Britain to sell Typhoon jets to Bahrain, despite human rights record

[iranigirl2]

The proposed deal with the Gulf monarchy rocked by protests in 2011 is thought to be worth more than £1 billion and is part of a concerted effort by Gulf countries to strengthen military ties with Britain.

The highly political deal was one of the main agenda items in a Downing Street meeting between David Cameron and King Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa, earlier this week.

Bahrain’s government faced condemnation and accusations of brutality for its repression of protests led by the island’s Shia majority in early 2011, but still considers Britain one of its closest international allies.

Amnesty International claimed the arms negotiations showed human rights worries were once again playing second fiddle to British business deals.

Bahraini sources said negotiations centred on a plan to buy a squadron of 12 of the fighter jets which are also used by the RAF.


Downing Street confirmed talks were in their “early stages” and the Government’s international trade department said Bahrain “would be a valuable addition to the Typhoon family”.

Sources cautioned there could still be lengthy negotiations over what training and support would be needed for the jets, as Bahrain tries to overhaul and update its air force.

The Gulf has become a focus of sales of the Eurofighter Typhoons which are made by British arms firm BAE Systems, with European airspace groups EADS and Finmeccanica of Italy.

BAE signed a £4.5 billion deal with Saudi Arabia in 2007 to supply 72 Typhoon jets to Riyadh, though the contract has faced obstacles over the cost.

Oman, a Gulf state which like Bahrain has close links to Britain, ordered 12 of the jets last year.

BAE also hopes to sell 60 of the jets to the United Arab Emirates, where it is facing competition from the Rafale jet made by France's Dassault Aviation.

Bahrain sees its biggest threat from Iran, but Michael Stephens, a researcher at the Royal United Services Institute in Qatar, said there was little military need for the Typhoons to replace Bahrain’s ageing F-16 fighters.

Bahrain’s airspace is well-defended by fighters from neighbouring Saudi Arabia and from the US Fifth Fleet based on the island.

He said: “There’s no way the Saudis would allow the Iranians into Bahraini air space without taking action. Likewise any incursion would incur the wrath of the American air defences.”

Tim Hancock, Amnesty International’s UK campaigns director said: “Bahrain’s human rights situation is appalling and it’s worrying that the UK appears to be taking a ‘business as usual’ approach to selling the country high-tech weaponry.

“The key question is, has the government done proper risk-assessment here and can it be sure that Eurofighters won’t end up being used in the commission of human rights abuses.

“Britain’s record on arms to the Gulf is already extremely chequered and it’s worrying that once again human rights seem to be playing second fiddle to commercial considerations.”

A spokesman for UK Trade and Investment, said: “We are in discussions on a potential sale of Typhoon with the Bahraini air force.

“These discussions are still at a very early stage but we welcome the Bahraini interest. Bahrain would be a valuable addition to the Typhoon family.

“All of our defence exports are consistent with stringent internationally recognised criteria."



Britain to sell Typhoon jets to Bahrain, despite human rights record - Telegraph

 

[RazPaK]

Money talks.

 

[Black Eagle 90]

The proposed deal with the Gulf monarchy rocked by protests in 2011 is thought to be worth more than £1 billion and is part of a concerted effort by Gulf countries to strengthen military ties with Britain.

The highly political deal was one of the main agenda items in a Downing Street meeting between David Cameron and King Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa, earlier this week.

Bahrain’s government faced condemnation and accusations of brutality for its repression of protests led by the island’s Shia majority in early 2011, but still considers Britain one of its closest international allies.

Amnesty International claimed the arms negotiations showed human rights worries were once again playing second fiddle to British business deals.

Bahraini sources said negotiations centred on a plan to buy a squadron of 12 of the fighter jets which are also used by the RAF.


Downing Street confirmed talks were in their “early stages” and the Government’s international trade department said Bahrain “would be a valuable addition to the Typhoon family”.

Sources cautioned there could still be lengthy negotiations over what training and support would be needed for the jets, as Bahrain tries to overhaul and update its air force.

The Gulf has become a focus of sales of the Eurofighter Typhoons which are made by British arms firm BAE Systems, with European airspace groups EADS and Finmeccanica of Italy.

BAE signed a £4.5 billion deal with Saudi Arabia in 2007 to supply 72 Typhoon jets to Riyadh, though the contract has faced obstacles over the cost.

Oman, a Gulf state which like Bahrain has close links to Britain, ordered 12 of the jets last year.

BAE also hopes to sell 60 of the jets to the United Arab Emirates, where it is facing competition from the Rafale jet made by France's Dassault Aviation.

Bahrain sees its biggest threat from Iran, but Michael Stephens, a researcher at the Royal United Services Institute in Qatar, said there was little military need for the Typhoons to replace Bahrain’s ageing F-16 fighters.

Bahrain’s airspace is well-defended by fighters from neighbouring Saudi Arabia and from the US Fifth Fleet based on the island.

He said: “There’s no way the Saudis would allow the Iranians into Bahraini air space without taking action. Likewise any incursion would incur the wrath of the American air defences.”

Tim Hancock, Amnesty International’s UK campaigns director said: “Bahrain’s human rights situation is appalling and it’s worrying that the UK appears to be taking a ‘business as usual’ approach to selling the country high-tech weaponry.

“The key question is, has the government done proper risk-assessment here and can it be sure that Eurofighters won’t end up being used in the commission of human rights abuses.

“Britain’s record on arms to the Gulf is already extremely chequered and it’s worrying that once again human rights seem to be playing second fiddle to commercial considerations.”

A spokesman for UK Trade and Investment, said: “We are in discussions on a potential sale of Typhoon with the Bahraini air force.

“These discussions are still at a very early stage but we welcome the Bahraini interest. Bahrain would be a valuable addition to the Typhoon family.

“All of our defence exports are consistent with stringent internationally recognised criteria."


Britain to sell Typhoon jets to Bahrain, despite human rights record - Telegraph

Hmmm.. But better for smaller countries to united with bigger countries...

 

[Tshering22]

Hmmm.. But better for smaller countries to united with bigger countries...

Tell that to king Hamad.

These are rich countries with tremendous money and support from the Europeans.

Let's get this straight: 'human rights' today means 'We are the manufacturers and since our countries are booming, we will not supply you weapons easily till you bow down to our demands of our system and our methodology'.

That leverage now has gone in European manufacturers.

Cash-strapped and wanting to keep up the production, domestic orders won't suffice.

The only country whom I have seen showing some seriousness in this issue, is Germany who had refused to sell arms where actually there was a threat of regimes to use them against their own people.

Other than the Germans, no one give a damn.

 

[Hyperion]

GB would sell The Queen for money, nowadays......

 

[Black Eagle 90]

Tell that to king Hamad.

These are rich countries with tremendous money and support from the Europeans.

Let's get this straight: 'human rights' today means 'We are the manufacturers and since our countries are booming, we will not supply you weapons easily till you bow down to our demands of our system and our methodology'.

That leverage now has gone in European manufacturers.

Cash-strapped and wanting to keep up the production, domestic orders won't suffice.

The only country whom I have seen showing some seriousness in this issue, is Germany who had refused to sell arms where actually there was a threat of regimes to use them against their own people.

Other than the Germans, no one give a damn.

So why not they invest their money in Muslim countries like on Sea Port, Air port, High ways, Electricity generation and in real estates

Also they can then volunteer some small portion of their money on poor people of these countries in terms of Health and Education...

 

[iranigirl2]

Tell that to king Hamad.

These are rich countries with tremendous money and support from the Europeans.

Let's get this straight: 'human rights' today means 'We are the manufacturers and since our countries are booming, we will not supply you weapons easily till you bow down to our demands of our system and our methodology'.

That leverage now has gone in European manufacturers.

Cash-strapped and wanting to keep up the production, domestic orders won't suffice.

The only country whom I have seen showing some seriousness in this issue, is Germany who had refused to sell arms where actually there was a threat of regimes to use them against their own people.

Other than the Germans, no one give a damn.

Germany cares about Human rights? Are you kidding me? None of these so called democratic European countries care about human rights. They all care about $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

I suggest you read the news before you write this nonsense here.


Angela Merkel takes the flak for Berlin’s arms exports to the Gulf states

Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government has come under fierce criticism for its spiralling arms exports after new figures showed Germany on course to deliver record quantities of weapons and military hardware to the Gulf states despite grave doubts about their human rights records.


Federal government statistics showed that Mrs Merkel’s conservative-liberal coalition approved arms exports to the Gulf totalling €817m (£703m) in the first half of 2013. Last year, Germany exported €1.42bn of arms to the area – more than twice the figure for 2011.

The latest available statistics, covering exports in the six months to the end of June, suggest that last year’s surge in arms sales to the Gulf is set to be eclipsed this year. Qatar, a state criticised for human rights abuses, but which owns a 17 per cent stake in the German car giant Volkswagen, is earmarked to receive the bulk of shipments worth more than €635m.





Angela Merkel takes the flak for Berlin

 

[Audio]

So why not they invest their money in Muslim countries like on Sea Port, Air port, High ways, Electricity generation and in real estates

Also they can then volunteer some small portion of their money on poor people of these countries in terms of Health and Education...

Because all the kingdoms have guarantees that they won't fall. And they need to pay for that.

 

[Tshering22]

Germany cares about Human rights? Are you kidding me? None of these so called democratic European countries care about human rights. They all care about $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

I suggest you read the news before you write this nonsense here.


Angela Merkel takes the flak for Berlin’s arms exports to the Gulf states

Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government has come under fierce criticism for its spiralling arms exports after new figures showed Germany on course to deliver record quantities of weapons and military hardware to the Gulf states despite grave doubts about their human rights records.


Federal government statistics showed that Mrs Merkel’s conservative-liberal coalition approved arms exports to the Gulf totalling €817m (£703m) in the first half of 2013. Last year, Germany exported €1.42bn of arms to the area – more than twice the figure for 2011.

The latest available statistics, covering exports in the six months to the end of June, suggest that last year’s surge in arms sales to the Gulf is set to be eclipsed this year. Qatar, a state criticised for human rights abuses, but which owns a 17 per cent stake in the German car giant Volkswagen, is earmarked to receive the bulk of shipments worth more than €635m.





Angela Merkel takes the flak for Berlin

Okay. Probably my information was outdated when Germany initially refused to sell Leopard 2 tanks to Qatar.

Thanks for the update.

But There's one problem with German stuff.

They won't supply a country with weapons that is engaged in a war.

That's the weirdest rule I've ever heard.

I mean, only in a war will country ask for weapons right?

So if they start debating in that parliament of theirs about a refusal to sell arms in the midst, the client country is fcked.

Because all the kingdoms have guarantees that they won't fall. And they need to pay for that.

In a way it is a good thing because the folks that want to topple them are ten times more radical and worse.

 

[MuslimConscript]

So why not they invest their money in Muslim countries like on Sea Port, Air port, High ways, Electricity generation and in real estates

Also they can then volunteer some small portion of their money on poor people of these countries in terms of Health and Education...

They already did it, you just need to search the news
For an example you can see in the China and Far East section, recently Saudi financing Indonesia aviation industry

 

[Lightningbolt]

All western countries are despotic terrorist regimes. They are all the same bunch of thugs.

 

[Ulysses]

All western countries are despotic terrorist regimes. They are all the same bunch of thugs.

stop talking and do something about it... instead of giving warnings and threats.

Throughout history we humans have always killed each other... been in so many wars and battles.. We will not just sit there and take punches and do nothing about it.

Deal with it. Don't like it? Do something about it... if not stfu