AEFJN Forum for Action

Begoña Iñarra

1. Arms kill and its trade is not “ordinary business

In most Arab countries where the revolts have taken place security forces attacked unarmed demonstrators killing and injuring many.  In Libya the government is using warplanes and tanks to bomb civilians. TV has shown security forces and civilians using Belgian guns. Where do these arms used to attack, kill and injure peaceful demonstrators come from?

Many countries that call themselves “defenders” of democracy have not only supported those dictators’ regimes but have also done business with them and sold them great quantities of weapons. The separation between ethics and values on the one hand and economic and political interests on the other is one of the main “inconsistencies” of these countries. When these come into conflict, business and political interests usually override ethical standards. This is particularly scandalous and dangerous in the case of arms sales.

Business and employment may be important for the countries where the arms are produced, but ethics are also significant for many of its citizens.

Governments are responsible for the selling of arms. To legally export arms and defence-related articles and services from country A to country B, the exporting company needs an export license from the exporting country A’s government. The governmental body responsible for issuing exporting arms licenses decides if country B complies with a series of security measures. What the security forces can do with these weapons should be considered. In some cases “conditions” are attached to the contracts, but the reality is that, once the arms are in a country, the seller has no means to control its use or destination. Continue reading →

AFJN Forum for action

Begoña Iñarra

The Western world has watched with wonder the revolt in the Arab countries, the fearless youth and population asking for freedom, basic rights and democracy. The revolts have also caused confusion about the future in the countries where the regimes have fallen, to say nothing of the consequences for the whole world. But what has come out clearly is the inconsistency in the policies of most “outsider” governments. While defending democracy in words, they have dealt with corrupt and dictatorial regimes and, what is worse, they have sold them quantities of sophisticated weapons that are being used to attack the peaceful populations, causing death and suffering. Now, those governments and defence industries say they are worried about the impact on those arms. Continue reading →