British Hawks, European Doves Fight Over Arms

[Dover]

British hawks, European doves fight over arms

EUROVISION/RASHMEE Z AHMED

SEPTEMBER 07, 2003

There is a certain rough, if poetic, justice in Britain being forced to send more troops to unquiet Iraq even as it hosts Europe's largest international arms fair, and possibly the world's biggest, on Tuesday.

Justice, of course, because, a mere 15 years ago, Britain was playing host to Saddam Hussein's henchmen as they shopped for arms in south-east England. Now, say anti-arms trade campaigners, the UK will again "be selling arms to the Saddam Husseins of the future".

So what's new? Britain has never fudged the facts, or its pride, in being one of the world's largest arms exporters. We should know, having just placed a one-billion-pound order for 66 British Hawk jets.
Though arms account for just about two per cent of UK exports, they are its most heavily-subsidised sector, after agriculture. Even as we speak, nearly half-a-million pounds of UK government money is going towards that arms fair.

The fair will feature all the toys that big boys like to play with. Nearly 1,000 British, American, French, German, Dutch, Austrian, Belgian, Canadian, Swiss, Swedish and Israeli companies will showcase their wares...>> MORE


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