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http://www.dailystar.com.lb/12_07_02/art39.asp The Daily Star July 15, 2002 Britain invokes US defense ties to break own Israel arms ban Rime Allaf Daily Star correspondent LONDON: It is usually British Prime Minister Tony Blair who is at the receiving end of criticism over his government�s relationship with the US, or who faces the wrath of MPs in his own party about foreign policy issues. This week, Foreign Secretary Jack Straw gets a taste of the premier�s position after having announced that new export guidelines would apply to British weapons sales, translating into an approval to supply parts for F16 fighter jets being sold to Israel through the United States. What critics were most angry about was the fact that this decision actually supersedes the existing government policy of banning equipment sales when they may be used in the Occupied Territories. In effect, this means that restrictions have been lifted for all sales (specifically of parts) for American-made weapons, whether or not it is known that they will be used in conflict areas around the world. The British government had already faced criticism for its refusal to ban arms sales to India during the escalation with Pakistan just a few weeks ago. With regards to the Middle East, the Blair Cabinet willingly put self-sanctions on the sale of arms to Israel if they were going to be used in the Occupied Territories, since the Israeli Army has frequently used its F16s to hit Palestinian towns. The parts in question are Heads-Up Display units from the British company BAE Systems � which is Britain�s largest munitions maker � and the American company Lockheed Martin uses them in the cockpits of F16s destined for delivery to Israel next year. According to Downing Street, these parts make up only 1 percent of the fighter jets. Straw seemed undaunted about the outcry that these new guidelines provoked, invoking the importance of the defense relationship between Britain and the US. He also stressed that �the State Department has been monitoring Israeli actions carefully.� Defying criticism, he validated the decision to MPs in a written statement by saying that cutting the supply of these parts would have �serious implications� on the defense relationship with the United States, which he qualified as �fundamental,� and that supplying these parts was �part of a long-standing collaboration between American and British defense industries.� What he implied by this can be understood by Downing Street�s reasoning that this decision reflected the �new reality� of the defense industry, namely the 100 billion pound Sterling ($156 million) joint fighter-project deal, which is to take place between the US Air Force and the Royal Air Force in the next years. �If there is any doubt about our reliability as a supplier, the Americans will go elsewhere on the JSF,� said a spokesman. Alice Mahon, Labor MP, described the government�s decision as being immoral and claimed there was �growing unease� among backbenchers. As she and fellow Labor MPs demanded that Straw come to defend his decision to Parliament, Ms. Mahon added: �The foreign secretary himself has in the past condemned in the strongest possible terms the fact that Israel has used F16s and helicopter gunships in the Occupied Territories. This, after the scandal of continuing to arm India when India and Pakistan stood on the brink of a nuclear war, I think is just a bit too much to swallow.� Labor MP Brian Iddon, Secretary of the Commons All-Party Palestine Group, clearly voiced his objection: �I am very disappointed that we are aiding and abetting the Americans to attack the Palestinians.� Elaborating on his view that the Israeli Army was �equally terrorizing the Palestinians,� he added that �we are leaning too far in the direction of the Israelis at the moment, and we are not putting enough pressure on them to sort the mess out.� For once, even the opposition seemed to echo Labor MPs� protests, apparently uneasy about such perceived deference to American interests. Shadow foreign secretary Michael Ancram called for a making a distinction between weapons that a state uses for self-defense, and weapons that could be used for internal repression, carefully. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Autos - Get free new car price quotes http://autos.yahoo.com --------------------------- ANTI-NATO INFORMATION LIST ==^================================================================ This email was sent to: [email protected] EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.bacIlu Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^================================================================
