How arms dealing has compromised Britain’s international coverage | Arms commerce

The testimony of the previous Overseas Workplace coverage adviser Mark Smith confirms precisely what the Marketing campaign In opposition to Arms Commerce has been arguing for many years – the UK’s arms-export management system is rotten to its core (I noticed illegality and complicity with warfare crimes. That’s why I stop the UK Overseas Workplace, 9 February). After we efficiently took the federal government to courtroom to cease arming Saudi Arabia, the important thing authorized and ethical questions had been basically the identical. How may the UK authorities proceed supplying arms within the face of overwhelming proof of essentially the most horrific crimes being dedicated in opposition to civilians?

What Smith’s proof exhibits is that the one means for the Overseas Workplace to maintain doing that is to bully civil servants and diplomats into altering their studies, warning them to not depart any written proof, and even asking them to “delete correspondence”. There was a scientific effort to govern and suppress the reality.

Sadly, what we see is just not a “damaged” export-licensing system however one working precisely as meant – as Smith says, it serves “to create a facade of legitimacy, whereas permitting essentially the most egregious crimes in opposition to humanity to happen”.

1000’s of campaigners throughout the UK have been vindicated, nevertheless it’s too late for tens of 1000’s of Palestinian and Yemeni folks, who’ve been murdered with weapons and elements exported from the UK. This must be a wake-up name and result in systemic change in our arms-export licensing system.
Dr Sam Perlo-Freeman
Analysis coordinator, Marketing campaign In opposition to Arms Commerce

Mark Smith’s courageous and principled stand exhibits how compromised and weak British international coverage has develop into. In a post-Brexit Trump world, our solely “ideas” look like to carry out as a slavish assist act to regardless of the US authorities deems to be in its curiosity.

Our erstwhile EU companions should despair, whereas a “transactional” US president fantasises about golf programs on Gaza’s ruins and graves. The callow makes an attempt of politicians and civil servants to avoid the clear prescriptions of worldwide legislation and morality deserve normal condemnation. We have to name out this complicity with genocide.
Paul Bennett
London

As a involved citizen who labored within the Overseas Workplace a few years in the past, I want to congratulate Mark Smith for his honesty and braveness in resigning on ethical points. I’ve labored overseas for many of my grownup life, together with in Lebanon, and am enormously involved by, and establish with, the Palestinian trigger.

He rightly calls the warfare in opposition to Palestinians genocide, and clearly exhibits the complicity of the British authorities. I second his name for different civil servants within the Overseas Workplace to press the federal government to finish this indefensible coverage.
Helen Jones
Bristol

Mark Smith has realized that the UK authorities doesn’t care about Palestinians, or the warfare crimes dedicated in opposition to them. What the federal government does care about is cash. The UK makes a pleasant revenue from promoting arms to Israel. Moreover, by going together with the genocide in Gaza, it may well preserve good relations with its high buying and selling associate, the US. The federal government doesn’t care about equity, justice or honesty. Mr  Smith’s downside is that he has a conscience.
Laura Harling
El Dorado Hills, California, US