International arms trading under certain circumstances is both beneficial and necessary under others it can be amoral, disastrous and on a particular level it can threaten the existence of life as we know it on the planet.

Science cannot be reversed, once discovered and once applied it stays with us for anybody to pick up and use as they wish. The "bomb" having been invented cannot be disinvented so it must be controlled. Up to fairly recently it has been.

GWB's actions against Iraq brought forth the following (Frankly frightening) information with regard to nuclear WMD:

- The "secret" and illegal nuclear weapons proliferation network of Pakistan's Dr.A.Q.Khan;

- The "secret"" and undeclared uranium enrichment plants at Natanz and Qom in Iran;

- The "secret" nuclear weapons programme being run in Libya;

- The "secret" nuclear weapons programme being established in Syria.

From various perspectives alliances are formed to enhance security of member nations, the most successful of these has been NATO - without an international arms trade alliances such as NATO would be toothless in the face of aggression, the countries of the world would find themselves in an endless arms race - co-operation prevents this.

As we have seen on another thread according to a very highly regarded Swedish institution ( the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute) the UK at the moment happens to be the sixth largest arms trading nation in the world behind the USA; Russia; China; France & Germany.