Tommy Guns

‘TO make a mess of its own country is the prerogative of any government; to make a mess of other people’s country takes a special kind of skill.

‘Oh shit! It says ‘Made In Britain’ on it’

And we are glad to report that, even with Iraq teetering on the brink of anarchy, the British Government is still looking to sow seeds of discord elsewhere.

According to the Guardian, Britain exported almost £1bn of arms last year, large quantities of which went to countries whose policies the Government said it disapproves.

For instance, Saudi Arabia was by far the biggest recipient with imports worth £189.33m, while Indonesia, Colombia and Nepal were all on the list.

Human rights groups accused the Government of ignoring its own guidelines (part of its laughable ‘ethical foreign policy’) by approving these arms sales.

But the Foreign Office insisted that the arms industry is now so globalised that it is impossible to scrutinise where all British arms exports end up.

Curiously, a spokesman for the Smith Group, which makes parts for the US Apache attack helicopters used by Israel to attack Palestinians, uses exactly the same excuse.

It does of course have the benefit of convenience, although it is not much comfort to those (including British soldiers) who find themselves staring the wrong way down the barrel of a British-made gun.

On the other hand, if it’s anything like the ones we provide to our own troops, it’s likely to prove as lethal as a spud gun during the great Irish potato famine.’

Posted: 8th, June 2004 | In: Broadsheets Comment | TrackBack | Permalink