David Cameron defends arms deals with Gulf states

[سيف الله]

Salam

Selling arms to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates is "legitimate and right" as autocratic countries have a right to self defence, David Cameron has said.

The Prime Minister defended military deals with Gulf states, as he launched a major push to equip them with British-made Typhoon fighter jets on a three day visit to the region.

Mr Cameron's candid stance on arms sales - which is unsual for Prime Ministers - was criticised by human rights campaigners. Amnesty International UK's head of policy and government affairs Allan Hogarth said: "Selling arms to countries like Saudi Arabia and UAE should only be considered if there are absolutely watertight guarantees over them not being used to commit human rights violations.

"Saudi Arabia has been the recipient of record-breaking arms deals involving the UK, yet these have been highly secretive and there's been little or no follow-up over how the weaponry was used."

Amnesty said that in 2009 the Saudi air force used "UK-supplied Tornado fighter-bombers in attacks in Yemen which killed hundreds -possibly thousands - of civilians". But speaking in Dubai before later visits to the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, Mr Cameron said: "We have one of the strictest regimes anywhere in the world for sales of defence equipment but we do believe that countries have a right to self-defence.

“We do believe countries have a right to defend themselves. And we do believe Britain has important defence industries that employ over 300,000 people and so that sort of business is completely legitimate and right."

During the short trip, Mr Cameron hopes to help sell as many as 100 Typhoon jets – worth £6bn to the UK - to the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Oman. The Prime Minister said British exports to the UAE were up 16 per cent in the first half of the year and it was vital to be involved in the fastest-growing economies in the world to compete in the "global economic race".

He added: "It is not just about trade and investment. We are also partners in defence and security, we worked together in Libya and Afghanistan and we will be talking about all the key regional and global issues."

Any new contracts will also be a significant boost for BAE Systems, the UK's flagship defence manufacturer, which last month saw merger talks with European EADS wrecked after the German government blocked the tie-up. The timing of the visit comes amid continuing instability in the region with Israel threatening military strikes against Tehran and much of the region in turbulence because of Syria's civil war. Oman is in talks with British defence manufacturer BAE Systems for 12 of the jets, with a deal due to be signed off by the end of the year.

The Saudis are also looking to place what Downing Street sources describe as a "substantial" order for more jets on top of the 72 jets they have already acquired.

Mr Cameron also promised there are "no no-go areas" when discussing the human rights record of Saudi Arabia, which has been accused of abuses and repressing its citizens. He described the country as "a very old ally and partner".

A Downing Street spokesman said: "The defence industry is like any other industry. The Prime Minister has been making the point that we are in a global race. Other countries will be looking to get these contracts and that is why he is very keen to lend his personal support to try to further the industries of our export companies.

"He is very clear that we have some of the toughest rules around on defence exports and that we should always apply those rules."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/industry/defence/9656393/David-Cameron-defends-arms-deals-with-Gulf-states.html

[جوري]

Of course billions of dollars gained selling defective artillary .. what's not to defend?

[glo]

When will they ever learn??

I agree with Skye, there is big money in selling arms ... one of the few things the UK still exports. CRAZY!

[GuestFellow]

I don't like where this is going. It is possible Saudi Arabia and UAE will become unstable as the financial crisis gets worse. The monarchies will probably use these weapons against their own people.

[GuestFellow]

Salam

Selling arms to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates is "legitimate and right" as autocratic countries have a right to self defence, David Cameron has said.

Asslamu Aliakum,

I bet that does not apply to countries like Iraq, Afghanistan and North Korea.

"Saudi Arabia has been the recipient of record-breaking arms deals involving the UK, yet these have been highly secretive and there's been little or no follow-up over how the weaponry was used."

I highly doubt any country will reveal how their weapons will be used.

[جوري]

I doubt very much any western nation would sell remotely decent weaponry to any Muslim majority nation - probably GPS tracked stuff that the Saudis don't have much control over anyway- the only real threat in the region is Israel and I am doubtful that with that knowledge which is known to all that the weapons sold for billions would be of any use against the colonial settler state - they're probably just hoping it would be used against Iran that KSA would carry that mission out for them!

[سيف الله]

Salaam

Oh no, Tony 'trust me' Blair rears his head again.

Tony Blair: British business should do deals in Iraq after 'sacrifice' of troops

British companies should take advantage of Iraq's "economic opportunity" because our troops fought there with "heroism and sacrifice", Tony Blair has said.

In a speech to business leaders, the former Prime Minister said the war is one of the "compelling reasons" why British companies should be part of Iraq's future. Mr Blair, who took the UK to war in Iraq to depose Saddam Hussain, said Britain should not to shy away from doing business in the war-torn country, where the biggest investor is now South Korea. He made the case for British companies to exploit its economic potential at a conference of the Iraq British Business Council, whose members include a raft of oil companies, including BP, Shell, ExxonMobil, Chevron, Petrofac and Vitol.

"Naturally, in addition, to the economic and industrial reasons, British forces helped liberate Iraq from Saddam and for years with much heroism and sacrifice helped Basrah survive the sectarian aftermath. They should be proud of what they achieved," he said.

Mr Blair was strongly criticised for letting Britain take part in the war, after he said the country had got hold of "weapons of mass destruction" that never materialised.

Today, he said the political and human devastation caused by the dictator are too often "overlooked" in a rare speech on the aftermath of the war.

"Hundreds of thousands died in his wars and in his campaigns against his own people," he told the conference.

"Less well known is the economic impact of his rule. GDP per head in 1989 was $2304. In the next ten years it fell to less than $600. Whole industries, agriculture and of course tourism all declined dramatically. Now at least there is the possibility to rebuild."

He said Iraq's economy is now growing at nine per cent a year and child mortality rates are falling. Oil companies have been piling into Iraq since Saddam Hussain was toppled in 2003. The country will overtake Russia to become the world’s second largest oil exporter by the 2030s, according to forecasts from the International Energy Agency. In 2009, British company BP and a consortium won a deal to develop Iraq's largest oil field – the only successful foreign bid in a historic televised auction.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/poli...of-troops.html

Think this comment sums it up.

'The deaths of soldiers, sacrificed to make a buck for businessmen and profit. Making the world safe for capitalism.'

[Mustafa2012]

Salaam

Oh no, Tony 'trust me' Blair rears his head again.

Tony Blair: British business should do deals in Iraq after 'sacrifice' of troops

British companies should take advantage of Iraq's "economic opportunity" because our troops fought there with "heroism and sacrifice", Tony Blair has said.

'The deaths of soldiers, sacrificed to make a buck for businessmen and profit. Making the world safe for capitalism.'

The truth always comes out sooner or later.

Why are they even allowing that mass murderer to speak? He's got the blood of many innocent people on his hands.