Help trulyindependent journalism
Discover out extraShut
Our mission is to ship unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds energy to account and exposes the reality.
Whether or not $5 or $50, each contribution counts.
Help us to ship journalism with out an agenda.
A British International Workplace official has resigned in protest on the continued arms gross sales to Israel by the UK.
Mark Smith, a counterterrorism official based mostly within the British embassy in Dublin, mentioned he can now not “in good conscience proceed to work with a authorities which is complicit in conflict crimes”.
In an announcement following his resignation, issued on Sunday, Mr Smith mentioned he had labored as a coverage advisor within the Center East and North Africa division for many of his profession.
He added that he was “the lead creator of the central evaluation which governs the legality of arms gross sales” in that division, the place it was his job to evaluate worldwide legislation compliance and details about civilian casualties.
Within the assertion, issued by media organisation Neon, Mr Smith mentioned: “To export arms to any nation, the UK should be glad that the recipient nation has in place sturdy procedures to keep away from civilian casualties and to minimise hurt to civilian life. It’s unimaginable to argue that Israel is doing that.”
He mentioned he had written to overseas secretary David Lammy to tell him of his resignation from the International Workplace and urged him to urgently evaluate the UK’s strategy to Gaza.
He added: “Since Israel’s invasion of Gaza in October 2023 I’ve had grave issues in regards to the conduct of the conflict and the UK’s compliance not solely with worldwide legislation however with the UK’s personal home arms gross sales laws. I’m additionally against the UK’s tacit assist of Israel’s occupation of Palestine.”
He mentioned he joined the International, Commonwealth and Improvement Workplace (FCDO) as a result of he was “obsessed with serving my nation” however that he couldn’t proceed to work for the federal government.
An FCDO spokesperson mentioned: “This authorities is dedicated to upholding worldwide legislation. We have now made clear that we are going to not export gadgets in the event that they may be used to commit or facilitate a critical violation of Worldwide Humanitarian Regulation.
“There may be an ongoing evaluate course of to evaluate whether or not Israel is complying with Worldwide Humanitarian Regulation, which the overseas secretary initiated on day one in workplace. We’ll present an replace as quickly as that evaluate course of has been accomplished.”
His resignation was first revealed by journalist Hind Hassan, who revealed Mr Smith’s resignation letter on X, previously Twitter, on Friday.
Within the e-mail, he claimed that, regardless of elevating his issues “at each stage within the organisation”, nobody within the International Workplace had taken adequate motion.
The BBC, which noticed the e-mail, reported that it was despatched to a large set of distribution lists together with embassy employees, authorities officers and particular advisors to International Workplace ministers.
Mr Smith has been working as a second secretary on the British embassy in Dublin since a minimum of 2022, when he’s listed on an worker register.
