Can we cut off the enemy from their weapons supply?

2015-06-02T08:40:36-04:00

At the root of the question is where is the source of arms coming from?

Generally speaking, the enemy these days are militia (ISIS, al Queda, or any number of rag tag bloody outfits in any number of countries). They even fight each other, and some nations (like us) give weapons to some to help kill our enemies... The age old wisdom of the enemy of my enemy is my friend). But as we've seen, a decade later we are somehow fighting against the weapons our companies once sold.

This article shows a good amount of depth into the international small arms trade, although fails to address Russia & their AKs being everywhere we turn.

My question is, HOW CAN WE STOP ENEMIES FROM BEING ARMED?

Do we advocate the ill-fated 'gun control' by embargoing who ships small arms to which broken countries?
Is it wrong for the government to step in on private companies they can't participate in the one industry that doesn't seem to ebb and flow with global economy trends?
Would these jihadists just get guns from somewhere else if US manufacturers didn't get them there?
How do we stop people like ISIS from getting the 7,000 hmmwv's they took from the Iraqi's that we sold them?

Is it possible to disarm the enemy before they become enemies?

https://foreignpolicy.com/2015/06/01/where-the-insurgent-groups-of-the-world-get-their-weapons/?utm_content=bufferc1ec1&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer

Response by SSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 2 at 2015 9:32 AM

2015-06-02T09:32:24-04:00

Considering that many of the weapons they are using were supplied by the current people running the show because they wanted the Assad regime out, I doubt it.

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 2 at 2015 9:52 AM

2015-06-02T09:52:33-04:00

There is no shortage of small arms - hell, crew-served weapons in the Middle East. There are plenty to be had in the immediate area without getting involved in the black market.
Having said that, so long as their are people to be trafficked, people to ransom, and drugs to sell, there will be an ability for these groups to rearm and lay hands on high-quality military hardware.
It used to be that you needed a state sponsor. Not so much anymore. But there is no shortage of state sponsors that see these groups as a means to an end either.

Response by SPC Jan Allbright, M.Sc., R.S. made Jun 2 at 2015 9:57 AM

2015-06-02T09:57:47-04:00

Why is this tagged as "Gun Control".

One of the great things about this world is you will always find someone to sell you piles of weapons if you have the ducats.

That's why these folks like the AK family of weapons. Available all over town.

Response by MSG Brad Sand made Jun 2 at 2015 10:44 AM

2015-06-02T10:44:00-04:00

I think you waited to the end of your post to identify the bigger problem, groups like ISIS gain weapon systems beyond small arms. I think there are some we should have been arming long before the rise of ISIS that we still seem to be letting down and others that act like the weapons we provided are radioactive and they drop them and run away.

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Jun 2 at 2015 3:57 PM

2015-06-02T15:57:45-04:00

What bodes ill of the situation is our perceived superior air intelligence was of no help when ISIS used large troop movements to attack those two towns.