Target Brimar

In an article published on February 15th, in local business paper ‘Crains’, Brimar’s Managing Director  William O’Brien denied that Brimar’s components are in Boeing Apache helicopters supplied to Israel.

This is in direct contradiction of an article published in the Guardian newspaper in July 2006. Referring to a list of British-made components (including Brimar’s)  listed in the Guardian article,  John Schibler, director of Apache engineering at Boeing said, “There are over 6000 parts in the Apache manufactured literally worldwide. The UK is one of the largest contributors, and these are only the major components made by British companies.”

The Guardian contacted all of the British companies with parts in the Israeli Apaches. “We ensure that we follow the absolute letter of the law …” said Dave Eldridge of Brimar, which manufactures helmet-mounted display systems for the Apaches. “But these components are commercially available worldwide. If British companies are prevented from supplying the Boeing Apaches because they’ll get sent onwards to Israel is that going to stop them from being sent? Of course not, they’ll just move on to other suppliers and it would make no difference beyond hurting British business.”

What is the truth? In the secretive world of international arms dealings who should we believe? Brimar’s directors seem unable to decide whether they supply Boeing’s Apache helicopters or not. Interestingly, in the weeks, months and years that followed the publication of the Guardian article Brimar never sought to refute its allegations or to retract the statement made by its director. Only when faced with a campaign against their vile trade in supplying components for lethal weapons systems did the directors deny supplying Israeli Apaches.

We reproduce the Crains article below as it is only accessible online to subscribers to their paper. The Guardian’s article “Made in the UK, bringing devastation to Lebanon – the British parts in Israel’s deadly attack helicopters” can be found at http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2006/jul/29/syria.israelandthepalestinians

With regard to the basic assumption of the Crains article – that the Target Brimar campaign is based on the single claim that Brimar supplied components to Israeli Apaches – we must emphasise as we have done throughout that the campaign against Brimar is about ALL its military products. We believe that the ongoing war in Afghanistan is morally wrong, as was the war in Iraq. Brimar’s equipment was undoubtedly used, and continues to be used in these conflicts, and while the MD of the company is proud to sell to US and UK forces, we condemn the killings. Arms companies reap the benefits of war and conflict around the globe and Brimar, as much as any of the companies, has blood on its hands.

Before publication of the Crains article we had previously commented on Brimar’s denials of involvement in the supply of Israeli Apaches, you can read our earlier statement here.

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Anti-war campaign is ‘based on false claim’
Crains Manchester Business, 15th February 2010

Protesters have staged vigils outside Oldham defence equipment factory
since September
By Samrana Hussain

A defence equipment supplier in Oldham is asking why it has been
singled out for a long running campaign by anti-war protesters.

The protesters have been holding vigils outside a factory owned by
Brimar Ltd since last September, holding banners reading “Target
Brimar” and heckling employees as they leave and enter the building.

There have been no similar protests outside BAE Systems Military Air
Solutions in Chadderton, which is only two hundred yards from the
Brimar factory. Last week BAE was fined £285m for making false
statements to the US government over compliance with anti-corruption
regulations, and for failing to keep accurate accounts.

Campaigners say Brimar’s cathode ray tubes, which are used in weapon
system targeting screens for armoured vehicles and aircraft, have been
installed in Apache attack helicopters used by the Israel Defence
Forces to kill innocent civilians in Gaza.

Decommissioned

Brimar managing director William O’Brien denied that the company’s
equipment was being used in the US-built Apaches, but added that he
could not be sure the firm’s products were not being used in other
equipment supplied to Israel. The company sold parts for trainer jets
to Israel in 2008 but O’Brien said the aircraft had since been
decommissioned.

He said the firm, which is owned by Ashley, Cheshire-based Giles
Briggs Holdings, had received no orders or inquiries from Israel since
2008 and it was “unlikely” their products were still in service in the
country.

O’Brien added: “I really respect that these people have the good
intentions and will to do something to make the world a better place,
but it just seems such a waste that they are standing outside a
factory in Oldham. Perhaps if we were BAE it would make sense.

“This protest won’t change anything. I am proud to stand by the fact
that we supply stuff used by the British Army and the US.”

Speaking for the protestors, Anna Freeman said Brimar was the world’s
only specialist cathode ray tube manufacturer and should stop
producing military equipment.

She said the company’s screens were used in the tanks that the US
Marine Corps used in 2005 at Fallujah in Iraq. “There was a massive
loss of civilian life,” she said. “You can use the argument that if
they were not supplying the components someone else would be, but it
doesn’t make it okay. We would be interested in seeing them pursue
other things such as civilian manufacturing.”

Explaining why BAE had not been targeted, Freeman said: “British
Aerospace is a global organisation and there’s very little impact we
can have on them. To take action against them would be like banging
your head against a brick wall.”

Brimar posted a profit of £771,000 on turnover of £11.4m in 2008,
compared with a loss of £504,000 in 2007. Its customers include
suppliers of film scanners and printers to the TV industry as well as
the British and US armed forces. Brimar said its business had not been
affected by the protestors but it has increased security and installed
CCTV cameras.

Freeman said the protesters plan to take further action on the seventh
anniversary of the start of the Iraq War on March 20 and would
continue with the protests outside the factory until then.

http://www.crainsmanchesterbusiness.co.uk/article/20100215/SUB/302159989