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RBS/LCC arms sales conference cancelled!

Paul Tait | 02.09.2011 10:17 | Anti-militarism | World

A secret conference scheduled for Thursday 8th September, ‘Middle East: A vast market for UK defence and security companies’, which was due to feature speakers from the government's arms sales unit UK Trade & Industry Defence & Security Organisation and hosted by state-owned Royal Bank of Scotland has been cancelled.

The seminar organisers boasted: "The Middle East is one of the regions with the greatest number of opportunities for UK defence and security companies. Within the Middle East, Saudi Arabia stands out as the top destination for the UK defence industry. Also featured in this list are Oman, UAE and Bahrain, however the Middle East as a whole represents a priority market and is undoubtedly a very worthwhile region to target."

The conference was announced in the wake of news that arms sales to repressive regimes such as Bahrain, Libya and Saudi Arabia had increased by almost a third in recent months despite concerns the weapons had been used to suppress democratic protest.

The seminar was scheduled just five days before the opening of Defence & Security Equipment International (DSEi), the London arms fair. DSEi is one of the world's largest arms fairs and is highly controversial, especially the recent oppression in the Middle East and North Africa.

Paul Tait

Additions

Still planning to protest

02.09.2011 11:45

Cancelling this event is the least they should do, but while it's still being advertised and tickets are still being sold rather than refunded, let's not get too carried away. CAAT's planning to go ahead with a protest, and we'll be approaching any announcements from the LCC with a good dose of scepticism.

Sarah Waldron
mail e-mail: sarah@caat.org.uk
- Homepage: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=203304413067172

Comments

Display the following 7 comments

  1. LCC confirm cancellation — CAAT activist
  2. Sources? — Interested
  3. Confirmation? — Evey
  4. Totally agree — CAAT activist
  5. Protest anyway! — London anarchist
  6. Demo details — Evey
  7. eagerly awaiting the next meeting! — Satgas