UN chief makes plea on arms control treaty

07/27/12: Al Jazeera reports United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon has appealed to countries to “show flexibility” and make progress in the negotiations of the UN treaty to regulate the multi-billion dollar global arms trade.  Ban urged countries to “work in good faith towards bridging their differences” ahead of Friday’s deadline for a draft of the arms-control treaty.  He added, “We owe it to all the innocent civilians who have fallen victim to armed conflict and violence.”  A revised draft of the treaty has raised hopes from supporters and the British government, which has been the leading proponent, that a historic agreement could be reached by Friday’s deadline for action.  Opponents in the US, especially the powerful National Rifle Association, say the treaty is a surrender of gun rights allegedly enshrined in the US Constitution.