When tyrants want tear gas, the UK has always been happy to oblige | John KampfnerWhen Robin Cook tried to tighten rules on British arms sales to dodgy regimes in 1997 he was told by Tony Blair's team to grow up. Planned changes to criteria for weapons exports were so watered down that they made no inroads into the trade. Cook's professed "ethical dimension" to foreign policy was stillborn. Downing Street had been heavily lobbied, but it needed no convincing. This is one area w
