US and Britain criticised for touting Iraq weapons at arms fair

British and United States arms firms have been slammed for marketing weapons used in Iraq at Europe's biggest arms fair.

A massive police presence is expected at the Defence Systems and Equipment International Exhibition in London, following confrontations between officers and campaigners at the last fair two years ago.

Opponents have accused weapons companies of "revelling" in the opportunity to sell equipment "battle-tested" in Iraq to those countries.

Campaigners also criticised Britain for inviting countries with dubious human rights records, such as Indonesia and Colombia, to the fair.

The exhibition has been also been questioned by the Metropolitan Police for diverting resources during a period of heightened terror alert. Mayor of London Ken Livingstone has also criticised the fair.

Among the 1200 exhibitors from 34 countries are many which have made equipment used in Iraq. Lockheed Martin will display replicas of the Hellfire and Thaad missiles, both of which have been deployed in the conflict.

Although the Hellfire is mainly an air-launched missile, the version being promoted at the arms fair is a new type for ground or sea launch.

"It has been used regularly and very successfully in Iraq and this one is exactly the same," said Doug Terrell, a Lockheed Martin executive on the stand.

"The US Army, Marine Corps and Special Forces absolutely love it." Almost 20,000 Hellfires have been sold worldwide.

The exhibition is run in conjunction with the Defence Export Services Organisation, the arm of the Ministry of Defence that promotes the sale and licensing of British-made military equipment.

Yesterday's press preview included a catwalk-style show organised by Deso, with soldiers in full battledress posing with weapons. These included the British L96 sniper rifle used in Iraq as well as light anti-armour weapons.

A spokesman for the Campaign against the Arms Trade said: "The arms fair will include nearly all the main providers of the weapons used in Iraq.

"They will not be embarrassed about a conflict undertaken on a false premise that has cost tens of thousands of civilian lives, but will be revelling in the use of their weapons in the conflict and the promotional material that it provides."

The spokesman said the invasion and occupation of Iraq had been "good news" for the major arms companies.

"It has allowed them to label their arms as battle-tested and provided them with promotional material for their missiles, bombs, fighter aircraft, artillery, tanks and armoured vehicles.

"They will be marketing their weapons to countries with the full support of the UK Government and the perverse promotional assistance provided by Iraq."

The campaigners said it was wrong that the exhibition should be a venue for countries which have been criticised by the Foreign Office for their record on human rights to purchase arms.

Deso said invitations were issued after consultation with the Foreign Office and the intelligence services.

It also pointed out that an invitation did not mean that a licence to export would automatically follow.

A spokesman for the exhibition organiser said the event was "not an arms fair" and that you "can't just walk in off the street and buy weapons".

He stressed that only a small proportion of exhibitors sold weapons and that the majority were concerned with such areas as disaster relief, peacekeeping and humanitarian activities and homeland security.

- INDEPENDENT