"WELFARE NOT WAR" - Stop the War Machine

Dear Friends,

“WELFARE NOT WAR” – Stop the War Machine

More and more money is being poured by the UK Government into “rearmament” – in return, slashing overseas development and chiselling away at the benefits for sick and disabled people. CAAT strongly condemns the policy of warfare over welfare.

Welcome to CAAT News 273, where we shed light on many of the shocking things happening both at home and worldwide; the world is a less safe place and, together, we must continue to challenge the arms trade and the policy decisions that provide the environment for it to prosper.

Many thanks to all our supporters who have made donations recently, especially towards our anti-DSEI funds and all that keeps CAAT campaigning.

I’d urge you – if you can – to follow CAAT on our Social Media streams and read the Blogs on our website. That way you can hear our news and comment more swiftly than in CAAT News, though you will generally get a more in-depth approach here.

This issue contains plenty to read, and here are some of the headlines:

• Stop arming Israel. On pages 3 & 10, we look at the devastating impact of the UK Government’s continued licences for F-35 bombers.
  UK military spending.
• UK military spending. On pages 6 & 7 we look at the increasing sums poured into arms here, in Europe and elsewhere.
• DSEI comes to London in September. We will work to stop it, and make the exhibitors aware that they are most unwelcome. Also, we want to ensure that Israel won’t be present with their huge pavilion. Pages 8 & 9.
• Yemen anniversary. We weep at the 10 years since the Saudi-led forces started their attack on Yemen. Page 11. (The news of the UK involvement in bombing Yemen came after CAAT News 273 had been laid out.)
• Our Right to Protest is under severe attack. On page 12, we refuse to be intimidated.
• The CAAT Annual Report on UK Arms Exports in 2023 was published in March, and is freely available – read about it on page 13. It has been well referenced in the media.
• Eurofighters to Turkey? We see this as an area of growing concern – read our insights on page 13.

Please support CAAT in our continuing work to STOP the arms trade by making a donation to Keep CAAT Campaigning.

As always, we thank you for all your support in so many ways - coming out in the streets, signing and sharing our petitions, organising events for us to speak at, writing to MPs, councils and the arms companies themselves. Please keep it up!

We trust that you believe in what we are doing, and support our work. Do let us know your thoughts, and alert us of anything you hear of that you think would be useful for us to know.

As you know, I’ve been asking you to consider making your donations to us by Direct Debit if you can: these are easy to set up and really do mount up over time (NB – use the button below, you can easily stop them at any time).

Direct Debits have the great benefit of helping us manage our regular budget and plan for the future.

If you are not able to help financially at the moment, please read on for plenty of other ways to get involved in our work in CAAT News.

Thank you all again so much for your support in so many ways!

Charles and all the team at CAAT

PS – I’m still looking for any stories you’d like to pass on about your involvement with CAAT over the past 50 years. I’d love to include them in future issues.

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Campaign Against Arms Trade

Unit 1.9, The Green House,
244 – 254 Cambridge Heath Road,
London
E2 9DA

Tel: 020 7281 0297

Web: www.caat.org.uk

Email: [email protected]