Memorandum from the Foreign and Commonwealth
Office
Extract from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's
letter of 27 October 2005 on exports of equipment to Iraq—declassified
on 13 November 2006
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... you asked about theft of items covered by export
licences. When assessing a licence application or contemplating
a gift, consideration is always given to the internal situation
in the destination country, and the risk of diversion to a terrorist
organisation, as set out in Criterion 3 and Criterion 7 of the
Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria. Assessing
the likelihood of theft is part of the normal consideration of
a risk of diversion under Criterion 7, which will take account
of the end-user, and declared end-use. This is particularly relevant
to Iraq, given the current security situation and embargo. In
certain circumstances specific provisos have been attached, for
example where the licensee is also the end-user. In addition,
compliance with the conditions of the licence may be monitored.
Whenever necessary, we take advice on the risk
of theft from the Defence Attaché at the British Embassy
in Baghdad. However, it must be understood that in the current
security situation it has not proved possible to make an accurate
record of thefts. It is not a condition of licences for exporters
to report theft of items exported; exporters will often not be
informed by the end-user of any such loss.
October 2005
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