CAATnews 1990 1980 1988 DESO WE WON! 2004 2006 Issue 204 11 Goodwin Street, London N4 3HQ October–November 2007 Tel: 020 7281 0297 Fax: 020 7281 4369 £1.00 Email: [email protected] Website: www.caat.org.uk caat204:CAAT200.qxd 09/10/2007 11:41 Page 2 CAATnews IN THIS ISSUE... Editor Melanie Jarman [email protected] Proofreader John Moseley Design Richie Andrew Contributors Carol Allen, Beccie D’Cunha, Ann Feltham, Lesley Grahame, Symon Hill, Anna Jones, Ian Prichard, Tim Street. 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 November and we will be posting it the week beginning 25 November. Content of most website references are also available in print – contact DESO protest at Farnborough 2006. See pages 8–9 CAAT the CAAT office. Contributors to CAATnews express their own opinions and do not necessarily reflect those of CAAT as an organisation. Contributors retain copyright of all work used. CAAT was set up in 1974 and is a We’ve shut DESO 3 broad coalition of groups and individuals working for the reduction Arms trade shorts 4–5 and ultimate abolition of the international arms trade, together with progressive demilitarisation within Other news 6 arms-producing countries. Campaign Against Arms Trade 11 Goodwin Street, London N4 3HQ Local 7 Tel: 020 7281 0297 Fax: 020 7281 4369 Shut DESO 8–9 Email: [email protected] Web: www.caat.org.uk If you use Charities Aid Foundation DSEi 10–11 cheques and would like to help TREAT (Trust for Research and Education on Parliamentary 12 Arms Trade), please send CAF cheques, payable to TREAT, to the office. Unlike CAAT, TREAT is a Bribing for Britain 13 registered charity (No.328694) and will be able to use your donation for education and research. Fundraising 14 To receive this issue of CAATnews in large print Get active 15 please call 020 7281 0297 Diary 16 COVER: CAAT 2 OCTOBER–NOVEMBER 2007 CAATnews caat204:CAAT200.qxd 09/10/2007 11:41 Page 3 NEWS We’ve shut DESO A question put to us recently is: At the time of writing, CAAT has what’s CAAT’s next campaigning still to ascertain exactly what success? After two victories in quick consultation will be taking place on succession – the announcement that the changes, but we have been told the Defence Export Services that the Department for Business, Organisation (DESO), the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Government’s arms sales unit, is to (DBERR), rather than the Cabinet shut came hot on the heels of Reed Office, is now co-ordinating this. Elsevier’s decision to sell its arms Military equipment accounts for fairs – is supporting arms exports less than two per cent of the UK’s becoming a liability? visible exports and UK Defence Others questioned whether our Statistics show that 65,000 jobs (just celebrations are premature. They 0.2 per cent of the national labour suggested that Prime Minister force) are sustained by military Gordon Brown’s announcement on exports. Relative to this, DESO 25 July that DESO would close by received thirteen times the budget of the end of the year in reality meant UKTI, which currently covers 39 that its functions would continue, but, Protest outside the (then) DSO industrial sectors. It is vital that the spread between departments, would office in 1980 CAAT 250 DESO staff who do not work on be harder to campaign against. the Saudi Project do not move en Evidence that DESO’s closure is a One factor may be that the arms bloc to the UKTI, or in any other way victory for CAAT and other industry itself has changed. No come to dominate its trade promotion campaigners was not slow to longer is there an easily identified work. ANN FELTHAM emerge. On 28 July the Daily UK arms industry whose main Telegraph ran a report saying how purpose is to supply the UK armed Please write to your MP at the angry the arms industry was at the forces. Arms companies are part of a House of Commons, decision and the Telegraph website globalised industry. The world’s third Westminster, London SW1A 0AA or featured a copy of a ‘furious’ letter largest arms company, BAE Systems, email them – (usually) from BAE Systems’ Chief Executive may be UK-based, but it sells more to [email protected] – Mike Turner to Gordon Brown the United States’ Department of saying how pleased you are that demanding a meeting. This demand Defense than it does to the UK DESO is to close. Also ask him or does not appear to have been Ministry of Defence. Over half its her to let the Secretary of State for acceded to. shares are held overseas and only a Business Enterprise and Regulatory third of its employees are UK-based. Reform know that you think that the Why the success now? This end to a national arms industry military equipment sector’s exports DESO, originally known as the means it has become increasingly should be given no greater share of Defence Sales Organisation, was difficult for the Government to justify UKTI resources than is proportional established by Labour Defence DESO’s support for these companies. to the size of the sector’s contribution Secretary Denis Healey in 1966. to the economy. CAAT was set up in 1974 and Next steps almost immediately started Gordon Brown’s announcement said campaigning to shut DESO. Over the that in future military export years there have been vigils outside promotion would be the responsibility its offices, signatures collected on of UK Trade and Investment (UKTI), Further info petitions, media photo opportunities, the body that supports all UK Early Day Motions (a kind of exports. The statement said that the On the centre pages you will find parliamentary petition) – all calling Cabinet Office would be leading lots more information about for the closure of the Government’s work across Government to develop campaigning against the Defence arms sales unit. So why now? What an implementation plan by the end of Sales Organisation and the worked in 2007 that didn’t in 1977, 2007. The 200 DESO staff who are Defence Export Services 1987 or 1997? That is a question employed on the Saudi Armed Organisation over the years. If being asked in the CAAT office and Forces Project, paid for by the Saudi you have any pictures, or we would like to hear from you if Arabian government, will stay in the memories of the campaign, please you have ideas about it. Ministry of Defence. do share them with us. OCTOBER–NOVEMBER 2007 CAATnews 3 caat204:CAAT200.qxd 09/10/2007 11:41 Page 4 ARMS TRADE SHORTS MoD Thales questions The military company Thales may be about to generate more sales in the Eurofighter UK than in its home country, France. Thales is already the largest foreign contract arms supplier to the Ministry of Defence and is hoping to win a The Ministry of Defence is trying to aspirations to spread democracy, as number of key contracts this autumn. get out of a £5bn contract to buy main recipients include regimes INDEPENDENT, 13/9/07 Eurofighter Typhoons, as the Treasury criticised for human rights abuses. is not allowing it to buy both the GUARDIAN, 1/8/07 Typhoons and the Joint Strike Fighter Libya deals aircraft. The MoD has asked the Eurofighter consortium for the cost of Burma European military group EADS has each aircraft if it ordered fewer than confirmed that a consortium of which the planned 88. It is also considering Human rights groups have said that it is part has finalised an anti-tank delaying or cancelling the order a proposed arms deal, in which missile deal with Libya. entirely. Cancellation would be a aircraft are supplied by India, may Meanwhile, French president Nicolas blow to BAE Systems as it could mean that EU and American Sarkozy confirmed an inquiry into bring production of the Eurofighter to companies are involved in the recent weapons deals with Libya. an end before further export orders production of military helicopters for French opposition politicians are secured. TIMES, 13/9/07 Burma. The Indian government is demanded the probe after concerns close to agreeing a Burmese request over France’s role in persuading for the helicopters, whose Libya to release six prisoners. UK exports manufacture involves European and REUTERS, 3/8/07; FINANCIAL TIMES, 4/8/07 American companies. The UK A Saferworld report on UK weapons connection is through the firms APPH exports found that, during 2006, the Hydraulics and FPT Industries Ltd, a Romania to sue UK government approved arms part of GKN Aerospace Services Ltd. exports to 19 of the 20 countries it Helen Hughes of Amnesty BAE? identified as ‘countries of concern’ International said: ‘Greater attention for abusing human rights. The UK has to be given to the end uses Romania is considering suing BAE also authorised the export of more agreements and the re-export of Systems for breach of contract after a than 15,000 sniper rifles to countries components from EU member states.’ deal in which Romania bought two including Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and INDEPENDENT, 16/7/07 frigates and, in return, BAE was Turkey: countries where it is difficult supposed to buy services and to trace the weapons’ destination. products from Romanian companies. GUARDIAN, 25/7/07 BAE prize gets JURNALUL NATIONAL ONLINE, 07/9/07 diverted Arms to Middle Pentagon errors An engineering student has donated East money he was awarded as a prize Lockheed Martin has been told to by BAE Systems to CAAT.