War Profiteers' News, August 2014

Editorial
'Arming all sides' is the name of this issue's campaign of the month - an initiative that looks at
the arms trade during World War One, and how the arms trade has been one of the main
motors for wars since "the war to end all wars". he latest militar! attacks in "ra# are the
clearest e$ample of war profiteers making their killing b! arming all sides. he comedian and
commentator %ark &teel in an article entitled "Arming people and bombing them at the same
time' that's a strateg! " said "There cant be many people in the Middle East who havent been
bombed by America for using the weapons given to them by America. Millions of people out there
must be psychological wrecks, not because of shell shock but because when a Western army
arrives, they dont know if theyre going to be tortured with garden shears or given a palace and
told theyre the new king".
The newspaper editors struggle to choose what conflict makes the top story: one day it's Gaza, then
Ukraine, followed quickly by Iraq and the crimes of the militarised police in ergurson! There is
one thing that connects them all " someone is profiting from them, whether it's the companies
pro#iding arms, the corporations e$tracting the resources from communities hit by military conflict
or the banks who in#est in them, the list is endless!
%ombined Tactical &ystems '%T&( is a good e$ample of global war profiteering! This is the
company that has supplied tear gas to the police in ergurson, and is at the same time pro#iding tear
gas used against )alestinians in Gaza and protesters in *ahrain and +gypt! Using social media,
)alestinian acti#ists were informing protesters in ergurson how to protect themsel#es against the
effects of %T& tear gas! ,ar profiteering is a global business: so resistance to it!
-ast month ,.I celebrated its international conference in %ape Town, &outh /frica! 0uring the
conference we learned of the impact that economic pressure had for the end of /partheid, through
boycott, di#estment and sanctions! 0esmond Tutu " the main public figure behind the *0&
campaign against /partheid " welcomed us to %ape Town and reminded us of the importance of
economic pressure and the connection between the struggle against /partheid in &outh /frica and
the occupation of )alestine! 1mar *arghouti " co"founder of the )alestinian *0& campaign " also
2oined us in %ape Town, and in this issue we publish his conference speech, where he argues that
the *0& campaign keeps on building momentum, with more and more companies dis"in#esting
from Israel! /t the conference we also heard from &ahar 3ardi, an Israeli conscientious ob2ector,
about the struggle inside Israel against militarism! 0uring the conference we heard again and again
that long lasting change comes from mobilisation inside ones own society! The resistance by Israeli
antimilitarist and anti"occupation organisers in )alestine and Israel is key!
/t the same time the role of a global mo#ement against the occupation in in#aluable! This
mo#ement is ready and organised to take action, as we saw with actions occupying the buildings of
+lbit &ystems " Israel's main arms manufacturer and our war profiteer of the month " in *ritain and
/ustralia! In 1akland U&/, acti#ists stopped an Israeli ship from unloading its good! /n
international call for a military embargo on Israel, along with many more forms of pressure e$erted
against Israeli militarisation and in support of non#iolent resistance, are leading the way for a free
)alestine!
1ur outrage grows with all the in2ustices committed through war and militarism, to the benefit of a
few! 4owe#er, as we learn of inspiring actions for peace and 2ustice worldwide, we see the need of
further cooperation! ,e know of many different networks against war and militarism " as I write
this editorial, the network 5o to 5/T1 prepares for acti#ities in ,ales against the 5/T1 summit! It
is time for an initiati#e that brings together the different networks, groups and people resisting war
and its causes " ,.I is a#ailable6
7a#ier G8rate
BDS: The South Africa Momet for
Pa!estiias
War (rofiteers' )ews, August *+,-
By Omar Barghouti
9Just as we said during apartheid that it was inappropriate for international artists to perform in
South Africa in a society founded on discriminatory laws and racial exclusivity, so it would be
wrong for Cape Town Opera to perform in srael!"
: esmond Tutu
*ack in the ;<=>s, while studying engineering at %olumbia Uni#ersity in 5ew ?ork, I was acti#e in
the di#estment campaign against &outh /frican apartheid! ,hen a fellow student cynically asked
me, 90o you really think apartheid will end in your lifetime@A, my answer was, 95o, I donBt! I am
doing this as a moral obligation to stand with the oppressed anywhere!A *ut apartheid was abolished
in my lifetime, and no one can take the inspiring power of that achie#ement away from me or from
anyone around the world who contributed, no matter how modestly, to that uni#ersal struggle!
.ooted in a decades"old tradition of )alestinian popular and ci#ic resistance to IsraelBs regime of
oppression and deeply inspired by the struggle against apartheid in &outh /frica and the ci#il rights
mo#ement in the U!&!, the )alestinian"led *oycott, 0i#estment and &anctions '*0&( mo#ement is
today a global network that is pro#ing to be singularly effecti#e in the struggle for comprehensi#e
)alestinian rights!
The *0& %all was launched on 7uly <, C>>D by an unprecedented alliance of more than ;E>
)alestinian parties, trade unions, refugee groups and grassroots associations calling on people of
conscience and organizations worldwide to 9impose broad boycotts and implement di#estment
initiati#es against Israel similar to those applied to &outh /frica in the apartheid era!A
The global *0& mo#ement, led by the absolute largest coalition in )alestinian society, the *0&
5ational %ommittee '*5%(, calls for an end to IsraelBs occupation of )alestinian and other /rab
territories occupied since ;<FE, including dismantling the illegal wall and coloniesG an end to
IsraelBs system of legalized racial discrimination which meets the U5 definition of apartheidG and
for the inherent and U5"stipulated right of )alestinian refugees to return to their homes of origin!
These basic rights correspond to the three main components of the )alestinian people: those under
occupation in the Gaza &trip and the ,est *ank, including +ast 7erusalem 'H= percent of the
)alestinian people(G )alestinian citizens li#ing under Israeli apartheid ';CI(, and those in e$ile
'D>I(! Jore than two thirds of )alestinians are refugees or internally displaced persons!
/nchored in the Uni#ersal 0eclaration of 4uman .ights, the *0& mo#ement re2ects all forms of
racism, including anti"&emitism, and calls for equal rights for all humans, irrespecti#e of identity!
1#er the last two years, *0& has reached a tipping point! In the last few weeks alone, *0&"related
successes included the decision by the influential )resbyterian %hurch U&/ to di#est from three
companies in#ol#ed in the Israeli occupationK%aterpillar, 4) and Jotorola &olutions! The Gates
oundation di#ested its entire stake 'more than L;=> million( in the worldBs largest security
company, GM&, after an intense *0& campaign, as did the United Jethodist %hurch! GM& is losing
business in 5orway, &outh /frica, the +uropean )arliament, se#eral *ritish uni#ersities, and
elsewhere, partially as a result of its in#ol#ement in Israeli prisons, where )alestinians, including
children, are tortured, and in protecting illegal Israeli colonies and military checkpoints in the
occupied )alestinian territory '1)T(!
Ja2or +uropean pension funds and banks ha#e di#ested from companies profiting from IsraelBs
occupation and human rights #iolations!
.enowned filmmakers, writers, bands and artists, including 4ollywood star 0anny Glo#er and best"
selling author /lice ,alker, ha#e endorsed *0& or at least heeded the boycott call and refused to
participate in Israeli cultural e#ents!
In C>;H, one of the worldBs leading scientists, &tephen 4awking, boycotted a 4ebrew Uni#ersity
conference, while four U!&! academic associations, including the /merican &tudies /ssociation,
adopted the academic boycott of Israel, as did the TeachersB Union of Ireland!
It is crucial to note that the Uni#ersity of 7ohannesburg had set a precedent in C>;; by se#ering
links with *en Gurion Uni#ersity o#er human rights #iolations!
In &outh /frica, support for *0& came from %1&/TU, the &outh /frican %ouncil of %hurches, the
/5% national conference in C>;C and from grassroots mo#ements! Ja2or trade union bodies in
*ritain, Ireland, India, *razil, 5orway, %anada, Italy, rance, *elgium and Turkey, among others,
ha#e endorsed *0&!
3eolia, a corporation complicit in IsraelBs occupation, has lost or had to withdraw bids for contracts
worth more than LCH billion, mainly in &weden, the UN, Ireland and the U!&!
+uropean go#ernments ha#e issued guidelines to their citizens and businesses ad#ising them against
being in#ol#ed in relations and pro2ects that normalize IsraelBs occupation and illegal settlements,
including in +ast 7erusalem!
IsraelBs standing in world public opinion has been eroding for quite some time due to two main
factors: the moral power and effecti#eness of the global *0& mo#ement, including its crucial anti"
colonial Israeli component, and IsraelBs political shift to the far right! / C>;H **% international
public opinion poll shows Israel competing with 5orth Norea as the third" or fourth" least popular
country in the world!
IsraelBs deep ties with 9some of the worldBs most re#iled regimes,A as e$posed by &asha )olakow"
&uransky in his book, The #nspo$en Alliance% srael&s Secret 'elationship with Apartheid South
Africa, and particularly its 9intimate alliance with apartheid &outh /frica,A ha#e contributed to its
9moral decay and the rise of anti"Israel sentiment abroad!A
/ key inspiration for the *0& mo#ement for )alestinian rights comes from 5elson Jandela, who
famously said that &outh /frican freedom was 9incompleteA without )alestinian freedom! &outh
/frica today is called upon, by )alestinians and all peace and 2ustice lo#ing people around the
world, to 9completeA its freedom by endorsing effecti#e, far"reaching sanctions to hold Israel, its
complicit institutions and banks, and international corporations that maintain its regime of
occupation and apartheid accountable! This would bring closer our &outh /frica moment!
*ut we need your support to get there! ,e need people of conscience the world o#er to work with
us to isolate IsraelBs regime of occupation and apartheid! .esisting war means nothing, as you all
know, if it does not entail resisting war mongers and war profiteers! .esisting en#ironmental
destruction is futile without standing up to polluters and to policies that enable them to carry on!
.esisting in2ustice, po#erty, oppression is reduced to rhetoric or arm"chair intellectualism if
di#orced from reflection and action on how to address their root causes!
In the same #ein, effecti#e solidarity with )alestinian rights today spells *0&! The )alestinian
people is appealing for effecti#e international solidarity with our struggle for freedom, 2ustice and
equality, which &outh /frican 2urist 7ohn 0ugard describes as the worldBs current 9litmus test for
human rights!A ,e shall o#ercome!
Text presented at ('&s Small Action Big )ovements% the continuum of nonviolence conference in
South Africa! Omar Barghouti is a human rights activist and co*founder of the global, +alestinian*
led Boycott, ,ivestment and Sanctions -B,S. movement against srael!
Armig the "uro#ea $io%
By (endela de /ries
9&ecure societies : )rotecting freedom and security of +urope and its citizens!A
-ast year, the powerful 0G Trade and +nterprise of the +uropean %ommission published a study on
the +uropean arms industry! The 'strategy for a stronger and more competiti#e +uropean defence
industry' stresses the need for a strong +uropean arms industry, not only to pro#ide security but first
and foremost because the %ommission considers the arms industry a great technological inno#ator
and employment generator! /ccording to the %ommission, military research should be stimulated
with +U money, and e$port regulation '9unnecessary red tapeA( should be kept to a minimum!
There was e#en the proposal to use the %ommission as 'launching costumer' for new military
products! ,hen reading this %ommunication one can only conclude that the lobby of the +uropean
defence industry : by organisations like /ero&pace and 0efence Industries /ssociation of +urope "
has been #ery effecti#e!
The claim of the %ommission, that the defence industry strongly contributes to inno#ation and 2obs,
is based on figures from the industry itself! 1ther figures, based on scientific research, do not show
e#idence of the military industry as a economic motor! The spin"off effect of the last century, when
military technology brought inno#ation to ci#il technology, is in this digital age replaced by the use
of more generic technologies as the basis for both ci#il and military products!
/pparently the %ommission is aware of thisG it stresses the importance of dual use technology! The
+U has set aside H!= billion euros o#er the coming se#en years for research into dual use 'products
with both a military and a ci#il application(, under the 4orizon C>C> '&ecure &ocieties' program!
There is also a stimulation program especially for the defence and dual use sector, to help them to
make better use of .egional &tructural unds!
,hen the %ommunication was published, hopes were high with some in *russels that this would be
a breakthrough for a +uropean military and arms industry policy! The +uropean )arliament
subcommittee on &ecurity and 0efence called for making 9the +U a rele#ant global actor and
security pro#ider with real strategic autonomyA! *ut before the +U defence summit took place in
0ecember C>;H it was clear that +U member states had no intention to hand o#er any power o#er
military and arms industry to *russels! The foreign and defence interests of +uropean countries are
simply too far apart and often e#en contradictory! 4owe#er, member states did recognize a need to
'fill gaps' in the +U defence capacity! 5otably, during the -ibya war, there was frustration within
+uropean armed forces that they were dependent on the U& for some capacities! /s a result, one of
the outcomes of the defence summit was to task the +uropean 0efence /gency +0/, a body under
4igh .epresentati#e for oreign /ffairs and &ecurity )olicy %atherine /shton, with four capability
programmes in the fields of air"to"air refuelling, remotely piloted aircraft systems 'commonly
known as drones(, satellite communication, and cyber defence, where +urope feels it is lagging
behind!
Jeanwhile, peace acti#ists protested against the defence acti#ities of the +U, with *elgian peace
groups 3redesactie and /gir pour la )ai$ taking the lead! 0uring the defence summit, they cheered
up the boring bureaucratic *russels bubble with street theater, banner drops and a blockade of the
posh +0/ conference O+uropean 0efence JattersO! The defence lobbyists and pro"military J+)'s
had to wade through a pool of 'fake( blood before they could enter their conference building!
1n occasion of the +uropean )arliament elections *elgian, *ritish and 0utch peace groups
published a report on the #oting beha#iour of Jembers of the +uropean )arliament on issues such
as drones, military research and the pollution of the de#elopment aid budget by spending on
military missions! The +uropean 5etwork /gainst /rms Trade +5//T published a commentary on
the annual +U arms e$port report, based on the research of the Italian peace group 'ete taliana per
il ,isarmo! +5//T also runs a database on +uropean arms e$port figures, where e$ports : as
reported by go#ernments : can be searched on weapon type, e$port destination and e$porting
country!
/s the +uropean %ouncil intends to hold regular defence summits in coming years, there will be
lots of decisi#e moments where we need to make our #oices heard in *russels! The military conflict
in the Ukraine will be used as a new argument for the increase of military budgets and +U support
for arms industry research! /lready the %ommission is preparing a proposal to make the arms
industry directly fundable from the +U research fund 4orizon C>C>, where it is now limited to what
is called 'security research'!
The defence industry has a #ery strong lobby with the +uropean %ommission and wants money and
contracts! /t a +0/ conference in Jarch a representati#e of arms company /irbus 'former +/0&(
declared that concrete programs with additional budgets are necessary! 9.esearch and de#elopment
is only worthwhile if we ha#e the ambition to build the ne$t generation of products!A
(endela de /ries is coordinator of Stop (apenhandel 0 Stop Arms Trade
The &asu' i "cua(or: A mo(e! for
o)io!et resistace
By 1avier 2e3n /ega
In +cuador, antimilitarist and en#ironmental acti#ists are currently working together in a way that
allows us to imagine a post*extraction society! &ince the ;<E>s, the country has been hea#ily
dependent on petroleum e$traction in order to finance its budget and achie#e sought"after
'de#elopment', as defined by the ,estern world #iew!
This has led to +cuador depending on petroleum for almost HDI of its income! '+l TelPgrafo, C>;C(
This model based on e$traction has not taken into consideration the en#ironmental and social costs
in some areas of the country, displacing and contaminating indigenous and rural communities in the
areas where petroleum is e$tracted!
In response, a group of community and youth organisations decided to campaign against petroleum
e$traction in ?asunQ 5ational )ark, where there is an attempt to implement a petroleum e$ploration
and e$traction pro2ect which would impact one of the areas of greatest biodi#ersity on the planet,
where there are e#en peoples who li#e in #oluntary isolation, such as the Tagaeri and the
Taromenani!
The growing militarisation of the ?asunQ region by the +cuatorian go#ernment has led to there being
access restrictions in area where they are trying to drill for oil! 1nce again the armed forces play the
role of 'protecting' the state and its natural resources while also impeding people's mo#ements and
blocking any monitoring of what is happening in the area!
The company in charge of the oil drilling, which has already started e$ploratory studies, would be
)etroamazonas, an +cuadorian state company which would work in association with %hinese
companies interested in ?asunQ oil, as %hina is currently eager for natural resources such as
petroleum!
This whole situation was an incenti#e for the creation of the ?asunidos mo#ement, which works
against petroleum e$ploitation in the ?asunQ and in fa#our of a post*petroleum society!
1ne of our main acti#ities o#er the past few months has been a proposal for a popular referendum
carried out by citizens so that people can e$press whether they are for or against petroleum
e$ploration in the area!
The path through this process was #ery difficult because we had to collect DF>,>>> signatures,
which is appro$imately DI of the country's electoral register! ,e went about this work by
organising e#eryone who was interested in the defence of the national park at a national le#el! /fter
many months of effort and citizen participation, we were able to collect about ED>,>>> signatures,
which really moti#ated us to belie#e in the process of participation and think that people would
finally ha#e a chance to #oice their opinions!
4owe#er, the state institution in charge of #erifying the signatures and organising the consultation
in#alidated many of our signatures on technicalities, saying the size of the piece of paper was too
small, that the signatures were outside the bo$ where they were supposed to go, that people's names
were not complete, etc! That is to say that people in +cuador were pre#ented from gi#ing their
opinions regarding something that is #ery important and worrying such as the possible e$ploitation
of the ?asunQ national park !
The whole process included constant obstruction and intimidation of e#eryone in#ol#ed in the
?asunidos collecti#e, with intimidation ranging from being followed by go#ernment intelligence
agents, to the circulation of fake signature collection forms, to impeding public actions we carry out
for the ?asunQ!
This makes us think that new forms of militarisation in -atin /merica are intended to secure the
e$traction of natural resources using the military apparatus to displace, intimidate and prohibit the
entry of citizens who are worried about the en#ironment in our countries! This is e$pressed in the
case of the ?asunQ, for e$ample, in the way that many citizen protests ha#e been suppressed, while
areas near the national park are surrounded by soldiers and the military dominates and controls the
zone around the national park! This increases +cuador's military budget under the prete$t of
protecting natural resources and national security, amongst other factors! 4a#ing no more enemies,
we ha#e become the direct citizens of our countries, who in the state's #iew are opposed to
de#elopment!
1ne e$ample of go#ernment repression happened on ;D /ugust C>;H, when a peaceful march in
Ruito was #iolently suppressed using disproportionate police force! .ubber bullets were used,
causing serious clashes that showed 2ust how little interest the state has in guaranteeing the right to
protest and opening a dialogue about the ?asunQ!
In ?asunidos we ha#e learned to work in con2unction with a series of collecti#es which represent
the di#ersity that we promote, including groups of women, anti"militarists, en#ironmentalists,
animal rights acti#ists, students and neighbourhood organisations, amongst others!
,e belie#e that in the current conte$t it is increasingly necessary to work in coordination with
#arious collecti#es, in order to denounce and resist the militarisation and en#ironmental destruction
that is occurring on a global scale!
.ight now we continue working, promoting and carrying out actions rooted in non#iolence
including pickets, obser#ation trips to the area, international support campaigns, marches through
the ?asunQ, information in educational institutions and spaces! These allow us to see and speak out
about the effects that petroleum e$traction will ha#e in areas like the ?asunQ! This has been
in#aluable in creating an ample support base across the country, which has been complimented by
growing concern with what is happening in en#ironmental and social arenas, particularly where
extractionism takes root!
,e, the acti#ists who make up ?asunidos, belie#e that non#iolence and resistance starting with ci#il
disobedience should be promoted and adapted to these new realities in which natural resource
shortages pro#oke a growing militarisation of the state!
If you want more information about ?asunidos and our #ision, you can #isit:
www!yasunidos!org
*i+ig i)asio of the British Museum
By Sunniva Taylor
The -ondon"based *ritish Juseum was 'peacefully( in#aded by unin#ited guests four times in
7une: one &aturday afternoon people : many dressed as 3ikings " erected a mobile long ship in the
museum's Great %ourt in an act of #ocal performance poetry initiated by the group *) or not *)G on
separate lunchtimes #isitors to the museum found a group of Ruakers and friends holding a Jeeting
for ,orship, surrounded by posters about *)G and on a weekend afternoon members of the 0harma
/ction 5etwork for %limate +ngagement '0/5%+(, a group of acti#e *uddhist practitioners, held
a walking mediation around the museum, reflecting on the link between big oil and climate change!
.iking funeral mock up at the /ritish %useum

,hy all this acti#ity@ The *ritish Juseum is currently in a sponsorship deal with the oil company
*), who are specifically funding and branding a number of special e$hibitions! +arlier this year it
was the 3iking e$hibition! The in#asions were part of a growing mo#ement of people committed to
e$posing and questioning how and why fossil fuel companies are sponsoring arts institutions! In
-ondon *) also sponsors the Tate gallery, 5ational )ortrait Gallery and .oyal 1pera 4ouse!
,e are in the midst of an ecological crisis, in which humanity is perpetrating #iolence on the earth!
,e are e$tracting resources in ways that desecrate the en#ironment, and polluting at a scale far
greater than ecosystems can absorb! /s a consequence we face catastrophic climate change, as well
as biodi#ersity lossG and as a result inflict #iolence and suffering upon our human neighbours and
oursel#es, both in the future and today!
,hilst we are all complicit to some degree, we make our choices in the conte$t of the economy and
society in which we li#e! The current economic system is one powered by carbon intensi#e fossil
fuels, and based on the perpetuation of #iolence : against the earth and other people : to make
profit! ossil fuel companies are at the heart of this, for, as 0esmond Tutu said earlier this year
'Twenty"fi#e years ago people could be e$cused for not knowing much, or doing much, about
climate change! Today we ha#e no e$cuse!' /nd yet, despite the fact that these companies, such as
*), ha#e more than fi#e times the amount of fossil fuels in their pro#en reser#es than we can afford
to burn if we are to a#oid catastrophic climate change, they continue to search for more and to
identify e#en more e$treme ways of e$tracting! They also lobby go#ernments for greater support
and try and pre#ent a climate agreement which might limit their ongoing ability to e$tract! /nd they
try to maintain their 'license to operate' by associating themsel#es with that which is 'good': such as
arts and culture!
Tutu went on to say: ')eople of conscience need to break their ties with corporations financing the
in2ustice of climate change!!!Swe need toT encourage more of our uni#ersities and municipalities and
cultural institutions to cut their ties to the fossil"fuel industry!' This is what the *ritish Juseum
acti#ists were doing, alongside people targeting other fossil fuel sponsored arts institutions! It is also
what the growing fossil fuel di#estment mo#ement attempts to do, by calling for indi#iduals and
institutions to stop in#esting in fossil fuels!
1ne of the posters laid out at the Ruaker Jeeting for ,orship read U,e gather in stillness to show
lo#e for our earth, and our resistance to powers such as oil company *), who sponsor *ritish
Juseum e$hibitions!B %hris ,alker, a Ruaker present at all four of Jeeting for ,orship protests to
date says: 'I see our worship as a particularly powerful inter#ention! In being there we held a space
that is both peaceful and in tension to that around us'! This creati#e tension seems to be a thread
common to all the actions happening both in the *ritish Juseum and elsewhere! They all aim to
in#oke a conflict by opening up space for people to question the system they li#e with in, and the
owers that control it!
These actions : from Ruakers, 0/5%+ and *) or not *) : were not planned together, but were
linked! The 0/5%+ actions were directly inspired by the Ruaker meetings for worship, whilst the
last Ruaker Jeeting was deliberately held the day after the *) or not *) U3iking in#asionB, in order
to demonstrate the di#ersity and scale of concern, and the increasing commitment to action!
1bser#ers of the -ondon direct action scene in recent years might ha#e witnessed an increase in
campaigns targeting those institutions that Ugreen washB the image of damaging corporations! ItBs
not 2ust fossil fuel companies howe#er : the arms trade also does a sterling 2ob of bolstering their
reputation by associating with much"lo#ed museums! %ampaign /gainst /rms Trade is working to
get arms dealers out of the arts! %urrently putting pressure on the -ondon Transport Juseum who
are sponsored by Thales, the ele#enth largest arms company in the world, they can take credit for
ha#ing a hand in U0isarming the GalleryB: getting the UNBs 5ational Gallery to end a long"standing
sponsorship arrangement with weapons manufacturer inmeccanica in C>;C!
These actions feed into each other! %limate campaigners ha#e also seen some successes! ollowing
months of pressure, -ondonBs &outhbank %entre suddenly ended its long"running sponsorship deal
with &hell earlier in C>;M! Tactics spread, they catch on " and targets donBt always catch on at the
same speed!
These actions are an e$ample of small groups of indi#iduals enacting pressure on arts institutions
for whom reputation is so important! These interactions can feel more empowering than challenging
go#ernment departments or large corporations! -ouisa ,right, who has participated in artistic
actions to challenge *)'s sponsorship of the Tate, as well protesting about the *ritish Juseum's
sponsorship deal said: 'I don't want art to be complicit in destruction! 1ur cultural institutions
should be there to create a space for us to think about who we want to be and what life is really
about! 5ot to co"opt us to be part of a #iolent system! If they aren't going to do that themsel#es, then
we ha#e to help, by inter#ening and creating that con#ersation oursel#es'!
,am#aig of the Moth: Armig a!! Si(es
or the ne$t four years the irst ,orld ,ar may be used to
promote militarism! *ut to use the war to promote military spending and 2ustify conflict is a
miserable legacy for those who died! %//T is challenging this militarism, which helps to sustain
the arms trade now, by e$posing the profiteering of the arms trade during the irst ,orld ,ar, and
the opposition to it that followed! / new website http:VVarmingallsides!org!uk will be launched in
7uly to e$pose the arms trade in that period, and draw parallels with current times!
(arallels
*y the time of the irst ,orld ,ar arms companies had already de#eloped the characteristics that
they ha#e been criticised for e#er since: corruption, creating war scares and selling to potential
opponents or to both sides of a conflict!
Jeanwhile, there had been a high le#el of cooperation amongst companies across national
boundaries! In ;<>; 3ickers ga#e a licence to German firm Nrupp to make Ja$im guns, while in
;<>C Nrupp licensed 3ickers to make their fuses!
urkish contract
/rmstrong and 3ickers 'which were incorporated into what is now */+ &ystems( both built a super
dreadnought for the 1ttoman +mpire in ;<;;:;<;C! In ;<;H the companies signed lucrati#e deals
with the Turkish go#ernment to maintain two na#al bases! 5o foreign worker, unless they were
*ritish, was allowed to be employed there! *ritish workmanship and technicians were thus
unwittingly responsible for the slaughter of *ritish troops and their allies at the 0ardanelles, /nzac
%o#e and %ape 4elles!
Opposition
In the ;<C>s, public questioning of what the war had achie#ed and opposition to the arms trade was
growing! *y the time a )eace *allot, organised by the -eague of 5ations Union, took place in ;<HM,
arms trade profiteering was considered to ha#e been one of the causes of the war and ;> million out
of the ;;!CD million people polled #oted to prohibit the pri#ate manufacture of arms!
Arms companies now
/rms companies e$ist to sell weapons, irrespecti#e of national boundaries, and selling to all sides in
a conflict has not abated since the irst ,orld ,ar! The conflict in -ibya in C>;; is a case in point!
/rms from one company, J*0/, were used by GaddafiBs forces, the -ibyan rebels and the UN and
rench military!
To challenge the arms trade we need to counter the myth that arms companies act in the national
interest! +$posing their beha#iour a century ago will help us to counter those trying to teach the
wrong lessons from the irst ,orld ,ar: remembering how people opposed the arms trade then will
inspire us to challenge it now!
0ampaign
0isgusted by the beha#iour of arms companies at the time of ,orld ,ar 1ne@ Get in#ol#ed with
inspiring and effecti#e action to end the arms trade today!
,hether itBs writing letters to your local newspaper or J), organising a stall or a talk, or protesting
at your local arms company, there are lots of opportunities to take action against the arms trade
today!
If you ha#e ideas for creati#e actions looking at the arms trade then and now we would be delighted
to support you! or e$ample you could organise a U)eace *allotU in your town to see what the
results are today!
?ou can also #isit %ampaign /gainst /rms TradeBs website to get in#ol#ed with current campaigns,
sign"up for updates, or attend e#ents!
War Profiteer of the Moth: "!-it S.stems
4lbit Systems is one of the world&s largest defence electronics manufacturers and integrators!
4stablished in 5678, and based in 9aifa, srael, 4lbit employs 55,::: people worldwide! t supplies
the military, navy and air force in the occupation of +alestine, and has profited greatly from srael&s
numerous attac$s and assaults on the +alestinian and 2ebanese people! ;a<a and southern
2ebanon in particular serve as testing grounds for 4lbit&s weapons and technology, as it continually
develops and enhances its products based on the expertise gained by the attac$s on the people in
this area!
By 'ania =hale$
/s Israel ruthlessly destroys the besieged Gaza &trip, its
largest de#eloper of military technology, +lbit &ystems, is benefiting from the bloodshed!
U&"traded shares of +lbit ha#e climbed F!; percent since = 7uly, when Israel began its latest
offensi#e against the Gaza &trip!
/ccording to Bloomberg Business(ee$, IsraelBs three"week long massacre of ;,C>> )alestinians in
Gaza, including nearly H>> children, 9has pushed S+lbitBsT stock close to the highest le#el since
C>;> while its #aluation on a price"to"earnings basis is near the most e$pensi#e in fi#e years!A
The rising stock is dri#en by speculation that the 4aifa"based company will see increasing demand
for its products from both the Israeli and foreign go#ernments impressed by the performance of
+lbitBs blood"soaked performance in Gaza!
Pa!estie is a !a-orator.
-ike most Israeli military contractors, +lbit benefits from IsraelBs decades"long brutal occupation of
)alestine, which ser#es as a laboratory for IsraelBs ballooning 9homeland securityA industry to test
and perfect methods of domination and control, with )alestinians as their in#oluntary lab rats!
IsraelBs suppression technology is then e$ported to regimes that are similarly in#ested in
sub2ugating the poor and marginalized, like the United &tates, where +lbit was recently granted a
lucrati#e L;MD million contract to pro#ide sur#eillance technology at the /rizona"Je$ico border!
This is the same +lbit sur#eillance technology used to construct and maintain IsraelBs apartheid wall
in the occupied ,est *ank, which the International %ourt of 7ustice has deemed illegal under
international law!
"/#ortig re#ressio
+$perimenting on )alestinians has pa#ed the way for Israel, a country the size of 5ew 7ersey, to
become the worldBs number one e$porter of unmanned aerial #ehicles 'U/3s(, more commonly
known as drones!
+lbitBs 4ermes drone is one of the most widely used by the Israeli army, particularly in the Gaza
&trip, where the 4ermes MD>, outfitted to carry two medium range missiles, has been hea#ily
deployed against ci#ilians in Gaza!
Jarketed as 9combat"pro#enA on the companyBs website, the 4ermes MD> drone boasts 9H>>,>>>
operational flight hours and a class"leading safety and reliability record,A a bold declaration for a
product that, according to 4uman .ights ,atch, was used by the Israeli army to deliberately target
ci#ilians in Gaza during IsraelBs C>>="C>>< onslaught, which killed ;,M>> )alestinians, including at
least M>> children!
The 4ermes drone was also used to kill ci#ilians in IsraelBs war on -ebanon in C>>F, including .ed
%ross workers, ambulance dri#ers and dozens of people fleeing their homes in a desperate and futile
search for safety from Israeli bombardment!
/pparently impressed by the aircraftBs capacity for bloodshed, the *razilian go#ernment purchased
a fleet of 4ermes drones to help crush the massi#e protests that erupted across *razil against the
recent ,orld %up!
In a deal worth LC=> million, the &wiss go#ernment last month purchased the 4ermes <>>, a
sur#eillance #ersion of the more deadly 4ermes MD>!
+lbit is also in#ol#ed in a L;!F billion 2oint #enture with Thales, a rench weapons company, to
de#elop a drone similar to the 4ermes MD> for the UN defence ministry!
"/#ortig (eath
)alestinian children whose tiny bodies are torn to shreds by +lbitBs equipment are central to the
companyBs ad#ertising strategy!
In 7une, +lbit secured a LC> million contract to supply the )hilippines armed forces with, among
other things, unmanned turrets, remote control weapons stations and fire control systems! /ll of
these systems furnish #arious models of the Israeli armyBs most widely"used Jerka#a tank, se#eral
of which are currently inside the Gaza &trip, shelling hospitals and U5"designated shelters and
reducing entire ci#ilian neighbourhoods, like &hu2aiya, to rubble!
+lbitBs unmanned turrets K electronically"controlled missile launchers mounted on top of tanks K
are ad#ertised as offering 9combat"pro#en firepower!A
The company similarly markets its remote"controlled weapons station as 9field"pro#en,A adding that
it 9incorporates o#er thirty years of de#elopment in stabilization systems!A /s for +lbitBs fire control
systems, they ha#e 9repeatedly met the test of combat!A
0ecades of 9field"testingA its killing machines on )alestinians is a selling point for IsraelBs
9homeland securityA industry, and 2udging by the anticipation for profit that prompted +lbitBs shares
to grow, it is a strategy that works!
This is one of many reasons )alestinians ha#e demanded an immediate and comprehensi#e military
embargo on Israel!
Gaza is a ghettoised open"air laboratory of death and destruction! +quipment tested there is being
e$ported to other parts of the world!
It is long past time to heed the )alestinian call to se#er ties to this oppressi#e system at the source!
>irst published by 4lectronic ntifada on ?6 July ?:5@