UK breaches own guides by selling arms to Israel

IRNA
London, Nov 5, IRNA -- Large amounts of British arms and internal 
security equipment are continuing to be sold to Israel in breach of 
the UK government`s own guidelines, it was reported Wednesday. 
Equipment approved by the government for export this year includes 
electric shock belts, leg-irons, chemical and biological agents such 
as tear gas, rocket launchers, anti-tank weapons, explosives and 
infrared and radar sensors, according to the Guardian newspaper. 
The daily said that the arms were being approved even though 
Foreign Secretary Jack Straw has admitted Israel has broken promises 
that the UK equipment would not be used in the occupied territories. 
The sales also breach the government`s arms control guidelines 
that stipulate export licences should not be issued if there is a 
clear risk they would be used for internal repression, external 
aggression or exacerbate existing tensions and conflicts. 
The information on the exports was said to have been revealed in a 
letter from Trade Minister Nigel Griffiths to the Liberal Democrats` 
foreign affairs spokesman Menzies Campbell, who criticised the 
decision. 
"The credibility of our contribution to the peace process in the 
Middle East can only be damaged if we say one thing and do another," 
Campbell was quoted saying. 
Earlier this year, the British government was reported to have 
started to clear a backlog of arms export licences for Israel after 
the UK imposed what was described as a `soft` embargo on military 
equipment. 
The move came after Prime Minister Tony Blair was said to have 
made a personal pledge to reduce restriction on arm sales to Israel 
in order to repair relations with Israel that were strained last 
year. 
British arms sales to Israel in the past has included components 
for Apache helicopters, Merkava tanks, F-16 fighter jets, airborne 
electronic warfare equipment, assault rifles, ammunitions and 
armoured personnel carriers converted from Centurion tanks. 
HC/212 
End
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UK breaches own guides by selling arms to Israel
