14 Feb 2012

Britain's arms deals in the Middle East - A simple question

British government is planning to arm more repressive regimes with its weapons, as it is to send arms trade missions to Middle East and African countries in 2012 to secure more contracts. 

Britain, holding the banner of human rights, is once again seeking to provide pro-western regime with latest killing technologies to repress the protesters calling for peace and democracy in their countries.

Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) revealed that UK Trade & Investment Defense & Security Organization (UKTI DSO) is to send mission delegations including arms company executives to several countries and its traditional customers such as Saudi Arabia, Libya, Kazakhstan, Nigeria and Bahrain to promote Britain's arms sales.

According to the arms export guidelines, Britain could only sell arms to the countries that could meet definite conditions such as, "respect human rights and fundamental freedoms, the existence of tensions or armed conflict and the preservation of regional peace, security and stability."