15 February 1996
GOVERNMENT POLICY ON THE CONTROL OF EXPORTS
TO IRAN AND IRAQ 1980-1990
Sir Richard Scott's report completely exonerates all Ministers
and civil servants from any sort of conspiracy or cover-up in
relation to the sale of arms to Iraq. The report confirms that
no lethal weapons were exported.
The facts on the Government's policy on the control of exports
to Iran and Iraq are set out in background notes published today.
The main points from this are:
On the outbreak of the Iran-Iraq war, Government policy was
to do everything possible to bring about its earliest
possible end. A ban on lethal weapons was imposed.
To reinforce this policy, the Government took steps in 1984
to ensure that certain non-lethal goods were controlled.
Guidelines were drawn up and presented to Parliament.
One of these said:
"We should not in future approve orders for any
defence equipment which in our view would
significantly enhance the capability of either side to
prolong or exacerbate the conflict."
While maintaining the ban on lethal equipment, the words
"in our view" built in a degree of flexibility to allow for
changing circumstances.
This flexibility enabled the Government to tighten
restrictions when the conflict escalated and to relax them
once a ceasefire had taken hold.
There was no change of policy in 1989. The Government
reacted to changing circumstances, such as the Fatwah
against Salman Rushdie, execution by Iraq of Farzad Bazoft,
the hostages in Lebanon and many others.
Throughout, the Government acted in good faith and applied
export controls far stricter than those of our industrial
competitors.
