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Topics: Corruption, Egypt, India, Iraq, Israel / Palestine, Saudi Arabia

Wars, occupation, oppression, and corruption fuel a surging Middle East arms race

New SIPRI arms transfers data shows small overall increase in global trade, but huge increase in sales to the Middle East.

Graphic showing map of states in the Middle East with bubbles for each country indicating level of arms imports. Heading: Arms imports by states in the Middle East. Subheading: The volume of arms imports in SIPRI trend-indicator values is depicted by the size of the circle. 2014-2018. Source: SIPRI Arms Transfers Database. Copyright SIPRI 2019.

The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) yesterday releasedits latest data on the global arms trade, for which it is by far the best source. The data provides details of deliveries of major conventional weapons worldwide from 1950-2018, both in numerical terms and with searchable lists of the actual weapons transferred between countries. The information can be found in SIPRI’s database, and some of the key points are discussed in a fact sheet also published yesterday.

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Topics: Action Reports, Arms trade events, Saudi Arabia, Universities

Saudi-British relations: silenced oppressions & complicity

Photo by Ryan Ashcroft

Last month CAAT and the CAAT Universities Network co-hosted a very important meeting at the School of Oirental and African Studies, London.

The murder of Jamal Khashoggi’s has put the UK-Saudi relationship under more scrutiny than ever before. Unfortunately there has been more scrutiny of his murder than of the death and destruction that Saudi forces have inflicted on Yemen, and of the ongoing human rights abuses for those living and working in Saudi Arabia and those affected by Saudi Arabia’s international policies. On the 19th November, we co-hosted an event on ‘Saudi-British relations: silenced oppressions & complicity’.

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Topics: Bahrain, Saudi Arabia

“AngloArabia” – talk by David Wearing, hosted by London CAAT

 

David Wearing points to Bahrain on a projected map of the Middle East
David Wearing discusses the links between Britain, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain

Earlier this month author David Wearing spoke in London on Britain’s military and economic support for Saudi Arabia, and the UK connection with the war in Yemen.

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Topics: Action Reports, Saudi Arabia

#SaudiPrinceNotWelcome – Our Open Letter

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman, principal architect of the war on Yemen which has devastated the country and caused what the UN has called a “humanitarian catastrophe”, has been invited to the UK. On 25th January, Lucie Kinchin from CAAT joined with representatives from other NGOs and human rights organisations to hand in an open letter to say he is not welcome here.

Protesters outside Downing Street
Demonstrators outside Downing Street

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Topics: Saudi Arabia

Free Raif Badawi, Stop Arming Saudi Repression

January 9th marked three years since imprisoned Saudi blogger Raif Badawi was flogged by the Saudi Arabian state. CAAT joined English PEN, Reporters Without Borders and Amnesty International at a vigil outside the Saudi embassy. We demanded Raif’s immediate release and an end to arms sales to Saudi Arabia.

Protesters stand outside the Saudi embassy. They hold placards that read, “Free Raif”, “Free Waleed”, “Saudi Arabian blogger imprisoned - 1000 lashes - 10 years in prison - #FreeRaif @EnglishPEN” and a large banner that says “#FreeRaif, Stop Arming Saudi Repression”
Protesters hold a banner and #FreeRaif placards outside the Saudi embassy in London.

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Topics: Arms companies, Countries, Government, Saudi Arabia

Time to act on Yemen

Protesters block a road holding signs saying "Stop Arming Saudi"
Protesters at this year’s DSEI arms fair blocked deliveries of weapons calling for an end to arms sales to Saudi

What is happening in Yemen should be plastered across every UK newspaper, every day. Saudi forces are using UK-supplied weapons to destroy vital civilian infrastructure, including schools, hospitals, water supplies and electrical grids.

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Topics: Arms fairs, DSEI, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Turkey

Public opinion is firmly against the arms trade

This September, thousands of people took part in two weeks of effective action against the DSEI arms fair, but we were acting for millions more across the UK. One thing we always have to remember is that public opinion is firmly on our side and that the overwhelming majority of people across the country are appalled by events like DSEI.

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Topics: Arms fairs, DSEI, Saudi Arabia

Stop Arming Saudi activists call for further action

Quaker activist Sam Walton and Rev Daniel Woodhouse have pled ‘Not Guilty’ to criminal damage at their pre-trial hearing, and called for further action to Stop Arming Saudi. Sam Walton reports.

Back in January we broke into BAE System’s Warton Airbase to try and disarm warplanes they are selling to the Saudis. The Saudi are using those planes in their bombing campaign that is devastating Yemen. We had to take action to prevent crimes against humanity.sam walton and Rev Daniel Woodhouse outside the magistrates court Continue reading “Stop Arming Saudi activists call for further action”