The wave of popular demonstrations which started in Tunisia in December have now spread to Bahrain and Libya, where, in recent days, security forces have killed and injured dozens of unarmed citizens protesting against their countries' undemocratic, dictatorial regimes.
This cartoon by Schrank from The Independent on Sunday sums up the moral blindness of Britain's official attitude towards arms exports to such countries. British firms were granted licences last year to export crowd-control weapons and military equipment to a number of oppressive regimes, including Bahrain and Libya.
A British arms dealer is shown carrying a briefcase stuffed with banknotes. He is holding an 'export licence to kill', issued by HM Government. In the background, a pile of bloody bodies lies on the ground, with a 'DEMOCRACY' banner beside them. A smoking gun can be seen pointing towards them on the right. The arms dealer comments, by way of justification: "The paperwork was all in order". That's alright then.
VOCABULARY
Paperwork is another word for written documents. • The paperwork for the agreement to lend a 20-month old female panda to Thailand for two more years has been completed.
READ MORE
• Gaddafi fights for his future as up to 200 die in Benghazi (Independent on Sunday)
• Britain has no business arming repressive regimes (The Independent)
• Ban all weapons sales to authoritarian regimes (The Guardian)
• Britain revokes arms licences to Bahrain and Libya (The Telegraph)
