the hands of groups like ISIS and the Taliban, as well as with jihadist groups in Libya and Syria. AOAV found that the Pentagon had issued contracts worth $40 billion for arms, ammunition, and related equipment since 2001. U.S.-supplied rifles are now a staple of arms bazaars in Iraq, and have even been offered up for sale on Facebook. As Pentagon spokesman Mark Wright told Chivers, with considerable understatement, "speed was essential in getting those nations' security forces armed, equipped and trained to meet these extreme challenges. Stopping the latest U.S. arms deal to Saudi Arabia would be an important first step in bringing runaway U.S. arms trading under control.

Source: Huffington Post August 26, 2016 16:52 UTC