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Britain revokes five Israeli arms export licences: officials
Jerusalem (AFP) July 13, 2009 Britain has revoked five Israeli arms export licences over the Gaza war, blocking the supply of replacement parts to navy gunships used in the offensive, officials and reports said on Monday. "The Foreign Office told the Israeli embassy in London last week that following a decision by parliament, Great Britain will stop the sale of certain arms" to Israel, a senior official told AFP on condition of anonymity. The move came after the British government reviewed all 182 licences for arms exports to Israel and ultimately decided to cancel five, which cover spare parts for Saar missile boats, said the Haaretz daily. By participating in the Gaza war, the boats "violated the security agreements between Britain and Israel, which specify what uses may be made of British equipment," Haaretz quoted the British directive as saying. The British embassy in Israel said in a statement that there is "no partial arms embargo on Israel" as such a move would not improve the current situation in the Middle East. "In light of Operation Cast Lead, and in line with our obligations after a conflict, we conducted a review of extant export licences for Israel," it said. "We judged that in a small number of cases Israeli action in Operation Cast Lead would result in the export of those goods now contravening the consolidated criteria. These licences have been revoked. "We do not grant export licences where there is a clear risk that arms will be used for external aggression or internal repression," it said. Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman brushed off the sanctions, telling public radio: "We've had many embargoes in the past... We can manage. This shouldn't bother us." Israel launched its devastating three-week war on Gaza in December. More than 1,400 Palestinians and 13 Israelis were killed in the offensive that has been widely criticised around the globe. Share This Article With Planet Earth
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British carrier project in money troubleLondon (UPI) Jul 9, 2009 Britain's plans to build its biggest-ever warships are being jeopardized by ballooning costs. The BBC reports it has obtained a memo stating that the costs for constructing two 65,000-ton aircraft carriers have risen by $1.62 billion -- or around 25 percent -- to $8.1 billion since late last year. The memo said the ballooning costs meant a "very real fight for the program's survival." ... read more |
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