The release of the report coincides with the United Nations opening its annual session on arms control prior to an upcoming vote at the U.N. to began work on an Arms Trade Treaty.

The "Arms without Borders" report documents that one of the techniques utilized by United States, EU and Canadian companies to circumvent arms regulations is to sell individual weapon components and outsource and subcontract arms manufacturing abroad. Outsourced weaponry that ranges from rifles up to complex equipment including attack helicopters and combat trucks is being assembled from foreign components and manufactured under license in numerous countries including China, Egypt, India, Israel and Turkey.

Oxfam International Director Jeremy Hobbs said of the document: "This report reveals a litany of loopholes and destroyed lives. Arms companies are global, yet arms regulations are not, and the result is the arming of abusive regimes. Europe and North America are fast becoming the IKEA of the arms industry, supplying parts for human rights abusers to assemble at home, with the morals not included. It is time for an Arms Trade Treaty."

The report carefully documents two examples of Western companies subverting regulations regarding arms exports, citing China's new Z-10 attack helicopter and Israel's use of Apache attack helicopters in Lebanon.

While the European Union still maintains a formal arms embargo against China, and the United States and Canada refuse to sell attack helicopters to Beijing, China's Z- helicopter contains parts and technology from the British-Italian company AugustaWestland, Pratt and Whitney Canada, the U.S. Lord Corporation and the Franco-German Eurocopter company. Flouting international conventions, China previously sold attack helicopters to a number of countries including Sudan, which is currently under a full EU arms embargo and a partial U.N. arms embargo.

The Apache helicopter consists of over 6,000 components manufactured worldwide, including in Britain, the Netherlands and Ireland. Under the EU Code of Conduct, the nations involved in manufacturing Apache components should refuse to export attack helicopters directly to Israel. -0- Officials in San Diego attempting to deal with illegal immigration are finding corruption among some personnel assigned to police the U.S.-Mexican border.

The Voice of San Diego reported Oct. 9 about the case of U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer Michael Gilliland.

Gilliland served more than 10 years at the Otay Mesa border crossing, inspecting individuals in vehicles crossing the border. On June 30 Gilliland was arrested at work, and subsequently charged with a number of crimes, including bribery and smuggling illegal aliens for financial gain.

The federal government is currently investigating 172 corruption cases against border officials. According to Department of Homeland statistics 72 of the cases, or roughly 40 percent, involve local officers.

Jack Hook, an investigator with the Department of Homeland Security's local Office of the Inspector General, commented on the DHS statistics: "That 40 percent of corruption cases are for this 200-mile section of border between San Diego and Imperial counties and Mexico is pretty significant and pretty compelling. It indicates that border corruption is a major issue and Southern California has more than its share of cases. When an officer takes money to look the other way and not check a car he doesn't know what's in that car. They don't know if it's full of aliens from a county that supports terrorism, aliens that are associated with terrorism or terrorists themselves."

In other Intelligence News:

In an effort to help Kenya secure its Indian Ocean coastline, the United States has donated a number of maritime craft to the East African nation.

The donated vessels -- six powerful armored speedboats worth $2.9 million -- will be used to cope with maritime threats, including terrorism, arms smuggling and drugs trafficking.

The East African Standard reported Oct. 9 that following the donation of the new vessels, the Kenyan Navy has stepped up patrols along the country's coast.

The vessels consist of five, 25-foot "Defender" class boats and one 42-foot "Archangel" class boat. The Defenders, also used by the U.S. Coast Guard, are capable of 40 knots and can be armed with machine guns or grenade launchers, while the Archangel can operate offshore up to 150 nautical miles.

The donation also included equipment, supplies and training and was formally turned over Oct. 6 by U.S. Ambassador Michael Ranneberger to Kenyan Defense Minister Njenga Karume at the Kenyan Navy headquarters in Mombassa.

During the transfer ceremony Ranneberger said the donated vessels would prove critical in deterring illegal activities in Kenyan waters, such as attempted maritime infiltration by terrorists and weapons and drugs smuggling in merchantmen. Sounding an environmental note, Ranneberger added that the Kenyan Navy is crucial in protecting the country's extensive natural maritime resources, a source of livelihood to many people.

During the ceremony Karume said: "Our national security policy recognizes terrorism as a top item on the agenda of all security organs. The latest developments in Somalia, the attacks on ships and other sea vessels, and the influx of refugees into Kenya are worrying trends. This could greatly affect trade and even damage the country's tourism and shipping industries."

Events in Somalia deeply concerned Kenyan government authorities, who according to Mombassa District Commissioner Mohammed Maalim, have ordered the Navy, Kenya Ports Authority and the Marine Police to monitor all shipping in Kenya's territorial waters, only allowing entry to vessels authorized to sail in Kenyan territorial waters.

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