Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Protesters in Egypt are once again being subjected to tear gas made in the U.S.A.
Demonstrators rallying against the military dictatorship told the British media that spent tear-gas cartridges used by police bear the name and address of Combined Systems Inc. (CSI). The Pennsylvania-based company was exposed earlier this year when its tear gas was used during rallies aimed at Hosni Mubarak.
CSI, which specializes in “crowd control devices,” sold the tear gas to the Egyptian Interior Ministry.
The export of teargas to foreign governments is not prohibited under U.S. law.
Some demonstrators told The Guardian that the gas this time seemed more powerful than what was used by Egyptian police in February.
The nation’s interim leader, Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, has promised to turn over the government to civilians…in July.
-Noel Brinkerhoff
US Firm's Teargas Used Against Tahrir Square Protesters (by Jack Shenker and Luke Harding, The Guardian)
Egyptian Police Use U.S.-Made Tear Gas against Protestors (by Noel Brinkerhoff, AllGov)
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