http://www.examiner.com/article/investigators-expose-gun-control-un-small-arms-treaty
A team of investigative reporters for Ammoland on Tuesday exposed previously unpublished documents showing that the controversial U.N. Arms Trade Treaty (ATT), also known as the "small arms treaty," includes gun control for private "small arms and light weapons" as U.S. gun owners feared.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has been negotiating the treaty at the United Nations on behalf of the Obama administration.
Clinton had assured the public that the treaty would include language prohibiting the treaty from mandating restrictions on U.S. gun sales. But the documents uncovered by Ammoland indicate otherwise.
At issue is a section of the treaty titled "Scope." In a list under the main section, the treaty states that "covered items" include "small arms and light weapons." This section of the original document can be found here.
A statement follows the description of the scope which mandates that each member state (nations) develop a "national control list" that includes the items cited in the list in the main section denoting covered items:
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Each State Party shall define on a national basis the above items, taking into account descriptions in relevant UN instruments at a minimum. Each State Party shall establish, publish and maintain a national control list that shall include the items that fall within Paragraph 1 above.
The Ammoland report further states that each nation that signs the treaty will track all weapons movements from the time they are manufactured until their destruction.
ATT has been controversial from the start. Gun rights activists say that the treaty is an attempt by the Obama Administration to implement gun control without having to go through Congress to do so. Fifty-eight senators, including 13 Democrats, have signed a letter in opposition to the treaty.
The treaty also restricts the ability of nations such as the United States to help arm its allies, such as Israel and Taiwan, which are under increasing attack from aggressive neighboring states.
Thus, even if the wording of ATT is changed to delete the section on small arms, critics still have a problem with the treaty due to its mandate to hamstring nations in their attempt to help allies who face increasing danger of attack.
Hillary Clinton has urged President Obama to sign the treaty, and the White House has stated that he plans to do so, as early as Friday of this week.
However, the Senate will need 67 votes to approve ATT. At present the treaty has far from the necessary votes to pass.