WRITTEN ON August 17th, 2007 BY William Heath AND STORED IN What do we want?

More rejoicing among the throng of ethical NGOs (reviously referred to inside government as “intellectual pygmies”), this time from CAAT

Campaign success – DESO to close!

You may have already heard the fantastic news that the Defence Export Services Organisation, the Government’s arms sales unit, is to be shut
down by the end of 2007. The Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, announced DESO’s closure on 25th July 2007. Campaigning to shut DESO has been
going on ever since CAAT started in 1974.

This is a massive success for anti-arms trade campaigners. Shutting DESO is hugely symbolic – it sends a very clear message that the arms
industry is not a special case deserving much greater public support than that enjoyed by other industries. It also means an end to the
arms companies’ base within government from which they were able to lobby and distort other policies, particularly those with regard to
arms control and human rights. Evidence that the decision to shut DESO is a serious blow to the arms companies came on 28th July 2007
when the Daily Telegraph reported the anger of the industry. It also published a “furious” letter from BAE Systems’ Chief Executive, Mike
Turner, to Gordon Brown.

A huge thanks and well done to all who have helped to bring down DESO!

There’s a DESO closing party:

When: Wednesday 22nd August, from 6.30pm
Where: The Queen Boadicea Pub, 292-294 St John Street, London EC1V
4PA (www.thequeenboadicea.com)
What: We have hired a lovely function room. Buffet food will be provided and there will be a pay bar.

Please RSVP if you can so we have an idea of how much food to provide.

and a Thanksgiving service for DESO’s closure at 6pm Wednesday 26th September,
at Bloomsbury Central Baptist Church, 235 Shaftesbury Avenue, London WC2H 8EP.
just round the corner from DESO.