61.   But in addition to economic growth and surpluses, security concerns play a factor in the arms purchases, according to disarmament experts.

62.   The other main issue would be arms purchases.

63.   The report did not include figures on arms purchases by the GCC but military experts estimated them at more than two billion dollars a year.

64.   Washington and London have denounced the arms purchase as likely to trigger an arms race and harm efforts for a political settlement of the Cyprus problem.

65.   Kuwait is also negotiating arms purchases from the United States to improve its air defense capability, the information minister and former Kuwaiti ambassador to Washington said.

66.   Kuwait under the ruling Sabah family has degenerated into a bankrupt emirate where public funds are squandered on arms purchases, an official Iraqi daily charged Friday.

67.   Regional arms purchases have not yet reached an alarming level, analysts say.

68.   Taiwan is to diversify its arms purchases to reduce its dependence on US weapons following a Chinese attack on the sales, a senior official said Thursday.

69.   The bureau has a special section to handle arms purchase from the United States, the chief arms supplier of Taiwan, Chu said.

70.   The Defense Department also cut weapons purchases without affecting battlefield readiness, wrote Cohen in his report, calling for additional arms purchases to be scrutinized.