Arms funnelled to S.A. via island—‘Times’

Press, 8 November 1978, Page 9

Arms funnelled to S.A. via island—‘Times’

j NZPA-Reuter London i Arms have been shipped j to South Africa via the Caribbean island of Antigua in (defiance of a United Nations embargo, a British television news report has alleged. David Taylor of the British Broadcasting Corporation . "Panorama” programme reported that a British representative on Antigua had told the island’s Prime Minister (Mr Vere Bird), that: ■ Britain would resist any I /independent inquiry into the! I arms traffic. ■ Details of the charges. ■ were given in “The Times”) . by its political editor, Fred! Emery, who is also the! presenter of “Panorama." I The report alleged that at I least 40,000 special long- ;! range 155 mm shells and guns. >(radar, and other equipment .(had been sent to South .'Africa by the firm, Space /Research Corporation whose { headquarters were said to j,straddle the United Statesi Canada border at the United States state of Vermont. { The programme quoted representatives of the company as denying that any of! ’its shells had been shipped Ito South Africa. The British Foreign Office {said it was consulting the United States, Canada, and 1 ! Antigua Governments about ( i'the allegations but declined' (further comment. The programme said that ! shells were shipped to Anitigua twice last year by the firm, which it said had a se-i (cret test centre on the island. i They were unloaded and! (put on board a West-German! ( registered ship for South i Africa, Taylor alleged. I Taylor also said a con-

signment of Belgian-made rifles found by me police on board a Spanish ship in ’ the Thames last September were destined for South Africa via Spain. They were now on their way back to Belgium after the British police action. Taylor said. Some of the special shells had also been sent to South Africa through Spain, he said. i Antigua is a British assoI ciated State in the Caribbean. Under this status it I has interna] self-government 1 but Britain is responsible for jits external defence and forjeign affairs. ! The ultimate responsibility I for ensuring that United Nations sanctions resolutions are complied with rests with the British Government. But the initial responsibility for investigating any allegations rests with the Antigua Government, the British spokesman said. ' The allegation of arms traffic, coming on the eve of ’ the House of Commons debate this week on the break--1 ing of Rhodesia oil sanctions ‘by British firms, is bound to ‘have political repercussions lin the United States and Canada as well as in Britain. While it has long been objvious that South Africa has ’been obtaining what arms it needs, Britain’s lack of offi'cial vigilance has not before been fully reported. There are other British ’connections. The Belgian rifles discovered last September by British police who boarded the Spanish j ship at Rochester were in ifact, consigned to the same company in Spain which has | also been “laundering” shipments of the special shells to South Africa.