UK sold chemicals, night-vision equipment to Syria (UK boycotts Israel, supplies arms to Syria)

Jerusalem Post ^ | Apr. 6, 2003 | Douglas Davis

[Asher]

Apr. 6, 2003

Report: UK sold chemicals, night-vision equipment to Syria

By DOUGLAS DAVIS

The British government, which operates an unofficial but extensive ban on military equipment to Israel, has supplied Syria with toxic acid that could be used to make chemical weapons and optical equipment that could provide troops with night-vision capability.

The disclosure, by London's Observer newspaper on Sunday, is likely to personally embarrass Prime Minister Tony Blair following last week's attacks on Syria by both US Secretary of State Colin Powell and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, who accused Syria of smuggling night-vision goggles to Iraqi forces.

Blair, who insists Britain will pursue an "even-handed" policy in the Middle East, has been energetically courting Syrian President Bashar Assad. He made an official visit to Damascus and late last year hosted Assad on an official visit to Britain.

According to official reports from the Department of Trade and Industry, British ministers granted export licenses for military equipment to Syria worth more than $2 million between 1999 and 2001.

British legislators have called on ministers to provide full details of the exports and some are demanding an immediate boycott on arm sales to Syria, which supports Hizbullah, Hamas and Islamic Jihad and which Washington regards as a state sponsor of terrorism.

The department's report for 2001 noted that British exports to Syria included "toxic chemical precursors," "equipment for the use of military infrared/thermal imaging equipment" and "military flying helmets."

In 2000, it noted, "toxic chemical precursors" were exported to Syria as well as military helmets and components for military communications.

Similar such equipment was sold to Syria in 1999 and, according to the Observer, Trade Secretary Patricia Hewitt has given an "open licence" for the export of "equipment for the use of submachine guns, assault rifles and sniper rifles."

A spokesman for the Department of Trade and Industry was quoted as saying that ministers simply rely on the assurances of the Syrian government, but the fact that it granted military export licences for the material means that the substances could be used to manufacture chemical weapons.

The department said it believed the toxic chemical precursors would be used as "stain removers," but it has admitted there is nothing to ensure that the chemicals are not weaponized.

It said it believed that the "infrared/thermal imaging equipment" sold to Syria was intended for medical use, but according to defense experts, it could easily be converted to military use.

British and US intelligence have long suspected that the Iraq-Syrian rail link has been used as a conduit for smuggling military equipment to Iraq, while an Iraqi-Syrian pipeline is suspected of having been used for the illicit export Iraqi oil outside the framework of the UN's oil-for-food program.

[Asher]

Of course, Israel trusts you, Tony. It has every reason too:

"Blair, who insists Britain will pursue an "even-handed" policy in the Middle East"

"The British government which operates an unofficial but extensive ban on military equipment to Israel"

"A spokesman for the Department of Trade and Industry was quoted as saying that ministers simply rely on the assurances of the Syrian government"

"The department said it believed the toxic chemical precursors would be used as "stain removers," "

[lelio]

The department said it believed the toxic chemical precursors would be used as "stain removers," but it has admitted there is nothing to ensure that the chemicals are not weaponized.
It said it believed that the "infrared/thermal imaging equipment" sold to Syria was intended for medical use, but according to defense experts, it could easily be converted to military use.

This would be comic if it weren't so serious. Wonder what their excuse is for the machine guns? That they were props for a new Syrian musical production?

[Asher]

"This would be comic if it weren't so serious"

Blair and Assad

(By appointment to every known terrorist group)

- We take your friends to the cleaners -

[RLK]

Night vision equipment of all kinds is frrely available on the open market, including EBay.

[Asher]

"Night vision equipment of all kinds is frrely available on the open market, including EBay."

How about submachine guns and toxic acid?

In any event, the point is that the UK would be selling arms to a terrorist state, no matter how freely available they are, and at the same time instituting an arms boycott against Israel. Blair's claims of even-handedness are quite laughable.

[meenie]

The coalition is fighting its own arms. It gives you a warm, fuzzy feeling that profits have caused extra dangers to our forces. Unusual, not at all. Just think of the amount our good trading partner, China, has spread around the world, including Iraq. We acquiese by pretending that this is not happening.

[may18]

Sadly all countries have done this

The constituents for WMD to iraq were supplied by britain, america, germany (who built his bunkers). France went one stage further and built him a nuclear power station..insane.

Hopefully the fallout of this war will be that we are much tougher on foreign exports