When will we ever learn - the arms trade is a trade in death
A year ago this month, Pax Christi and the Fellowship of Reconciliation launched their Security for the Common Good : A Christian Challenge to Military Security briefing, highlighting all the human and opportunity costs that are lost in the military model of security adopted by our Government. Part of the briefing dealt with our role in 'exporting security' via the global arms trade.
Tragically we see on the streets of Bahrain, Libya and elsewhere the fruits of this trade.
News reports that Britain had been involved in granting export licences for military equipment, tear gas, electronic batons and so on to Libya and Bahrain should not be a surprise. Yet again, they indicate that the arms trade is such a central plank in UK Trade and Foreign Policy that it cannot be touched. Words of regret and horror from politicians are hollow. Indeed, as events unfurl in Bahrain, Libya and elsewhere the UK arms industry is exhibiting at an arms fair in Abu Dhabi.
Freedom, democracy and justice cannot be achieved through fear, threat or military might, yet we support and enable countries who are locked into such models. This is in a week with the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (Sipri) report that the top 100 arms producing companies have increased arms sales over the past year by £9.1 billion. Second in the 'top 100' list is Britain's own BAE Systems.
Groups like Pax Christi, the Fellowship of Reconciliation and Campaign Against Arms trade have consistently spoken out and acted against the morality of the arms trade. The best way to prevent repression, military and state violence is to abolish this horrific trade
See: Security for the Common Good www.paxchristi.org.uk/SecurityDisarmament.HTML
Source: Pax Christi