S'pore guy caught for trying to sell 20,000rifles to Syrian
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He was the middle man, so what was his real fault? You mean that he was faulted for not taking the responsibility to make sure that the Syrian would not use the rifles for wrong reasons? Surely this can't be his fault, right? ST (a govt-linked manufacturing company) routinely sells weapons to the Myanmar govt (a pariah govt if there ever was one) who uses them for goodness-knows what purposes.
Is this responsible? -
It's called True-Blue Political Hypocrisy.Originally posted by blueheeler:He was the middle man, so what was his real fault? You mean that he was faulted for not taking the responsibility to make sure that the Syrian would not use the rifles for wrong reasons? Surely this can't be his fault, right? ST (a govt-linked manufacturing company) routinely sells weapons to the Myanmar govt (a pariah govt if there ever was one) who uses them for goodness-knows what purposes.
Is this responsible? -
Dear ShutterBug, I think it's more appropriate to call it the 'true-red-white-and-blue political hypocrisy'. May 'lightning strike' the real wrongdoers!
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Post report please.
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We also supply vast weaponry to the Mass Murdering Khmer Rouge regime with mines, mortar rounds and Arm-burst .. on behalf of the US (the good guys) since 1981 ( Especially between 1981 to 1985 ).. which was shipped to Thailand border.. stored, Ironically, in UN (Human Rights) Compound and then tranfer to the Khmers who used the refugees as shields...
What's the difference ? Only because the US and britiish are not involved this time round ? -
http://www.bangkokpost.com/breaking_news/breakingnews.php?id=105539
This is from the Bangkok Post online, because our dear STonline wants you to pay $$$ or you can't get info online. -
he was charged because the money was going to him, not into the pockets of ah lee and gang
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Were Singaporeans not told to be entrepreneurial and to spread our wings ?
The Singaporean man, who was charged - as reported by Straits Time 27 June 2006 edition, at the bottom of the Front Page - by the Singapore Government, was merely seizing an opportunity to broker the deal as a middle man, with the weapon negotiations and deliveries all being transacted overseas.
Weapons and ammunitions are as much commodities as food, garments, electronic and electrical products, tools, automobiles, construction equipment, and everything that is being transacted in this globalised community.
If Big Governments can create shell companies to sell weapons and ammunitions openly and surreptiously, why should it be the exclusive right of Big Governments only ?
In the recent Timor Leste turmoil, those rebel soldiers who surrendered their weapons to the Australian Peace Keeping Contingent - as shown on ChannelNewsAsia - were giving up their automatic rifles similar to the SAR-21 used by our SAF.
Who sold these modern weapons to these rebels, when Timor Leste could hardly maintain a budget to meet their own needs ?
Is it any surprise that Singapore being dependent on the US for modern sophisticated weapon systems, the Singapore Government will bend to US pressures as long as the political interests of our Ruling Political Party are not jeopardised ?
In a report of the "The Arms Trade" - the key members of the UN Security Council are the biggest player in the Global Arms Trade - with China and Russia even ignoring the ban on weapon sales to countries such as Syria and Iran.
Is this not the biggest hypocrisy that is being continued and perpetuated by the Singapore Government, when the weapon sale is to a country that do not even bear any significance in the regional politics of South-east Asia ? -
Firstly, those were Steyr (not Sar21) supplied by the Australians. The very same country who supported and partly finance the indonesian invasion, under the anti-communist slogan. check history
Secondly, Iran has no international weapons ban against it.... only US imposed ban. (for the obvious and usual reasons, before any future regime changes or invasion)
Thirdly, Timor leste is a pacific nation - not part of ASEAN. Even if the weapons were supplied.. they were sold to legit government agencies - whether they turned rebels are their internal matters.
Fourthly, Singapore is not the biggest nor the most prominent nation doing this. By and larger, nowadays, Singapore only supplies weapons to government agencies only. -
As long as you make big money, but none of it is going to the government your citizenship was obtained from, you are wrong.