UK issues Arms Export Licences for Iraq and Libya

Today, Thursday 28 October 2004, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office published its Strategic Export Controls Quaterly Report for April – June 2004. The report shows licences have been issued for substantial shipments of small arms to Iraq (including 21,428 semi-automatic pistols) and other military equipment to Libya.^[1] Both countries’ embargoes were lifted recently after many years.^[2] Campaign Against Arms Trade are calling for an end to the international trade in arms.

These are the first licences issued for sale of military equipment to Iraq, post the embargo, from the UK. The newly formed Iraqi army has already taken delivery of reconnaissance aircraft and other military equipment from other countries.

The report does not give details of who in Iraq will receive the military equipment, although it seems likely that the Iraqi police, private security companies or the Iraqi military are possible recipients.

Andrew Wood from Campaign Against Arms Trade said,

Iraq is awash with weapons and many have reportedly been collected under a guns for cash amnesty. Britain needs to stop the trade in weapons to Iraq and rebuild its civil society.

For more information please contact CAAT on 020 7281 0297.

Editor’s Notes

1. The report says Standard Individual Export Licences were approved for:

   • 26 licences for £25m of exports to Iraq including 500 Assault rifles; 21,428 semi-automatic pistols; 100 sub-machine guns. See page 89 of report for more details.
   • Nine licences for exports less than £100,000 to Libya for submersible equipment, inertial equipment, marine location systems, components for marine fixing equipment. See page 114 of report for more details.

   The full report is available on the Foreign and Commonwealth office website.

2. The European Union’s arms embargo on Iraq was lifted on 23 July 2004. Both the United States and Russia lifted their embargoes in April and August 2004 respectively. A United Nations embargo had been in force for 14 years.

   The European Union’s arms embargo on Libya was lifted on 11 October 2004, after an 18 year embargo.