Illicit Arms Trade in UK

[Guest]

"The recent conviction of an arms broker from Yorkshire has raised serious concerns about the murky world of the international weapons trade. Gary Hyde was sentenced to seven years imprisonment for one of the largest illegal arms deals ever uncovered: 80,000 guns and 32 million rounds of ammunition shipped from China to Nigeria - enough to equip a small army. But no-one knows where they ended up. Britain has strict regulations governing the sale and export of firearms, so how did he manage it? Where have the guns gone?

File on 4 investigates the British arms dealers brokering weapons for some of the world's most dangerous regimes. Some have done work for the Ministry of Defence. One was even a firearms advisor to the Home Office. Allan Urry asks what this means for the UK's licensing and arms export regimes, claimed to be among the best in the world."

A very interesting but ultimately infuriating exposition of dirty dealing and official complacency

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01pty4h

[teamsaint]

Looks interesting.
will there be a programme about the "legal" arms trade with the like of Bahrain (as just one example) do you think?

[Beef Oven]

80,000 guns and 32 million rounds of ammunition shipped from China to Nigeria - enough to equip a small army

An Army bigger than the British Army

[teamsaint]

our army may be small, but it has kept loads of conflicts going recently.

[Beef Oven]

our army may be small, but it has kept loads of conflicts going recently.

No it's the Government that has kept these conflicts going - the same government that you, me and MrGG voted and manadated into power.

[teamsaint]

No it's the Government that has kept these conflicts going - the same government that you, me and MrGG voted and manadated into power.

semantics. I was really saying what a good job they had done keeping them all going, in the circumstances !!

I dont vote, so the bloody shambles in westminster must be down to you two !!

[Beef Oven]

semantics. I was really saying what a good job they had done keeping them all going, in the circumstances !!

I dont vote, so the bloody shambles in westminster must be down to you two !!

I see - my mistake

[MrGongGong]

No it's the Government that has kept these conflicts going - the same government that you, me and MrGG voted and manadated into power.

you can leave me out of your kipper conspiracy matje

[teamsaint]

ah, so it was beefy that mandated them. It looked that way to me.

[Mr Pee]

I dont vote, so the bloody shambles in westminster must be down to you two !!

If you didn't vote, you are in no position to complain.

[Beef Oven]

ah, so it was beefy that mandated them. It looked that way to me.

Yes, I voted for the Clegg boys

MrGG was gonna vote for Screaming Lord Sutch, but he curled his toes up. So, instead, he voted for some bloke reading from a telephone directory, accompanied by prepared piano and electric tapes (he likes that stuff)

[teamsaint]

If you didn't vote, you are in no position to complain.

Blimey.Almost had me there.!
If there had been any candidate who had a policy of being against the international arms trade to vote for, I might have voted for them.

(same applies to any number of other policies).

[ahinton]

If you didn't vote, you are in no position to complain.

But would anyone be in a stronger position to complain if they'd voted unsuccessfully - in other words for a candidate that did not then get elected? I've never not voted in a General Election but have only once voted successfully in one.

[amateur51]

No it's the Government that has kept these conflicts going - the same government that you, me and MrGG voted and manadated into power.

Oh, not the EU then Beefy?

[ahinton]

Blimey.Almost had me there.!
If there had been any candidate who had a policy of being against the international arms trade to vote for, I might have voted for them.

(same applies to any number of other policies).

Very good point. If arms deals in general are something to which any member of the electorate objects as a matter of principle, how is that person supposed to vote, given that any vote cast would be a vote contrary to the voter's belief?