WASHINGTON -- March 24 -- Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence United With the Million Mom March today commented on remarks by Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld:

"I can't imagine what's going to happen to 100,000 AK-47s...I can't understand why Venezuela needs 100,000 AK-47s. I personally hope it doesn't happen. I can't imagine, if it did happen, it would be good for the hemisphere." -- Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld

The Bush Administration very deliberately allowed the Federal assault weapons ban to expire last fall. Since the ban expired, it is quite likely that there are more than 100,000 new assault weapons like AK-47s in the United States.

In the past six weeks, such assault weapons have been used in horrible high-profile shootings in Dallas and Tyler, Texas; Los Angeles, California; Las Vegas, Nevada; Ulster, New York and Akron, Ohio. Six were killed and seven were wounded in the shootings.

Now, the U.S. is trying to prevent the government of Venezuela from importing 100,000 AK-47s, out of concerns the government of President Hugo Chavez plans to use the guns to quash political opposition.

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, speaking in Brazil yesterday, said "I can't imagine what's going to happen to 100,000 AK-47s...I can't understand why Venezuela needs 100,000 AK-47s. I personally hope it doesn't happen. I can't imagine, if it did happen, it would be good for the hemisphere."

"The Administration is right -- Venezuela shouldn't be allowed to flood its streets with military-style assault weapons," said Michael Barnes, president of the Brady Campaign and a former member of Congress who was an authority on Latin American affairs. "Only the United States should be allowed to flood its streets with military-style assault weapons."

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