Nearly 100 permits were issued to export weapons and military technology to the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka and the Democratic Republic of Congo over the 2018-2019 financial year. But the Australian defence department has refused to reveal how many weapons have been sold, for how much, or for what purpose. The extent of and extreme secrecy surrounding Australia’s foreign weapons sales are revealed by documents obtained by the Guardian under freedom of information laws. Australian weapons systems manufacturer Electro Optics Systems (EOS) – which supplies the Saudi military with remote weapon stations – has told the Guardian their equipment does not cross the border into Yemen. Dr Margaret Beavis, vice president of the Medical Association for Prevention of War, said it was well past time for the defence department’s “notorious secrecy” around Australian arms sales to end.

Source: The Guardian January 13, 2020 21:45 UTC