Independent Media Centre Ireland http://www.indymedia.ie

Gov report on Irish arms trade controls available

national | anti-war / imperialism | news report

Thursday August 07, 2003 15:30

by Eoin Dubsky

055-25176

Minister Ahern's review of Ireland's export controls

At the web address below you will see a press release from the Department of Trade, Enterprise and Employment about their review of our military and "dual use" exports regime in Ireland. At the end of the page is also a copy of their Phase I final report (.PDF).

Amnesty International Irish Section (http://www.amnesty.ie/) and AfrI (http://www.afri.buz.org/) have campaigned on this issue and released earlier reports on Ireland's significant arms trade.

Comments (1 of 1)

objectives my arse.

by Dual purpose words

Fri Aug 08, 2003 15:37

Objective 1.
to establish more clearly the extent of the production and exports of military and dual-use equipment in Ireland, as these are already defined for international regulatory purposes;

They know damned well that it's very widespread, but sure, let's keep digging. They just turn a blind eye.

Objective 2.
to establish how the Irish regulatory system compares with that in other countries, with a particular focus on the potential difficulties and gaps that have been identified in the previous chapter...

How it compares with other countries? Don't make me laugh.that's an easy get out clause. How about how it compares to common fucking sense.
Hmmm... the indonesian's and the Israelis and the Turks are using this stuff to committ mass murder. Hmmm... maybe we shouldn't grant export licenses to re-supply them.

Objective 3.
to put forward practical steps to be taken to improve the system, balancing the desirability to have a high quality system on the one hand, and the need to keep this operable in an Irish context on the other.

Soooo many people and organisations have put forward steps that should be taken.
If the government was in anyway serious about this they would have done it years ago.
The arms exporters submit reams of info on their 'products' and the Dept only gives a few details in its reports, leaving the accountability level as low as a Taoiseach's morals.