CAATnews 75% OF ARMS DEALS WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED WITHOUT OUR HELP Issue 193 11 Goodwin Street, London N4 3HQ Dec 2005/Jan 2006 Tel: 020 7281 0297 Fax: 020 7281 4369 £1.00 Email: [email protected] Website: www.caat.org.uk CAATnews IN THIS ISSUE... Editor Melanie Jarman [email protected] Legal Consultant Glen Reynolds Proofreader Rachel Vaughan Design Richie Andrew Contributors Bristol CAAT, Kathryn Busby, Beccie D’Cunha, Ann Feltham, Nicholas Gilby, Anna Jones, Mike Lewis, James O’Nions, Ian Prichard, South Essex CAAT. Thank you also to our dedicated team of CAATnews stuffers. Printed by Russell Press on 100% recycled paper using only post consumer de-inked waste. Copy deadline for the next issue is 12 January 2006. We shall be posting it the week beginning 26 January 2006. Content of most website references are also available in print – contact CAAT National Gathering – see page 6 PATRICK DELANEY the CAAT office. Contributors to CAATnews express Countdown to DESO 3 their own opinions and do not necessarily reflect those of CAAT as an organisation. Contributors retain Arms Trade Shorts 4–5 copyright of all work used. CAAT was set up in 1974 and is a broad coalition of groups and News and updates 6 individuals working for the reduction and ultimate abolition of the Local campaign news and views 7 international arms trade, together with progressive demilitarisation within arms-producing countries. Cover story: DESO 8–9 Campaign Against Arms Trade 11 Goodwin Street, London N4 3HQ Feature: Arms trade treaty 10 tel: 020 7281 0297 fax: 020 7281 4369 email: [email protected] Reed campaign 11 web: www.caat.org.uk If you use Charities Aid Foundation cheques and would like to help TREAT Parliamentary 12 (Trust for Research and Education on Arms Trade), please send CAF Clean investment campaign 13 cheques, payable to TREAT, to the office. Unlike CAAT, TREAT is a registered charity (No.328694) and Fundraising 14 will be able to use your donation for education and research. Get active! 15 CAATnews is part of INK, the Independent News Collective – www.ink.uk.com Campaigns diary 16 To receive this issue of CAATnews in large print please call 020 7281 0297 COVER: RICHIE ANDREW 2 DEC 2005/JAN 2006 CAATnews NEWS Close DESO – campaign countdown Key diary dates in 2006 We’ll be announcing events around the Close DESO campaign throughout the year. Some upcoming key dates are below. Details on these will be available nearer the time. 23 January CAAT protesting outside the BAE Systems AGM in May PATRICK DELANEY Close DESO campaign launch – if you’re in London, come and help 23 January 2006 will see the launch exporting weapons to the war zones launch the campaign on the of phase 2 of CAAT’s Call the Shots and oppressors that are central to national stage. campaign, which calls for DESO, the DESO’s ‘target markets’ is Government’s arms sales unit, to be scandalous. March shut down. The campaign to close DESO is DESO’s annual conference DESO – the Defence Export also a fitting continuation of our Services Organisation – lies at the campaign to lock the revolving door. 4 May – BAE Systems AGM heart of government-arms industry Heads of DESO are themselves Free campaign resources, collusion. For four decades DESO ‘revolvers’, seconded from arms including a briefing, action guide has been a central component of the companies straight into the heart of and campaign postcards, will be extraordinary economic resources government, often with their civil available to order from January. and political support provided by the servants’ salaries topped up directly Please contact Patrick in the office Government for the arms trade. It is by the arms industry. Through such ([email protected]). the arms companies’ very own special relationships, arms Ministry of Defence department, companies not only enjoy unique within which government and government support, but have sought asking other organisations to sign a industry have worked hand-in-hand to influence government policy, and statement calling for DESO’s closure, to broker arms sales to areas of even its foreign relations. to be published as the campaign is conflict, repressive regimes and Despite its centrality to some of launched in January. We need you impoverished regions of the world. the worst abuses of the UK arms and other local campaigners to ask DESO itself claims that 75 per cent trade, DESO has maintained a potentially sympathetic groups in of the UK’s arms sales would not remarkably low public profile. Many your area to sign up. We also aim to have taken place without its work. people have never even heard of it. gain wide media coverage of the Close DESO, and we hit a major In 2006 we hope to change this, and campaign, both nationally and part of the UK’s weapons trade. we need your help! CAAT’s opinion locally. Pages 8 and 9 reveal the reality of poll last December found that 50.8 Finally, we will be applying DESO’s work in more detail. per cent of those surveyed oppose pressure directly on Tony Blair. Part of 2006 marks DESO’s 40th the use of DESO’s 600 civil servants this will be a postcard campaign anniversary, and CAAT and other to promote arms exports, while only targeting both the Prime Minister organisations will be pressing the 15.8 per cent said they support this. himself – who alone has the power Government and the public to realise We believe that if we can tell more to close DESO – and the Treasury, that DESO’s time is up. The people about DESO, they will want to which forks out millions of pounds taxpayers’ subsidy that DESO see it closed. every year to fund DESO. represents for the arms industry Our next step will be to create a BECCIE D’CUNHA alone is reason to close it. And groundswell of support for closing dedicating political resources to DESO. As part of this we have begun CAATnews DEC 2005/JAN 2006 3 ARMS TRADE SHORTS Revolving door Pakistan deal Spanish planes postponed after to Venezuela put UK envoy to Brunei is on BAE Systems’ payroll quake on hold by US Charles Powell, who is on the Pakistan has put off buying a fleet of A deal by Spanish aircraft-maker payroll of BAE Systems, has been F-16 fighter planes from the US in EADS CASA to sell ten transport appointed as the Prime Minister’s order to prioritise emergency aid for planes to Venezuela has been put on special envoy to Brunei. The earthquake survivors. The hold while the US State Department appointment comes despite the announcement came after the scrutinises the company’s fact that Powell’s industry country’s leader General Pervez applications for export licences. The paymaster is currently in dispute Musharraf was criticised for refusing planes contain US-manufactured with Brunei over the purchase of to cut military spending in the wake parts sold to EADS CASA on the basis three warships (see CAATnews of the disaster. that they may not be sold to foreign 190). The sultan of Brunei ordered The deal, which Washington had companies and countries unless the three ships but is now refusing to originally blocked in the 1990s in US State Department grants make the final payments to BAE protest at Pakistan’s nuclear plans, approval. Systems and refusing to take was given the go-ahead in March The hold-up comes amidst delivery of the ships. The UK (see CAATnews 190). GUARDIAN, 5/11/05 increasing tension between Venezuela taxpayer may have to pay more and the US, with Venezuela using its than £20m for any outstanding India suspends oil wealth to challenge the US default on the deal. Powell denied doctrine of neo-liberalism. a conflict of interest and said he Denel deals Venezuela’s President Chavez has had already been acting in the also threatened to give F-16 aircraft role for three to four years. India has cancelled a rifle deal with bought from the US to Cuba or GUARDIAN, 8/10/05 South Africa’s Denel Land Systems China, saying that the US has failed and suspended other Denel deals to fulfil its maintenance Former Permanent after the arms company was placed commitments. Concerned over Secretary at Cabinet under investigation for unfair upsetting relations with Washington, Office to advise SBAC commercial practices in securing the Israel has already frozen its contract rifle contract. to upgrade the F-16s. After retiring from the civil service Denel officials claim not to have DEFENSE NEWS, 29/10/05; DAILY TELEGRAPH, 3/11/05 in April this year, Sir David transgressed any laws, nor to have Omand is to take up a two-year breached provisions of its contract. In post as strategy advisor to SBAC, private, Denel officials claim that the Explosives the trade association representing company has become a victim of suppliers to civil and military political manoeuvring after India’s manufacturing aerospace markets. 2004 elections. Omand is a former Permanent JANES DEFENCE WEEKLY, 12/10/05 shifts overseas Secretary at the Cabinet Office. He also spent seven years on the UK’s Swan Hunter BAE Systems’ decision to close Joint Intelligence Committee. manufacturing facilities in Bridgwater SBAC, 26/9/05 investigation? and Chorley means that explosives needed for bullets, shells and missiles The National Audit Office may used by the UK’s armed forces will Saudis deny launch an investigation into the cost no longer be made in the UK. of a contract to build two naval ships Manufacturing of the unique charges reports of at the Swan Hunter shipyard on used in the UK’s nuclear missiles will Tyneside.