corrupt government.
21 Nov, 1992 No. 32 The Iraqgate scandal is just the tip of an iceberg of shady back-door deals done by British imperialism and British arms manufacturers under both Labour and Tory governments. • Major knew about Iraqgate all along and lied to the House of Commons on at least three occasions. Labour must demand his resignation, along with the resignation of his fundamentally • The weapons industry now employs ten per cent of Britain's manufacturing workforce; jobs are at risk because management have ignored campaigns for conversion to peaceful production. • Unions must fight to open the books of these firms to elected workers committees, empowered lo uncover all the dirty dealing and institute a new workers plan for alternative production. News claimed in August 1987 that Customs and Excise were investigating up to fifty British firms which had allegedly illegally supplied arms to one or the other combatant.
Meanwhile, British-owned companies documented as having - legally - sold exPlosives to lan include then nationalised Royal Ordnance, now part of British Aerospace, and subsidiaries worldwide of ICI.
By early 1987, when Royal Navy vessels formed part of a Us-led task force in the Gulf objectively intervening on behalf of Iraq, Britain came down clearly for Saddam. being trained at Specialist Flight Training of Carlisle alone.
Following the seizure of 200 Iraq-bound machine guns at a London dock in February 1983, a trial took place in 1985 involving three executives of Sterling Armament Company and two employees of Atlantic Commercial Ltd.
Sterling's Anthony Bianco was fined €4,000, Atlantic's Andrew Schlesinger €3,000 and Reginald Dunk, also of Atlantic, E20,000 with €7,000 costs. Atlantic was later found to have supplied 50,000 130mm high explosive shells worth E7 5 million. This consignment was bound for Iran.