Some relatively large arms purchases were made by developing nations in Asia, according to the report.

Overall, I doubt that there will be any drop, one way or another, in arms purchases by these countries.

They have discovered that the same gold bullion was used in recent arms purchases.

Syria is estimated to owe Moscow $15 billion for arms purchases.

Questions about the arms purchases continue to arise in media interviews with Iran's clerical leaders.

This, Emerson says, very likely included arms purchases and suicide bombings.

The developing nations, it said, accounted for slightly more than half of all arms purchases worldwide last year.

And the whole region is engaged in a frenzy of arms purchases.

Now evidence is emerging to suggest that the aid program was tied to arms purchases.

Even business deals that finance such arms purchases are offensive.