Baghdad gun shops thrive after Iraqi rethink on arms control

Reuters: In the middle of Baghdad’s busy commercial neighborhood of Karrada, where most retail outlets sell home appliances, shoppers can now also buy handguns and semi-automatic rifles
legally for the first time in decades. After the toppling of Saddam Hussein in 2003, illegal weapons trade flourished across the country. Looted guns from ransacked police stations and military bases were sold in streets and public areas to residents seeking to protect themselves in a state that was largely lawless. The authorities have since been battling to curb illegal weapon sales and the government has stepped up efforts to control gun ownership through regulation.