Conflict as a business opportunity

Yamanyoon- 24 Oct 2017

The UK has approved sales of the Tornado aircraft, which is partially manufactured by BAE systems; BAE’s Tactica armoured vehicles, valued at $580,000; vehicles and tanks; and $1.48bn worth of grenades, missiles and bombs.

Andrew Smith, a spokesperson for the Campaign Against Arms Trade, told Al Jazeera that the “real crime” was the UK government’s decision to keep arming and supporting Saudi Arabia.

“While aid organisations have done everything they can to help the people of Yemen, BAE has seen the conflict as a business opportunity and a means to sell more fighter jets,” Smith said. “What Sam and Daniel did was to try and stop those jets, something they should have never had to do in the first place. The government should have done that.”

The war in Yemen has killed more than 10,000 people and injured more than 40,000 to date, according to the United Nations.

The country is also facing a deadly cholera outbreak, a direct consequence of the war, that has claimed about 2,000 lives and affected more than 500,000 people since late April.

“The UK can’t continue building its economy on the bodies of the innocent,” Walton said.