Concern over Cameron’s Gulf visit
David Cameron's visit to the Gulf to promote arms sales criticised
The visit this week by David Cameron to the Gulf to promote arms sales has been criticised by pacifists and campaign organisa-tions opposed to the arms trade. The prime minister was in Dubai in an effort to persuade the United Arab Emirates to buy sixty Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets. The low-key arms trip was aimed to persuade regional powers, concerned by Britain’s response to the ‘Arab Spring’, to purchase more than one hundred Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets. The deals could be worth more than £6 billion to Britain.
Major British businesses such as BP and BAE have important interests in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
The prime minister was under pressure to justify arms sales to regimes with questionable human rights records. He insisted, however, that he would not shy away from raising concerns. He said: ‘On human rights, there are no no-go areas in this relationship. We discuss all of these things but we also show respect and friendship to a very old ally and partner.’
The visit has been criticised by organisations such as Campaign Against the Arms Trade (CAAT). In September CAAT was awarded a Right Livelihood Award, known as the ‘alternative Nobel Prize’, for its ‘innovative and effective campaigning against the arms trade.’ The award will be formally presented at the Swedish parliament on 7 December.
The Right Livelihood Foundation particularly noted CAAT’s role in challenging BAE Systems’ multi-billion-arms deal with Saudi Arabia.
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