BAE

President Suharto, who ruled Indonesia, had massacred over a million of his fellow citizens when he seized power in 1965. Over 30 years later, he was waging a vicious war against an independence movement in East Timor. (Foreign Secretary) Robin Cook said he supported the delivery of Hawk aircraft to Indonesia. He claimed that the Indonesian government had assured the Foreign Office that the planes were only training aircraft and would not be used against the people of East Timor. The Hawk was originally developed as a trainer but was also marketed by British Aerospace for use as a cheap ground attack plane. The Hawks were delivered to Indonesia and used to bomb villages in East Timor.

In keeping with the spirit of contemporary corporate awareness of environmental issues, BAE has started work on designing green munitions, lead-free bullets and rockets with reduced toxins. It said: ‘Lead used in ammunition can harm the environment and pose a risk to people.’ The company doesn’t make jokes and of course they’re right. Nobody wants to be shot with a bullet that pollutes the air it passes through or to be blown apart by a missile that contains toxic substances.

One of the founding fathers of the modern British military suppliers was Sir Basil Zaharoff. Born in rural Turkey, he worked as a brothel tout, counterfeit currency dealer, banker, private arms trader and, finally, the respected director of Vickers, the British armaments manufacturer that was the forerunner of BAE Systems. He spared no effort in sabotaging his competitors’ products, bribing foreign military leaders and arming both sides in a war. Britain made him a baron and he died in 1936, laden with honours.