A tank is driven past the German embassy in London to protest against some G8 countries selling arms to human rights abusers. Photograph: Martin Argles/Guardian
- James Sturcke
It's sad that the latest findings of a report on the arms trade, namely that G8 countries are supplying military equipment to countries which regularly violate human rights, hardly come as a surprise.
The G8 countries - Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the UK and the US - account for 84% of all worldwide arms sales, according to a report called Global Arms Exporters, published by Oxfam, Amnesty and the International Action Network on Small Arms.
France and Germany have exported arms to countries subject to an arms embargo, like Burma, China and Sudan, the report says. The Canadian government would not approve arms exports to Colombia, but exports military equipment to the US that is then exported to Colombia.
Britain is accused of approving open-ended arms sales licences, including armoured vehicles, to Algeria, Morocco, Syria and Saudi Arabia.
The report urges G8 leaders, who meet in Scotland next week, to take immediate steps to control the trade.
But arms dealing has been around for as long as any sort of trade, with weapon smuggling up there alongside prostitution in the ancient trading stakes.
In more recent times, the arms to Iraq scandal dogged the Conservative party during the 90s and played a significant part in landing that government with a reputation for sleaze.
Although New Labour came to power promising responsible arms trading, it has been attacked by Lord Scott, who wrote the Scott report into the arms to Iraq fiasco, for failing to reform arms regulations.
In 2002, the satirical comedian Mark Thomas revealed how alarmingly easy it was to evade an arms embargo on Zimbabwe, equipped with little more than a mobile phone and a fake company name.
The Guardian's special report on the arms trade indicates the flow of dubious arms deals is as strong as ever.
There'll be protests on a plethora of issues when G8 leaders meet in Scotland. The Campaign Against Arms Trade, which plans to blockade the Faslane nuclear submarine base, will have to make a big bang to have its calls for an end to international arms dealing heard.
