British Military Industrial Complex? Friend of Israel

I came across some interesting numbers today that I thought I’d share. It seems our friends across the pond in Britain, whose citizens are often the most vocal critics of US relationship with Israel, have a bit of a ‘numbers discrepancy’ with regard to weapons exports. It turns out Britain might have its own secretive Military Industrial Complex.

Data published in a new report from the House of Commons in London states the value of all British military exports to Israel currently being processed comes to £7.9 billion ($12.1 billion).

This data was supplied by Vince Cable, Britain’s business secretary, who oversees the weapons trade.

I had to do a double-take when reading this information as until now Britain has indicated that the value of its arms sales to Israel are measured in millions, rather than billions.

How can this be?? I thought Britain disliked Israel for its human rights abuses against the Palestinians?

Britain’s foreign ministry has named Israel as one of 27 “countries of concern” for human rights abuses. Of those 27, Israel is the largest destination for British arms exports. Saudi Arabia — long thought to be the biggest client for Britain’s weapons industry — is actually in second place.

It’s obvious to me that the British Government has been fudging its numbers. Why the secrecy? Could it be because its people would be outraged to know their government is providing weapons and technology being used against Palestinians (and likely against Iran and Syria soon)?

…the British government — both under Cameron and his Labour Party predecessors, Gordon Brown and Tony Blair — has been dishonest about the full scale of its weapons sales to Israel.

www.thedailysheeple.com...


The NY Times reported that Russia was the second largest exporter of weapons in the world but this new information shows that Britain’s weapons exports JUST TO ISRAEL are 3 times that of Russia’s total reported exports!

Overseas weapons sales by the United States totaled $66.3 billion last year, or more than three-quarters of the global arms market, valued at $85.3 billion in 2011. Russia was a distant second, with $4.8 billion in deals.

So Britons…how does it feel to know your government is the second biggest exporter of weapons in the world? Another alarming aspect of this report to me is the HUGE increase of US weapons exports under our supposed ‘anti-war’ POTUS.

The American weapons sales total was an “extraordinary increase” over the $21.4 billion in deals for 2010, the study found, and was the largest single-year sales total in the history of United States arms exports.

www.nytimes.com...


I know US is the largest exporter of weapons in the world (and largest supplier to Israel), and I’m not proud of that fact, but at least US doesn’t hide it! It seems the good ol’ US isn’t the only puppet of Israel. I love our brothers in Britain but maybe some of you US critics over there will take this news into consideration next time you start casting stones our way about propping up Israel and creating turmoil in the ME.

The ME has two countries stirring the pot of turmoil…US and Britain.

Yeah the Britsuh Goverment is rather chummy with Isreal.

I mean what do you expect? We are like the USA 51st state When the USA says jump our goverment says "how high".

I
Just because our goverment is doing something, like America it doesnt mean the people agree or support it.

Originally posted by crazyewok
Yeah the Britain Goverment is rather chummy Isreal.

I mean what do you expect? We are like the USA 51st state

When the USA says jump our goverment says "how high".

How did I know my furry little British friend would be first to respond?

I hear you! Our countries are joined at the hip....have been for a long time.

Just because our goverment is doing something, like America it doesnt mean the people agree or support it.

Join the club! That's how many Americans feel, too. Have you seen the approval numbers for our government here? They're plummeting!

Stung by Americans’ persistent worries about the economy and a capital gripped by controversy and gridlock, President Barack Obama is suffering his lowest job approval numbers in nearly two years, according to a new McClatchy-Marist poll.

The plummeting numbers – still higher than those of Congress – come after weeks of rising gasoline prices, revelations about domestic spying and turmoil in the Middle East.

www.mcclatchydc.com...=cpy

reply to post by seabag


Thanks for the post Seabag.

This reaffirms my belief that the relationship between Israel, United States and Britain is a very interesting, complex, convoluted, politicizing and down right cloak and dagger one, stemming from the uncertainty of a post WW2 world.

The roots of the issue stems from 60 years in the past in my opinion and to debate the contemporary results of agreements/deals brokered in the past would only scratch the surface of the issue. We are quite literally looking at the tip of the iceberg on this one.

The hypocrisy of it all makes you wonder if anything legitimate is ever done.

reply to post by seabag

The ME has two countries stirring the pot of turmoil…US and Britain.

What ?

Oh come on the middle east has a lot of countries 'stirring that pot' starting off with Saudi Arabia, and Iran playing Pinky and the Brain plotting to take over the world.



The ME has a crap load of countries selling weapons in them from the Russian mafia state, to the Chinese, to other ME countries themselves.

The current borders in the ME is thanks to Britian and Company.

Originally posted by seabag




I hear you! Our countries are joined at the hip....have been for a long time.

have always said the British Empire never disbanded.....Its HQ just transfered from London to Washington. USA/UK/Australia/New Zealend/ Canada/ Israel are all part of this new empire.

Originally posted by seabag
Join the club! That's how many Americans feel, too. Have you seen the approval numbers for our government here? They're plummeting!

Same here instead its Labour and Conservative rather than democrat and Republican. And like the USA both parts are up to corruption to there dirty necks. No many bother to even vote in the UK.

reply to post by neo96

What ?

Oh come on the middle east has a lot of countries 'stirring that pot' starting off with Saudi Arabia, and Iran playing Pinky and the Brain plotting to take over the world.

I can’t argue with that statement. I’m playing the tune often repeated by the MSM but with a twist….the addition of another often overlooked player.

Don’t get me wrong, I totally believe the ME would be a war zone whether US or Britain were involved at all. History clearly shows that turmoil has existed there long before US was even a nation.

we will sell weapons to our worst enemy's as long as we are out of range of them we need to get out of the recession some how.

Originally posted by SupersonicSerpent
we will sell weapons to our worst enemy's as long as we are out of range of them

we need to get out of the recession some how.

edit on 24-7-2013 by SupersonicSerpent because: (no reason given)

That litrally true.

We sold Argentina two brand new Type 42 a couple of years before the Falkland war

reply to post by crazyewok


its not entirely a bad idea at least if you are the developer of the weapon you know exactly what its weaknesses are and the best way to counter it.

Originally posted by SupersonicSerpent
we will sell weapons to our worst enemy's as long as we are out of range of them

we need to get out of the recession some how.

Obama will be looking for a job in 2016....you guys should hire him!

He's done wonders for the economy in US and sooooo much more!!



Just keep an eye on his spending habits!

I read last week that we had supplied arms to Syria.

...and now we are thinking of arming the Syrian rebels.

That's the way to do it

Originally posted by Knobby
I read last week that we had supplied arms to Syria.

...and now we are thinking of arming the Syrian rebels.

That's the way to do it

And?

Both East and West, and Middle Eastern countries are supplying arms in Syria If one is bad should they all be?

reply to post by Knobby


lol the U.S attacked Iraq claiming it had chemical weapons etc it did have becouse the U.S sold them to Saddam the reason the government claimed they never found them is becouse they had made in USA on them lol.

US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld helped Saddam Hussein build up his arsenal of deadly chemical and biological weapons, it was revealed last night. As an envoy from President Reagan 19 years ago, he had a secret meeting with the Iraqi dictator and arranged enormous military assistance for his war with Iran. The CIA had already warned that Iraq was using chemical weapons almost daily. But Mr Rumsfeld, at the time a successful executive in the pharmaceutical industry, still made it possible for Saddam to buy supplies from American firms. They included viruses such as anthrax and bubonic plague, according to the Washington Post.

reply to post by seabag


Pffft he cant over spend here as Tony Blair and Gordon brown did that starting in 1997 so theres nothing left

reply to post by neo96

Both East and West, and Middle Eastern countries are supplying arms in Syria If one is bad should they all be?

Yes, they all should be.

reply to post by MDDoxs

My point being, is there a difference between selling weapons to a nation that is in peace time vs selling to a nation in active conflict.

Apparently not

Sure we did that during the World Wars, but does it still hold up during a civil war crisis?

They didn't have a problem doing it in Afghanistan in the 80s, or Iraq, or Afghanistan in the 00's, or Libya, and now Syria.

People never thought how a 'war' could last a decade in other theatres?

Well that was because of countries like Russia,China,Saudi,Iran,Pakistan supplying the 'freedom fighters'

The flip side of that was the US,britian, and company supply it's freedom fighters.

The players never change just the board.

Is it wrong in their minds?

Nope because if it was none of them would be doing it the entire middle east is a real life game of thrones of people using others to get ahead.

Of course only one country gets all the blame which some people would call cognitive dissonance.

reply to post by neo96


I do agree with this.

The players NEVER change. The board does. Britain is like any other country, willing to point the finger and forget the three pointing back at them.

Sorry Brits, but its the truth.

Originally posted by sonnny1
reply to post by neo96

 

I do agree with this.

The players NEVER change. The board does. Britain is like any other country, willing to point the finger and forget the three pointing back at them.

Sorry Brits, but its the truth.

Its all about creating an advantage. Whether that be politically, militarily or economically.

The are DEFINITE reasons why one nation supplies another with weapons and its not always about the monetary again...

reply to post by MDDoxs


Wont disagree with that also, Doxs........