Sue Hartigan <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes:
U.S. Bans Foreign Guns Permanently
> WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Clinton is making permanent
> his temporary prohibition on importing military-style
> rifles that have been modified for sport shooting in
> order to skirt a 1994 assault weapons ban, a White House
> official said Sunday.
>
> On Monday, Clinton will issue an executive order
> permanently banning import of 58 modified weapons,
> according to the official, who spoke Sunday on condition
> of anonymity. Most of the affected guns are variations
> of the AK-47 and Uzi semiautomatic weapons, the official
> said.
>
> The president is scheduled to announce his order in a
> Rose Garden ceremony.
>
> Clinton's order comes after a Treasury Department review
> of 59 weapons, done in consultation with state game and
> law enforcement agencies, hunting guides and
> publications and groups devoted to hunting and shooting.
> The review determined that many of the guns in question
> do not meet requirements under federal law for import
> for sporting purposes, mainly because they can be fitted
> with large capacity magazines.
>
> Only one weapon, the .308-caliber Vepr, was considered
> acceptable for continued import, according to a Treasury
> official who also spoke Sunday on condition of
> anonymity. The gun is a variant of the AK-47.
>
> Importers will be allowed a 30-day period to appeal the
> Treasury findings.
>
> A report issued last December by the Congressional
> Research Service said the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and
> Firearms interprets sporting purposes so broadly that
> many of the weapons allowed entry have features not
> needed for sport use, such as semi-automatic fire, grips
> for one-handed combat shooting and large-ammunition
> clips.
>
> Under a 1968 federal law, foreign firearms brought into
> the United States must be for sporting purposes only,
> such as target shooting, skeet and trap shooting, and
> hunting. A 1989 law bans shipment of assault weapons
> into the United States, but does allow entry to such
> weapons if they are used for sport.
>
> Since then, many manufacturers have altered the
> appearance of their weapons to give them a sporty look
> that gets them past the ban.
>
> Last November, Clinton ordered a 120-day suspension on
> import permits for about 43 types of military-style
> rifles and directed Treasury officials to review
> policies to determine whether there should be further
> restrictions to block altered assault weapons, which are
> in high demand.
>
> Last year, firearms importers obtained permits to ship
> in nearly 600,000 altered guns, and applications were
> pending for an additional 1 million. Some 20,000 of the
> 600,000 weapons already have entered the country.
>
> Clinton's order comes at the urging of Sen. Dianne
> Feinstein, D-Calif., who asked last year that he move to
> block an Israeli manufacturer's export of thousands of
> modified military-style assault weapons for commercial
> sale.
>
> The guns, known as the Uzi American and the Galil
> Sporter, were modified for sport. The ATF has said the
> guns remain capable of firing rapid rounds of
> ammunition, but were approved for import because they
> were not found to violate the 1994 assault weapons ban.
--
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