and other news from Today in Palestine:
Land, property, resources theft and destruction / Ethnic cleansing Settlers
Israeli bulldozers bury Bedouin village
HEBRON (Ma‘an) 22 Feb — The five tents giving shelter to some 50 Bedouin residents of Amniyr, a tiny community north of Susiya in the south Hebron hills, were torn down on Monday, their olive trees uprooted and water sources covered over. An observer with the Christian Peacemaker Teams said Israeli demolition crews arrived before sunrise, at about 5:30 a.m., and began taking down the tents, then filled a well and a water cistern with earth … Residents had moved back to the area during the winter, saying settler harassment at a second location one kilometer away had driven them out. Years earlier the same harassment had forced them from the location where the tents were demolished.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=362214
Israeli notices to demolish agricultural facilities in Hebron
HEBRON, 21 Feb (WAFA) — Israeli forces Monday handed five Palestinians notices to demolish their agricultural facilities in Beit Ula, a town west of Hebron.
http://english.wafa.ps/index.php?action=detail&id=15257
Court to debate sealing mosque in West Bank village Burin
JPost 21 Feb — The village has refuted the claim of illegality on the ground that it believes the mosque is located in Area B … The state, in turn, has claimed that the mosque is located within its jurisdiction, in Area C …On Sunday, the state rejected Burin’s compromise gesture of sealing the turret, and insisted, in a response that it filed to the court on the matter, that the entire mosque be sealed. The court addressed the issue of the mosque after it received a petition from Regavim, a non-governmental group that monitors illegal Palestinian construction in Area C.
http://www.jpost.com/NationalNews/Article.aspx?id=209143
Self-demolition in Beit Suhur
Silwan, Jerusalem (SILWANIC) 20 Feb — A resident of Beit Suhur village south of Jerusalem was forced to demolish his own home under orders of the Jerusalem Municipality yesterday, 19 February. Ramzi Shehadeh Attun demolished his 70 square meter home after he was threatened by the Jerusalem Municipality with a fine of 70,000 NIS to have it demolished by the state, citing “irregularities” in his building permit … [Attun] added that ‘I thought that I had finally achieved the dream of building a home for my family – there are 7 of us. But today we are homeless.’
http://silwanic.net/?p=12316
Senior UN official condemns Israeli demolition of Palestinian shelter
UN 21 Feb — A senior United Nations official today condemned the demolition of temporary tented structures sheltering families from the weather in Khirbet Tana near the West Bank city of Nablus, the second such incident affecting this community this month.
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=37579&Cr=Palestin&Cr1=
New demolitions in Khirbet Yerza
[with good photos] 21 Feb — Khirbet Yerza is a small village with few dozens of inhabitants. It used to count hundreds of inhabitants before the 1967 occupation as its underground is full of water and thus very fertile … Some families had tooken off the roofs of their barracks before the army arrived in order to save some materials. But soldiers saw some hidden metal sheets and drove over it in order to destroy it … Most of the families living in Khirbet Yerza own the land and have lived in this area for more than 100 years. All the families of the area received a new demolition order before the army left the place.
http://www.jordanvalleysolidarity.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=170:new-demolitions-in-khirbet-yerza&catid=15:2010&Itemid=21
Israel inspects water wells in Jenin
JENIN, 21 Feb (WAFA) — Israeli forces accompanied with employees of the Israeli Water Authority Monday inspected all water wells in Kafr Dan, a village west of Jenin. Israeli forces regularly launch sweep campaigns on water wells in this area to demolish the artesian wells which farmers use to irrigate their crops.
http://english.wafa.ps/index.php?action=detail&id=15258
Suffering there and back: the story of the Palestinians who build illegal settlements
22 Feb — Mustafa Sabri — Qalqiliya - PNN/Exclusive — Raed, an electrician, makes at least a 15 kilometer journey every day from his home city of Qalqiliya in the northern West Bank, to one of the 23 surrounding illegal Israeli settlements. One day, PNN accompanied him to witness his long hours.
http://english.pnn.ps/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=9600&Itemid=62
Plans to expand Har Homa rejected
Ynet 21 Feb — Municipality officials say politicians intervened to dismiss plans for east Jerusalem construction – Jerusalem Municipality’s local planning and construction committee announced Monday it would not approve plans to expand the Jewish Har Homa neighborhood in east Jerusalem. The announcement came just a few days after the US vetoed a UN vote to condemn construction in settlements, causing speculation that the plans were not approved due to political pressure. … Har Homa is subject to international scrutiny because it was built beyond the 1967 border after the Oslo Accords were signed. The new plans would expand the neighborhood by some 60 acres – including dozens of homes, eight synagogues, a kindergarten, a swimming pool, and more.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4031965,00.html
Al-Tuwani children’s struggle to go to school
EI 21 Feb – On the afternoon of 7 February 2011, masked Israeli settlers from Havat Maon outpost chased a group of twelve Palestinian schoolchildren who were walking home from school … Since 2004, Christian Peacemaker Teams and Operation Dove have documented more than 110 acts of settler aggression against Palestinian schoolchildren from Tuba and Maghayir al-Abeed villages in the South Hebron Hills .. . The details of the attacks may vary, but the crux of every incident is the same: the Israeli military fails to arrive in order to escort the schoolchildren past Maon settlement and Havat Maon settlement outpost; the children are forced to walk an indirect route without escort; settlers emerge from the outpost and chase or assault the children.
http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article11817.shtml
Settler gets community service for weapons theft
Ynet 21 Feb — Court issues incredibly light sentence to 19-year old after accepting plea of ‘youthful frivolity’ — A 19-year old settler was sentenced to just 100 hours of community service Monday, without a conviction, for stealing weapons and ammunition from IDF warehouses in the West Bank … In February of 2008 stun and gas grenades, ammunition for M-16 rifles, sniper rifles, and sub-machine guns, and a spike barrier were stolen from an IDF warehouse.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4032003,00.html
MIFTAH: Casualties and material losses Sept. 28 2000 – Jan. 31 2011
Confiscated land: 274,405.5 dunums [1 dunum = .25 acre or 1,000 square meters]; razed land: 83,279 dunums; estimated number of uprooted trees: 1,193,220; homes demolished: 10,522
http://www.miftah.org/report.cfm
Violence / Incursions
Witnesses: Palestinian shot in Jerusalem clashes
JERUSALEM (Ma‘an) — Israeli forces on Monday shot and injured a Palestinian man during clashes in Jerusalem, witnesses said. Onlookers said Israeli forces fired into the air and then sprayed bullets at a group of young men, injuring a resident of Al-Isawiya. [End]
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=362106
Israeli forces spark clashes in Bir Ayyub
Silwan, Jerusalem (SILWANIC) 21 Feb — Sporadic clashes are continuing to erupt throughout Bir Ayyub district of Silwan, with Israeli troops firing tear gas grenades arbitrarily throughout the neighborhood. Eyewitnesses have confirmed that Israeli forces have provoked confrontations by firing gas in otherwise quiet, residential areas. An unknown number of Palestinian residents are suffering asphyxiation due to tear gas inhalation and several Palestinian ambulances were seen arriving on the scene.
http://silwanic.net/?p=12271
Detention
Sheikh Raed Salah arrested for arson
Ynet 22 Feb — Only two weeks after his release from prison, Islamic Movement leader is once again behind bars. Police suspect he set forest on fire in south in protest of JNF work
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4032348,00.html
Israeli army arrests teenagers at protest north of Tulkarem
ISM 20 Feb — Eight young Palestinian men were arrested by the Israeli military yesterday in the village of Deir Al Ghusun, north of Tulkarem. Three of them remain in custody, Jala Anwar, Omar Abu Safa and Sohayb Abu Shakra, all aged 17 years. The teenagers were taking part in a protest against the illegal Israeli separation barrier
http://palsolidarity.org/2011/02/16737
Dawn raid to arrest Silwan youths
Silwan, Jerusalem (SILWANIC) 21 Feb — Israeli troops stormed Silwan at dawn today, arresting 6 youths from Ein al-Luza and Baten al-Hawa districts of Silwan. Four of the detained children are under the age of 16, and one aged 18.
http://silwanic.net/?p=12289
Center Director Jawad Siyam hits back at slanderous article in Israeli paper
Silwan, Jerusalem (SILWANIC) 21 Feb — The Israeli newspaper Maariv published a slanderous article today against Wadi Hilweh Information Center director Jawad Siyam. The article, entitled “Double Job” lodges claims against Siyam of participating in demonstrations against Israeli authorities in Silwan while also taking money from the Jerusalem Municipality … The timing of the piece is no coincidence. Siyam tomorrow will attend the next hearing in a malicious assault case lodged against him by the Jerusalem police.
http://silwanic.net/?p=12310
Siege
Scores head to re-opened Rafah border
GAZA CITY (Ma‘an) 22 Feb — Hundreds of Gaza residents lined up at the Rafah crossing on Tuesday morning, when the border terminal opened for the first time since protesters took to Egypt’s streets demanding the ouster of the country’s leader … Palestinians in Gaza need medical referrals, student visas to foreign countries or residency rights abroad in order to exit the Strip, and must seek permission from both the Gaza government and Egyptian authorities before they can cross through Rafah.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=362260
Human rights centers: Israel must stop manipulating Gaza patients, escorts
RAMALLAH, 21 Feb (WAFA) — Three human rights Centers, Adalah, Al-Mezan and Physicians for Human Rights-Israel, Sunday called on Israel to stop manipulating Gaza patients and their escorts, in a joint press release. The centers called on the Israeli security authorities to stop the manipulation of the most basic humanitarian needs of medical patients from Gaza as means of coercing them and their families … The centers labeled the Israeli security’s policy of arresting patients or escorts after being given permits or clearance to pass Erez as “a policy that constitutes cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment.”
http://english.wafa.ps/index.php?action=detail&id=15260
Imports to Gaza drop 70% due to blockade: report
People’s Daily 22 Feb — A Palestinian report released Tuesday indicated a 70-percent drop in imports to the Gaza Strip since Israel imposed a blockade on the enclave in June 2007. The report, which was made by Palestine Trade Center, observed the performance of commercial crossing point between Gaza and Israel from 1997 to the beginning of 2011.
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90001/90778/90858/7296461.html
In Gaza, Mubarak’s name easier to erase than his legacy / Mohammed Omer
RAFAH, occupied Gaza Strip (IPS) 21 Feb — It was easy enough to rename Mubarak Children’s Hospital the al-Tahrir Hospital in Gaza. Not so easy is the task of managing patients who need to cross over to the Egyptian side for treatment, or come back in.
http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article11818.shtml
Single goods crossing operates in Gaza
GAZA CITY (Ma‘an) 22 Feb — Israeli authorities informed Palestinian liaison officers that the southernmost crossing, Kerem Shalom, would open Tuesday for the limited delivery of goods … The Palestinian official added that Israel would allow the export of two truckloads of flowers, harvested in Gaza, to European countries. Exports to the West Bank remain prohibited.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=362149
Director of Gaza power plant missing in Ukraine
GAZA CITY (Ma‘an) 22 Feb — The director of Gaza’s sole power plant was reported missing by relatives Tuesday, who said they had not heard from him since he left the Ukraine five days ago after visiting his brother. Family members say they fear Dirar Abu Sisi was abducted … Upon his entry to the Ukraine in late January, family members said, Abu Sisi had been interrogated and his passport was confiscated.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=362276
Home gardens blossom in Gaza
ANERA/Gaza – PNN - 21 Feb — The ground outside may not be ready for planting yet but inside Hanna El-Mosader’s greenhouse, lettuce, cucumbers and peppers are already blooming. Her tomatoes, melons and eggplants should be ready for harvesting in another month or so … Hanna’s family is one of 35 in Gaza who received a greenhouse, farming supplies, a water tank, an irrigation system and seedlings.
http://english.pnn.ps/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=9591&Itemid=63
Activism / Solidarity
Stinking collective punishment in West Bank village Nabi Saleh
AIC 21 Feb — During the weekly demonstration in the West Bank village of Nabi Salah against the creeping annexation of their lands by the area settlements, the Israeli army imposed a particularly stinking collective punishment. For several long minutes, soldiers emptied the containers of skunk water on houses in the centre of the village, also spraying the roofs of homes on which the residents collect rain water. The soldiers further sprayed the village cemetery with the skunk water. Israel’s massive use of tear gas and skunk water in the centre of the village was done with no intention of dispersing the demonstration, which had already ended by this time, but to stink up the homes of the residents and to contaminate their water sources.
http://www.alternativenews.org/english/index.php/topics/news/3332-stinking-collective-punishment-in-west-bank-village-nabi-salah-
Latrun villagers protest Canada-Jewish National Fund relations
RAMALLAH (Ma‘an) 21 Feb — Vigils were held outside Canadian representative offices in Ramallah and Tel Aviv Monday, to protest Jewish National Fund charitable status in Canada in light of its building of Canada Park on Palestinian village ruins inside the 1967 Green Line. The park was built on land from the villages Imwas, Yalo, and Bayt Nuba, near Latrun, that were destroyed in the 1967 war that saw Israeli capture the West Bank and East Jerusalem from Jordanian control … A memorandum requesting Canadian divestment of JNF preferred tax status and a meeting for families of the displaced with the Canadian ambassador to Israel was received by the Canadian representative in Ramallah and delivered to the embassy in Tel Aviv.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=361815
Political / Diplomatic news
Hamas pours scorn on Fatah call for unity
GAZA CITY (AFP) 21 Feb — Hamas on Monday shrugged off calls for reconciliation with Fatah, saying its secular rival must prove its seriousness by freeing prisoners … “The only real way towards reconciliation is to stop the arrests, free the detainees and allow the movement’s charities to start helping the Palestinian people again,” he told AFP.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=362112
81 NGOs urge rival factions to reconcile
GAZA CITY (Ma‘an) — Eighty-one Palestinian non-profit organizations from the West Bank, Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip issued a statement Monday calling on rival Palestinian factions to “take practical steps toward ending the disagreement.” … With positive steps, the organization said, an agreement can be finalized to restructure the Palestine Liberation Organization “so it becomes representative to the Palestinian national movement including all its parties.”
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=361995
Gaza protest against Moammar Gadhafi calls Libyan dictator ‘enemy of God’
AP 22 Feb — Hundreds of students in Gaza City have rallied in support of Libyan protesters who are trying to topple longtime ruler Moammar Gadhafi. About 1,500 Islamic University students marched Tuesday. Some held signs reading “Gadhafi is the enemy of God.” Gadhafi has ruled Libya for over four decades. He has been a staunch supporter of the Palestinians.
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/gaza-protest-against-moammar-gadhafi-calls-libyan-dictator-20110222-054359-495.html
Fatah lawmaker: New cabinet should focus on Gaza
GAZA CITY (Ma‘an) 22 Feb — Fatah-bloc legislator Faysal Abu Shahla denied reports on Tuesday that only Fatah lawmakers were being nominated for ministerial posts in the new Palestinian Authority cabinet. “The reports are groundless,” Abu Shahla said, stressing that Fatah officials decided during internal party meetings that the focus of the new cabinet should be on Gaza.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=362221
EU tells Israel Mideast turmoil makes peace talks imperative
BRUSSELS (AP) 22 Feb — The European Union is telling Israel that growing instability in the Middle East makes it imperative to immediately resume the stalled peace process with the Palestinians.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/eu-tells-israel-mideast-turmoil-makes-peace-talks-imperative-1.344997
Oslo demands relocation of Israeli embassy
Ynet 21 Feb — City officials say embassy poses security threat to surroundings; demands it be moved to an alternate site within a year. Ambassador: No one wants to sell us property … A Foreign Ministry official said the affair is indicative of a new low in Israel-Norway relations.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4031580,00.html
PNA requests Israel to allow Palestinians in Libya to return to West Bank and Gaza
GulfNews 22 Feb — Ramallah: Israel is considering a request by the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) to allow all Palestinians living in Libya to return to the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The Israeli Public Radio confirmed that the request has been submitted to Israel, which is reviewing it … Around 20,000 Palestinians live in Libya and the PNA expects Israeli approval for their return to the West Bank and Gaza Strip on humanitarian grounds. A senior PNA official told Gulf News that hope of approval from Israel is very low.
http://gulfnews.com/news/region/palestinian-territories/pna-requests-israel-to-allow-palestinians-in-libya-to-return-to-west-bank-and-gaza-1.765975
Visit by Chilean miners leaves Palestinians feeling jilted
Haaretz 21 Feb — PA diplomats in Santiago complained to Chilean foreign ministry that although miners are scheduled to visit Bethlehem and Ramallah, the visit that has been described solely as a ‘trip to Israel’ … Chile is home to the largest Palestinian community outside of the Middle East, roughly 300,000-strong, with two-thirds of its members Christians … Recently, tensions with the country’s Jewish population (roughly 15,000-strong ) flared over Chile’s recognition of Palestinian independence
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/visit-by-chilean-miners-leaves-palestinians-feeling-jilted-1.344686
WikiLeaks: Israel and Chile spied on Iran
JERUSALEM (AFP) 21 Feb — Israel worked with Chile to spy on the Iranian ambassador in Santiago as Tel Aviv grew increasingly concerned about Tehran’s influence in South America, a leaked US cable from 2008 showed.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=362093
Iranian warships transit Suez for Mediterranean
CAIRO (AFP) 22 Feb — Two Iranian naval ships transited the Suez Canal on Tuesday for the first time since the Islamic revolution, bound for the Mediterranean on a purported training mission that Israel calls a provocation.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20110222/wl_afp/israeliranconflictmilitaryegypt
Other news
New law: Groups must report on funding
Ynet 21 Feb — Both left, right-wing organizations will have to issue quarterly reports naming foreign sources providing them with funds, according to bill passed by Knesset after vote on committees to probe left-wing groups postponed
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4031997,00.html
Israeli Arab parents more concerned with homework than Jewish counterparts, study shows
Haaretz 22 Feb — Researchers say differences reflect different views about the wider role of education as an instrument of social mobility — Only 37 percent of Israel’s Jewish parents believe it is important to do homework, compared to 60 percent of Arab parents, a new study has found. A poll of students showed a similar gap: Only 58 percent of Jewish students said they did all the homework they were assigned at school, as compared to 78 percent of Arab students.
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/israeli-arab-parents-more-concerned-with-homework-than-jewish-counterparts-study-shows-1.344877
Hamas bans male hairdressers from working in women’s salons
Ynet 21 Feb — Five hairdressers were interrogated by Gaza Strip authorities because they were employed at hair salons intended for women only, the Palestinian Center for Human Rights reported. The hairdressers were released only after agreeing to sign a statement in which they promised not to work in women’s salons in the future.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4031991,00.html
IDF: More Druze choose medical field
Ynet 21 Feb — Number of Druze doctors, combat medics is on rise; record number of Druze to become MDs before enlisting in IDF. ‘That is how they can bridge gap,’ IDF minority directorate chief says
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4031606,00.html
Israel introduces inspection robot at West Bank crossing points
Xinhua 21 Feb — An Israeli army battalion has recently tested out a four-wheeled robot called EyeDrive at a crossing point between Israel and the northern West Bank near the town of Tulkarm, the Army Radio reported Sunday. The device was put through its paces by inspecting the underside of Palestinian cars and trucks, said the Army Radio. The operator instructs the EyeDrive to roll beneath the vehicle being checked and scan for suspicious objects and contraband, as well as sending a live video feed to the operator.
http://english.cri.cn/6966/2011/02/21/2021s621784.htm
Israel mulls security impact of Google Street View
JERUSALEM (AFP) 21 Feb — Israeli ministers on Monday discussed the security and privacy implications of allowing Google Street View to photograph streets in Israel ahead of the launch here of the 3D-mapping service.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=362073
Israel and US successfully test anti-missile system
AP 22 Feb — The Arrow anti-missile system, jointly developed by Israel and the U.S., is primarily aimed at defending Israel from threat of Iran missile strike.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/israel-and-u-s-successfully-test-anti-missile-system-1.344989
Southern council heads: ‘School kids hide under desks’
Ynet 21 Feb — MKs meet infuriated council heads of communities under rocket threat. Ashkelon mayor: I had to raise money from American Christian groups to fund fortification. Dichter: Ridiculous situation
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4031546,00.html
Opinion / Human interest
Thank you, Obama, for showing the Israeli left your true colors / Akiva Eldar
Haaretz 21 Feb — …Instead of castigating Obama’s hypocrisy, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas would do well to take off his jacket, leave his compound and invite young people to a protest tent in Ramallah’s Manara Square. Instead of toying with the illusion that the United Nations will recognize a Palestinian state, Abbas should announce that should Netanyahu persist with his refusal to present a permanent border plan, the Palestinian Authority will tell donor states that it is closing its gates and returning the keys to Israel’s military government
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/opinion/thank-you-obama-for-showing-the-israeli-left-your-true-colors-1.344721
Palestinian women footballers tackle taboos
AL-RAM, Palestinian Territories (AFP) 22 Feb — The stadium was packed to the rafters with raucous fans, mostly female, who had turned out to watched the first-ever public encounter in the Palestinian women’s football league.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20110222/lf_afp/lifestylepalestinianswomenrightssportfbl
US, US wars
Norway joined NATO in suppressing reports of civilian Afghan deaths
uruknet 21 Feb – New WikiLeaks releases, accessed by Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten, continue to embarrass the Norwegian government as well as the US’, with latest revelations suggesting that Norway’s ambassadors joined their US-led NATO allies in attempts to avoid a messy debate on civilian casualties in Afghanistan.
http://www.uruknet.info/?new=75223
Afghanistan: NATO airstrike kills 6 of a family in Khogyani
21 Feb — An airstrike by NATO-led forces killed an Afghan army soldier along with five family members in the Khogyani district of eastern Nangarhar province, officials and relatives said on Monday. The International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) has acknowledged the strike killed and wounded civilians and said it would look into the incident.
http://www.uruknet.info/?new=75212
US officials: Raymond Davis, accused in Pakistan shootings, worked for CIA
WaPo 21 Feb — The American who fatally shot two men in Pakistan last month and who has been described publicly as a diplomat is a security contractor for the CIA who was part of a secret agency team operating out of a safe house in Lahore, U.S. officials said.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/21/AR2011022102801.html?hpid=topnews
Another desperate letter from Guantánamo by Adnan Latif / Andy Worthington
David recently sent me a third letter, written on December 26, 2010, which I am reproducing below in the hope that it will keep Adnan’s plight in people’s minds, and will encourage readers to consider that a campaign to put pressure on the United States to honour its commitments to free prisoners cleared for release is necessary if the Obama administration is to avoid complaints that it is engaged in arbitrary detention, mocking its own procedures by holding men cleared for release, insulting the people of Yemen, and presiding over a system that is no longer holding men based on any spurious notion of justice, but is, instead, holding them as political prisoners.
http://www.uruknet.info/?new=75196
Top 100 arms makers raise sales 8% in 2009: study
STOCKHOLM, Feb 21 (Reuters) – Arms sales at the 100 biggest arms makers grew 8 percent in 2009, adjusted for currency fluctuations, to $401 billion, defying the global downturn, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute said on Monday … Of the firms monitored, 78 were based in the United States and western Europe, generating 92 percent of the sales.
http://www.trust.org/alertnet/news/top-100-arms-makers-raise-sales-8-pct-in-2009-study
