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– UK Report # 51 –
“World leading event” for global arms sales
The so-called Defense and Security Equipment International (DSEI) boasts to be “the world leading event” for global arms sales. “DSEI represents the entire supply chain on an unrivaled scale.”
DSEI 2017 is now underway (12-15 September 2017) at the Excel Center in East London, showcasing the latest equipment and systems across the military sectors.
Despots, dictatorships and human rights abusers from 56 countries have been invited, “these include a range of regimes with appalling human rights records: such as Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Kuwait, Oman, Pakistan, Philippines, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates and Vietnam,” CAAT reported.
“Other governments, such as Israel, will send delegations to promote arms via national pavilions, while others will be invited by the event organisers, Clarion Events.”
Background:
Britain now world’s 2nd biggest arms dealer –Report
UK has been selling more arms than Russia, China, or France on average over the last 10 years, second only to the United States, according to UK Trade and Investment, a government body that promotes British exports abroad.
“Since 2010 Britain has also sold arms to 39 of the 51 countries ranked ‘not free’ on the Freedom House ‘Freedom in the world’ report, and 22 of the 30 countries on the UK Government’s own human rights watch list,” a report said.
UK govt issued £10bn [US$13.2bn] in arms licenses between 2010-2015 to regimes designated “unfree” by Freedom House, including China, Oman, Turkmenistan and UAE, according to a joint analysis conducted by the Independent and Campaign Against the Arms Trade (CAAT).
Meanwhile £7.9bn worth of arms were sold to countries on the “human rights priority countries” list, which is maintained by the Foreign Office and includes countries judged by the FCO to have “the worst, or greatest number of, human rights violations.”
Two-thirds of UK weapons exports have gone to Middle Eastern countries since 2010, the report added.
[UK Report #51 is prepared by an affiliated team of political scientists.]
- UK Reports Nos. 01 – 51 are available from FIRE-EARTH PULSARS.
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