By Mikey Smith
British officials promoting arms exports held meetings with Saudi Arabian government and military personnel in the weeks immediately after Jamal Khashoggi’s murder.
We can reveal a high-level delegation from the Defence and Security Organisation, which exists solely to promote arms exports, was in Riyadh on the day of the killing, October 2.
They returned for two more meetings, on October 14 and 22, despite cond¬emnation of the journalist’s death.
Andrew Smith, of Campaign Against Arms Trade, said: “There is a rank hypocrisy at the heart of the Government’s foreign policy.
As Jeremy Hunt was in the Commons condemning the mur¬¬der, there were civil servants in Riyadh pushing for even more arms sales.”
Among attendees was the DSO’s Interim Head of Mission in the Middle East and retired Air Vice Marshal Nigel Maddox, a military advisor.
Documents reveal talks on October 14 were on “ROC: Riyadh Operations Centre requirements”, thought to be a reference to the control headquarters for Saudi strikes on Yemen.
The UK has licensed more than £4.7billion worth of arms to the country since the conflict began in March 2015.
The DSO operates under the Department for International Trade to identify “core markets” for arms deals. Last month we revealed British officials held meetings on the fringes of a three-day Saudi international investment summit. “Davos in the Desert” began October 23.
PM Theresa May and Foreign Secretary Mr Hunt insisted at the time Britain would not go amid questions over Mr Khashoggi’s murder. He was killed after entering Saudi’s consulate in Istanbul.
Officials admitted DIT meetings in Riyadh, incl¬uding in the British Embassy.
But the Government insisted it condemns the murder “in the strongest possible terms”, adding in a statement: “Visits by officials from the UK continue to play a role in maintaining our relationship with Saudi, including in how we tackle regional threats, and support mutual prosperity interests.”
Source: UK Mirror Daily, Edited by Website Team
