Threatened by their own Guns

It’s really surprising to know that Colonel Gaddafi will shoot at UK troops with weapons supplied with help from Tony Blair. The news coming from UK media says that a contract was signed between Gaddafi and then PM Toni Blair.

People, a famous newspaper in UK says, “When Mr Blair was Prime Minister he played a major role in a 350million deal to give the evil dictator anti-tank missiles and the latest battlefield radio system. Chancellor Gordon Brown would have gone even further, allowing the supply of the latest Rapier anti-aircraft missiles.”

It says that the potential consequences for coalition aircraft currently overflying Libya could be worst if the deal had gone through. Deals were pending for a lethal system, named Jernas, fires Rapier II missiles which have a range of 5 miles and a top speed of 1,800mph.

It is fortunate for Britain and NATO allies that the Libyan leader pulled out of the Rapier contract negotiated when Mr Blair visited Col Gaddafi in Sirte in Libya in 2007. The contracts with missile maker MBDA and General Dynamics UK were signed following negotiations to release the Lockerbie bomber.

MBDA, part-owned by British Aerospace, won a s147m order for anti-tank missiles and a s112m deal for communications gear.

General Dynamics UK (GDUK) was given a deal worth s85m to supply the Libyan army with Bowman battlefield radios.

Decorated Army colonel and Tory MP Patrick Mercer expressed his concern that its a sorry state of affairs that UK forces and the Libyan people are now threatened with arms sold to them by their Prime Minister.

By
Alok Dixit
alok@dakhalandazi.com