TEHRAN – The British Labour MP, Fabian Hamilton, believes that the new arms sales to the Arab states of the Persian Gulf and Israel “can only increase tension in the Middle East.”

In an interview with the Mehr News Agency last week, he said, “I am opposed to any new arms contracts whether with Israel or the Arab states.”
The Bush administration is preparing to ask Congress to approve an arms sale package for Saudi Arabia and its neighbors that is expected to total $20 billion over the next decade.
The administration has also promised Israel $30.4 billion in military aid over the next decade, a significant increase over what Israel has received in the past 10 years.
Hamilton, who represents Leeds North East at the House of Commons, argued that these weapons are not for defensive purposes but to repress local people.
“The problem with the Middle East, as in many other parts of the world, is that there are too many weapons which are designed to kill people.
“Generally these weapons are not used to defend the nation against aggression but to kill or repress their own populations or those of other countries in the region.
“New arms contracts can only increase tensions in the Middle East.”
Asked whether the government of Gordon Brown will follow the U.S. foreign policy as Tony Blair did, the lawmaker said, “I think that Gordon Brown has already shown that although he believes the UK and the USA should continue to be close allies, he will not slavishly follow the USA's foreign policy whatever it may be.
“It is too early to tell whether Mr. Brown will be very different in his foreign policy to Mr. Blair, but the signs are good.
“It was very clear at his recent meeting with President Bush in Washington that Mr. Brown was not going to be as friendly with the President as Mr. Blair was.