The revoking of arms licences to Libya and Bahrain won't last. British
firms will be back
John Kampfner
Monday February 21 2011
The Guardian
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/feb/20/teargas-for-tyrants
When Robin Cook [http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/1997/may/12/
indonesia.ethicalforeignpolicy" title="The Guardian - Robin Cook's
speech on the government's ethical foreign policy] tried to tighten
rules on British arms sales to dodgy regimes in 1997 he was told by
Tony Blair's team to grow up. Planned changes to criteria for weapons
exports were so watered down that they made no inroads into the trade.
Cook's professed "ethical dimension" to foreign policy was stillborn.
Downing Street had been heavily lobbied, but it needed no convincing.
This is one area where the boardroom and the unions are in harmony,
and one that does not change whatever the government. Britain is a
market leader in fighter jets, electric batons, sub-machine guns and
teargas. Why add to the jobless total for the sake of morals? If we
don't sell the kit someone else will.
The announcement, therefore, of a revoking of licences [http://
www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/feb/18/military-bahrain?INTCMP=SRCH"
title="The Guardain - Britain cancels Bahrain and Libya arms export
licences] to Bahrain and Libya should be taken with a pinch of salt; I
predict that British firms will be back at it as soon as the coast is
clear.
The coalition government's commendable, but limited improvements in
civil liberties at home have not been replicated in foreign policy,
which is brazenly mercantilist. Go forth and flog Britain's wares is
the message. The notorious Export Credits Guarantee Department [http://
www.ecgd.gov.uk/" title="Export Credits Guarantee Department],
responsible for some of the most economically foolhardy and unethical
business deals of the past 20 years, has been boosted. From arms sales
to Saudi Arabia and Indonesia, to oil and gas pipelines in central
Asia, to mega-dams in sub-Saharan Africa, the ECGD has backed projects
that have been implicated in corruption, environmental destruction and
human rights abuses.
At the weekend, the UK arms industry descended on Abu Dhabi for Idex,
the region's most important weapons fare. A tenth of all the global
exhibitors are from Britain. Gerald Howarth, the minister leading the
delegation, declared that "we have ambitious plans".
The most unequivocal message since the election was made by Peter
Luff, the defence equipment minister, who told a defence show in June:
"There will be a very, very, very heavy ministerial commitment to arms
sales. There is a sense that in the past we were rather embarrassed
about exporting defence products. There is no such embarrassment in
this government."
Indeed there is not. The regimes currently using brute force to put
down pro-democracy protests are all longstanding partners of the UK.
As the Campaign Against the Arms Trade notes on Bahrain: in 2010,
equipment approved for export included teargas and crowd control
ammunition, equipment for the use of aircraft cannons, assault rifles,
shotguns, sniper rifles and submachine guns. No requests for licences
were refused.
Algeria, Egypt and Saudia Arabia have provided rich pickings for UK
arms exporters. Of all the bilateral arrangements of recent years,
perhaps the most despicable is the one with Libya. Colonel Gaddafi
[http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/muammar-gaddafi?INTCMP=SRCH"
title="The Guardian - Muammar Gaddafi] morphed from terrorist
sympathiser to friend of the west, which then turned a blind eye to
his internal repression. Libya is regarded as a priority partner, with
the UK boasting the largest pavilion at the Libya's arms fair.
CAAT figures show that in the third quarter of 2010, equipment
approved for export to Libya included wall-and-door breaching
projectile launchers, crowd control ammunition, small arms ammunition
and teargas/irritant ammunition. No requests for licences were
refused.
Earlier this month, the trade minister, Lord Green, announced that
ministers will be "held accountable" if companies fail to secure deals
and foreign investors favour Britain's economic rivals. Beside him was
business secretary, Vince Cable.
In opposition the Lib Dems were vocal about arms sales. In government
they have grown silent. In January 2009, Nick Clegg [http://
www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/jan/07/nick-clegg-israel-gaza-war"
title="The Guardian - We must stop arming Israel] wrote on these pages
that Britain should stop supplying Israel following its bombardment of
Gaza. He made a broader point: the UK should not supply weapons to
countries involved in external aggression or internal repression. I
have heard nothing significant from Clegg on the issue since he became
deputy prime minister.
He may believe that if he spoke out, he might suffer a similar fate to
Cook. There is too much riding on an industry that abets authoritarian
regimes, while providing rich profits for UK firms and jobs. In the
current economic climate, who would stand in their way?
guardian.co.uk Copyright (c) Guardian News and Media Limited. 2011
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