| Coalition to Oppose the Arms Trade (COAT) |
From: serger_-at-_ichrdd.ca
To: no_to_nato_-at-_flora.org
Date: Thu, 17 Oct 2002 08:30:26 -0400
Hi all, Upon reading this post I was wondering if anyone on this list knows if Canadian firms will be represented at the Aman weapons convention? Bombardier, among others, could be present. SR. ************************************ Serge Rousseau Coordonnateur, Centre de documentation Coordinator, Documentation Centre Droits et Democratie / Rights & Democracy 1001, boul de Maisonneuve est, Bureau 1100 Montreal, QC, Canada H2L 4P9 T. +1-514-283-6073 / F. +1-514-283-3792 serger@ichrdd.ca / www.ichrdd.ca ************************************ |---------+---------------------------> | | Jan Heynen | | | <j.heynen@eyecan| | | .ca> | | | Envoyé par : | | | owner-no_to_nato| | | @flora.org | | | | | | | | | 02-10-16 18:53 | | | Veuillez | | | répondre à | | | no_to_nato | | | | |---------+---------------------------> >---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | | | Pour : no-to-nato <no_to_nato@flora.org> | | cc : | | Objet : no_to_nato Forward: | >---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| From: "Mary Foster" <mfoster@web.ca> >To: <nowar@flora.org> >Subject: [NOWAR] Fw: IRAQIS ATTEND UK WEAPONS FAIR THIS WEEK!!! >Date: Mon, 14 Oct 2002 21:57:42 -0400 >MIME-Version: 1.0 >X-Priority: 3 >X-MSMail-Priority: Normal >X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2615.200 >Sender: owner-nowar@flora.org >Precedence: bulk >Reply-To: "Mary Foster" <mfoster@web.ca> >X-MIME-Autoconverted: from 8bit to quoted-printable by mail.flora.ca id >g9F3w4C03561 >X-SPAM-Check-Host: clearmail.cyberus.ca >X-DCC-Cyberus-Metrics: mx01.cyberus.ca 1085; Body=1 Fuz1=1 Fuz2=1 >X-Spam-Status: No, hits=2.1 required=10.0 > tests=OUTLOOK_FW_MSG,PLING_PLING,SPAM_PHRASE_01_02,USER_AGENT_OE > version=2.42 >X-Spam-Level: ** >X-MIME-Autoconverted: from quoted-printable to 8bit by cyberus.ca id XAA04906 >Status: RO > >This is the NOWAR/PAIX discussion mailing list. >Instructions for unsubscribing are at the end of this message. >. >. >Outrage as Iraq views UK arms > >Peace campaigners angered as Saddam's top brass 'rub shoulders' with British >firms at weapons bazaar > >Jason Burke, chief reporter >Sunday October 13, 2002 >The Observer > >A British Minister will lead a major sales drive by UK weapons and military >technology firms at an exhibition attended by high-ranking Iraqi military >officials this week. > >The news has sparked outrage among arms control campaigners and groups >opposed to military action against Iraq. 'It is absurd that we are gearing >up to fight a war against these people and simultaneously rubbing shoulders >with them at an arms bazaar,' said Martin Hogbin of the Campaign Against >Arms Trade. > >Around a dozen British firms will be displaying equipment such as tanks, >thermal imaging night sights and state-of-the-art air defence missiles at >the exhibition in Amman, Jordan. Machine tools that could be used to produce >weapons will also be on show. The government-run Defence Export Services >Organisation will also have a stall. > >Promotional material for the Sofex military fair boasts that Saddam Hussein >is sending an official delegation. Sultan Hashim Ahmad, the Iraqi Defence >Minister, attended the last Sofex. Sudan, Syria, Libya and Iran - all listed >as sponsors of terrorism by the US State Department - are also expected to >attend. > >'It's an appalling example of double standards. Where there is a buck to be >made, we're there,' said Andrew Bergen, spokesman for the Stop the War >Coalition, which campaigns against military action against Iraq. > >In the Eighties the UK and US supplied Iraq with millions of pounds' worth >of military equipment. Baghdad used British companies to procure 'dual-use' >machine tools to make ammunition. Even though the UK had imposed an embargo >on 'lethal equipment', the Conservative Government let the sales proceed. > >The Ministry of Defence confirmed last week that Lord Bach, the Defence >Procurement Minister, would be attending the fair. 'Sofex allows the UK >defence industry to demonstrate its product range to a number of potential >overseas customers very effectively,' said an MoD spokesman. > >There is no suggestion that the British firms are doing anything wrong. 'We >exhibit there. The Government decides what we can sell to whom,' said a >spokesman for the American military aviation giant Lockheed Martin, whose >British arm is attending the fair. Lockheed Martin makes the Longbow >'fire-and-forget' and the Hellfire 2 anti-tank missiles. Both would be >expected to play a key role in any attack on Iraq. > >Some senior industry figures, however, have expressed surprise at the >British presence. 'Are we there to show the Iraqis what we are about to drop >on them?' one asked. Exhibition organisers list Raytheon, the American >company which makes the long-range Cruise missiles that experts predict >would spearhead any US bombardment of Iraq, among companies at the fair. >Vickers, the UK arms company which makes the Challenger, the Army's main >battle tank, will also be exhibiting. > >Sales by British firms are carefully vetted, but other nations are less >rigorous. The Russian state arms export corporation, Rosoboronexport, which >will be at Sofex, provided Robert Mugabe's regime in Zimbabwe with 21,000 >AK-47s and eight attack helicopters. > >A Romanian firm which offered banned anti-personnel mines for sale at an >arms fair in the UK three years ago, will exhibit, as well as Vazovski, a >Bulgarian company, which makes grenade launchers, missile and anti-aircraft >systems. Vazovski small arms were shipped to Unita rebels with false >'end-user' certificates in the late Nineties. > >Britain has always had a tradition of military co-operation with Jordan and >the strong representation of UK companies at the fair is being seen as an >expression of support for the government of King Abdullah. The Jordanian >economy benefits hugely from trade with Iraq. Any military operations will >have a massive impact in the kingdom. > >The Middle East has long been a good market for British weapons firms. >According to recent Foreign Office figures, the UK licensed arms exports >worth £1.4 billion to the Middle East and North Africa between January 1999 >and December 2001. > > >Special report >The arms trade Unsubscribe by sending an email to <Majordomo@flora.org> with the following command in the BODY of your message: unsubscribe no_to_nato