Manchester factory linked to human rights abuses
Article published: Monday, October 12th 2009
A new campaign group claim that products made by Manchester company Brimar can be linked directly to human rights abuses and infringements of international ‘laws of war’.
The Chadderton-based company is involved in producing vital components used in Apache attack helicopters. The group, which calls itself Target Brimar, have alleged that these aircraft have been sold to Israel and used in illegal conflicts.
A spokesperson for the group, Anna Freeman says, “There are reports that an Apache helicopter was used by the Israelis used during the invasion of Gaza earlier this year to kill three paramedics and a twelve-year-old boy, who was showing them where wounded people were.”
She explains that this contravenes international law, which specifies that medical personnel should be protected at all times.
“We know that Brimar screens are in Apache helicopters used by the Israeli military in Gaza and the West Bank because in 2006 the company admitted it themselves,” continues Freeman.
“Since then, the mainstream press and human rights organisations have documented cases of Apaches being used by the Israelis for targeted assassinations of people they claim are militants. But without any legal process this is amounts to extra-judicial execution with civilians often getting killed too.”
Beyond Gaza
The connections between Brimar and systematic human rights violations do not stop with Israel and Gaza.
Documents from the US Department of Defence show that the company has been a major player in technology development programmes with the US Marines. The company helped develop viewfinder equipment deployed by the US Marine 2nd Tank Battalion in Iraq as early as 2004. This battalion was involved in the Battle of Fallujah in November that year, where US troops were documented to have committed large-scale human rights violations against civilians.
The same models of tank, for which Brimar provides vital components, were used by US forces to fire depleted uranium weaponry, which is linked to an epidemic of cancer and birth defects across southern Iraq.
In Afghanistan, British Apache helicopters use ‘thermobaric’ missiles that create a vacuum and pressure wave which, according to one military journalist, “sucks the air out of victims, shreds their internal organs and crushes their bodies”.
As Freeman explains, “Brimar isn’t making generic nuts or bolts. This equipment is what allows tank gunners and helicopter personnel to actually aim and fire their weapons. RAF recruitment advertisements may talk about precision strikes which don’t kill any civilians, but how many times have we heard about wedding parties and fleeing villagers being wiped out?”
The company has a long history of making products for the film industry and other peaceful activities. “Why can’t it return to that, instead of contributing to human rights violations and conflicts which make for an unstable and dangerous world for all of us?” asks Freeman.
In a statement to campaigners, Brimar’s Dave Eldridge responded: “We ensure that we follow the absolute letter of the law. But these components are commercially available worldwide. If British companies are prevented from supplying Boeing Apaches because they’ll get sent onwards to Israel is that going to stop them being sent? Of course not, they’ll just move to other suppliers and it would make no difference beyond hurting British business.”
Union Challenged
Target Brimar campaigners are now challenging the Unite trade union on its position on Brimar’s products. Unite’s Amicus division is the main union on site at Brimar and headed up calls for pickets at the factory in 2005 when Brimar closed its final salary pension scheme.
Andrew Murray, Communications Officer for Unite, is also chair of the national Stop the War coalition. In September 2008, Unite’s General Secretary Tony Woodley spoke at a Stop the War demonstration in Manchester, saying: “There is nothing more important than world peace. A world of peace and justice. Justice for the Iraqis, justice for our comrades in Palestine.”
National Demonstration
The Target Brimar campaign has called for a national demonstration on 17 October, meeting at the Gardeners’ Arms roundabout in Moston at 12 noon. They’re calling for people to bring banners, musical instruments, bicycles, costumes and – above all – lots of their friends and colleagues.
“We want to really show Brimar that the people of Manchester don’t want its military activities on their doorstep,” says Freeman.
As well as the 17 October demonstration, campaigners are calling for groups or individuals to take regular action against Brimar through independently-organised pickets, vigils and other means of protest.
More: Manchester, News
Comments
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This is great news – hopefully it can grow into something like the Smash EDO campaign (http://www.smashedo.org.uk/).
It’s really important that a strong, well-networked anti-militarist movement builds here in the UK. It is, after all, one of the top arms exporters in the world stoking the flames of war everywhere.
Comment by Free Movement for All on October 12, 2009 at 9:13 pm -
trouble with people like you lot is you’ve got no understanding of the real world, yours is fluffy bunny rabbits and cosy middle class homes. try living in Afghanistan under the Taliban, in Iraq under Saddam, then feel free to make comment. The Target Brimar group would be better off finding their way to the munitions firms, those are what kill, nothing else.
I bet you haven’t got the bottle or decency to post his comment have you?
Comment by sickened on October 15, 2009 at 5:45 pm -
I have to say: have you tried living in Iraq or Afghanistan under British and American occupation? There have been a lot more people dying over the past 6-8 years than before we ‘liberated’ them. Besides, the Taliban and Saddam didn’t appear out of nowhere, they came out of a history of decades of Western intervention.
Also, I think you’ll find that they will be going after the big arms companies too.
Comment by Free Movement for All on October 15, 2009 at 6:06 pm -
You must be joking?
Life was terrible under Sadam / Taliban, therefore having the country reduced to rubble by an occupying army, with millions dying in the process, must be better?
As if to say the only way repressive regimes can be overcome is for a foreign military force to blow the country to smithereens, build permenant bases, remodel the economy to suit their own interests and give lucrative contracts to favoured corporations?
By the way, since you’re getting all proleier than thou, I’m fully supporting this campaign and live in a freezing terraced house with barely a fluffy animal in sight!
Comment by lou on October 17, 2009 at 12:38 am
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