See we have the receipts

[GastonJ]

The UK government has approved more than 3,000 export licences for military sales to countries which it believes have questionable records on human rights, MPs say.
The House of Commons Committees on Arms Export Controls says the value of the existing export licences to the 27 countries in question exceeds ?12bn. This includes significant sales to China, Iran and Saudi Arabia. Sales to Sri Lanka raise "very serious questions", the report adds


The report urges the UK government to look again at all the 134 existing UK export licences to Egypt to ensure that they do not breach the current policy, which is not to issue licences where it feels "there is a clear risk that the proposed export might provoke or prolong regional or internal conflicts, or which might be used to facilitate internal repression".
The committees also want more detail on a sales licence granted to Israel earlier this year for the purchase of ?7.7bn worth of what is described as "equipment employing cryptography and software for equipment employing cryptography".
This one licence granted in February 2013 accounted for well over 50% of the value of all existing licences to the countries in question.
The committees also comment on military sales to Argentina.


The UK has adopted a restrictive policy for such sales and the committees note that: "It is reprehensible that the UK government is unwilling to lobby other (friendly) governments to make the same changes in (their) arms export policies towards Argentina.


BBC News - Arms exports from UK raise questions, MPs say

WTF are we selling arms to the above for? So they can send them to Syria, give them to Hezbollah and the like to use against us later? insane, no wonder we had evidence that Iraq had WOMD we did have the receipts when we sold them. I suppose the biggest question is where did they get shipped to when we invaded, or did we buy they back first???

As for Argentina ffs we were only at war with them 31 years ago and it cost lives, do we every learn? When I say "we" I mean the ing government. May as well sell them the Falklands while no-one is looking since we're selling them the means to invade.

Even worse - at the end of the day the government are allowing arms to be sold that could be used to attack our own forces with. Gross stupidity or incompetence? The money seems to be worth more than lives.

Two faced ing government, where do they think the arms we sell such governments go to?

[super jumbe]

???????????$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

[thered]

Funny thing arms, we have to have them because others do, we sell them to countries we fight

Trident costs billions, we have it just in case as a deterrent

In case we get blew up by nuclear bombs, but to be frank why or how would we care about revenge after it happened??????????????????

[GastonJ]

I suppose it's so that those in bunkers, I'm guessing MP's, can say they did their best *shrug* don't know who they think will pay their expenses after we've all been blown to sh*t with technology they sold the countries who passed the weapons onto terrorists. We're busy bullying Iran, who will not back down, about their nukes while at the same time selling them arms to ship to the terrorists, it's a mad mad world where money talks and it doesn't matter who gets killed.

[Meat-Head]

Not sure who said it wars create jobs

as long as all dk members are safe, who cares

[GastonJ]

It's politicians who make wars and the 'common' people who have to fight them, get injured or worse die. It's also the politicians who allow the arms to be sold to both sides. The arms companies make money, the politicians rake in the tax, and in some countries kickbacks on bribes. Funny how during the last 2 great wars we had high unemployment and the wars got rid of that as well...... not a coincidence. I also don't know what was so great about the wars either, certainly a great time wasn't enjoyed on either of the sides, ror both sides if you were French or Italian...

[Snowy79]

If you take into consideration all the money made by the Government from the sale of Arms that gets put into the likes of the Health Service, benefits etc you can bet the money has saved more lives than cost due to Arms falling into the wrong hands.

[Kalipo]

Hypocrisy is the state of pretending to have virtues, moral or religious beliefs, principles, etc., that one does not actually have.[1] Hypocrisy involves the deception of others and is thus a kind of lie.[1] MONEY, MONEY, MONEY ITS A RICH MANS WORLD

[Meat-Head]

Name that tune in one
abba money money money circa 1981 ono

[Kalipo]

Name that tune in one
abba money money money circa 1981 ono

So your saying all the trouble around the world with weapons and wars is all down to Abba??

[Meat-Head]

Two birds and two blokes from finland, sweeden or somewhere coled iShit
the guns heat will warm the place up, so vote yes

[GastonJ]

If you take into consideration all the money made by the Government from the sale of Arms that gets put into the likes of the Health Service, benefits etc you can bet the money has saved more lives than cost due to Arms falling into the wrong hands.

No amount of money is worth the life of any member of the UK forces, or anyone for that matter, *ever*. Like most companies arms dealers will make sure they pay less tax than Starbucks anyway. It's all about greed versus the cost of life and the price isn't worth paying.

[GastonJ]

UK Business Secretary Vince Cable has revoked five export licences for Egypt amid concerns over the deaths of civilian protesters.

The licences covered equipment destined for the Egyptian army or police and included machine gun components.

He said: "The long-standing UK position is clear - we will not grant export licences where we judge there is a clear risk the goods might be used for internal repression, provoke or prolong conflict within a country, be used aggressively against another country or risk our national security."

BBC News - UK revokes Egypt export licences after civilian deaths

How very noble and forward thinking I hear you say...... until further in the article......

Earlier this week, a report by a committee of MPs revealed that there were 134 valid licences for the export of more than ?59m worth of strategically controlled goods to Egypt.

So the other 129 are for spud guns or water pistols that don't kill people?

Money first, lives last....

[Meat-Head]

So presumably these 134 licenses were paid for, like tv license, seems odd how think it was Smegville they limited number of taxis fir competion reasons, but 134 for guns and stuff, you would have thougt say 20 and you need to have been trading years to be able to apply

[Snowy79]

If you took all the guns off of them they'd just use knives, machetes, bricks or spears. As long as mankind has roamed the planet we've killed neighbouring tribes etc. Long before the arms trade came into place.