LONDON Ñ British parliamentarians are calling for an investigation
into the sale of British military and dual-use systems and components to
Syria.
The parliamentarians have reviewed government reports that asserted that
Syria received nearly $2.5 million worth of dual-use of equipment and
components used in the production of chemical weapons and night-vision
equipment. They are demanding an investigation of whether some of the
British components were bought by Syria for Iraq's military.
"Ministers must give us full details of all the equipment they supplied
to Syria and full assurances of how it will be used," Louise Ellman, a Labor
parliamentarian, said. "But I question why when we know that Syria sponsor
terrorist attacks that we should be supplying any military supplies at all."
Over the last year, British officials have acknowledged that export
controls to Iran and Syria were relaxed. Last week, the government ended
mandatory ministerial review of applications for the export of
strategically-controlled goods to Iran.
Officials said the easing of restrictions has enabled the export of
aircraft engine components and beryllium to Iran and dual-use equipment and
automatic weapons to Syria. Beryllium is a lightweight corrosive-resistant
metal used in the production of nuclear weapons.
The government of Prime Minister Tony Blair relied on Iran and Syria not
to use dual-use components for military purposes, officials said. They said
that some of the weapons sold to Syria were part of an effort to launch a
defense and military relationship with the regime of President Bashar Assad.
On Monday, Assad and Blair spoke on the telephone and discussed the war
in Iraq. Later, Assad was reported as having told Blair that he continues to
oppose the U.S.-led effort to topple the regime of Iraqi President Saddam
Hussein. A Syrian government statement said Blair pledged to expand
relations with Damascus and opposed any military attack on Syria.
The Department of Trade and Industry reported that from 1999 to 2001
Britain sold Syria toxic chemical precursors, components for military
infrared and thermal imaging systems, helmets for combat pilots and military
communications.
The demand for a parliamentary investigation comes in wake of the
discovery by British forces of a large amount of British defense equipment
in Iraqi warehouses in the southern city of Basra. The boxes contained
rocket-propelled grenades and fuzes produced by Wallop Defence Systems, a
leading British contractor and supplier to the U.S. Army.
Several parliamentarians have also called for an embargo on all military
sales to Syria. They have also requested information on whether any of the
British
equipment to Syria has been found in Iraq.
Syria has been producing chemical weapons and conducting research into
the development of biological weapons. Critics said the British toxic
chemical precursors could have been used for such weapons as nerve or
mustard gas.
"UK ministers are in self-denial here," Richard Bingley, a spokesman for
the Campaign Against The Arms Trades, told the Observer newspaper. "They
believe Syria is developing weapons of mass destruction but naively refuse
to accept that British-supplied equipment will be diverted either into these
programs or neighboring Iraq.."