Arms Trade: Truly Dubious Achievement

Over the years, either the United States or the Soviet Union has served as the No. 1 arms dealer to the Third World. But last year, according to a newly released report by the U.S. Congressional Research Service, both super- powers were edged out by Western Europe.

Despite a slight slump in overall arms sales in 1985, Britain, France, West Germany and Italy together sold $9.37 billion in weapons to Third World countries, principally to the Middle East. Western Europe thus accounted for 31.3% of this arms trade, in contrast to 30.4% for the Soviet Union and 17.8% for the U.S.