Pennsylvania wackiness: House of Reps guards armed but not Senate guards! "Uniformed officers who patrol the offices of the state House of Representatives will be armed with handguns in a move that House officials say has to do with terrorism prevention, not public outrage over the now-repealed pay raise. Acting on a request by the security officers, House legislative leaders decided in November to allow them to carry .357-caliber handguns, The Patriot-News of Harrisburg reported Wednesday. The 25 guards will begin carrying the weapons next month.... The security officers primarily monitor access to the House chamber and offices and provide security if requested by House members. In case of a problem, they are told to contact Capitol Police, an armed security force that monitors the entrances and grounds of state office buildings and whose officers are certified to file criminal charges in courts. The state Senate's security officers will remain unarmed".


Yugoslav guns coming: "Montenegro-Serbia's only arms factory, Zastava, will produce 24,000 weapons for U.S.-based Remington Arms Company, Inc., next year, the factory manager said Monday. Dragoljub Grujovic said that the production is part of a US$3.2 million (�2.7 million) deal with America's oldest gunmaker. The first shipment of 3,000 carbine rifles and small-caliber guns is ready to go in January, Grujovic said. Another is planned for February and six more for later in 2006. Cooperation between U.S. and Serbian companies became possible after the 2000 ouster of former President Slobodan Milosevic by a pro-Western coalition. The agreement between Remington and Zastava will help revive the Serbian factory, which had suffered huge losses during years of U.S. and other international sanctions imposed on Serbia as a punishment for Milosevic's warmongering policies".