Mark Smith LONDON, Aug 18 (BBC): A British Foreign Office official who worked on counter terrorism has resigned in protest at arms sales to Israel, saying the UK government "may be complicit in war crimes".
Mark Smith wrote to colleagues on Friday, saying he had raised concerns "at every level" in the Foreign Office, including through an official whistle blowing mechanism.
Mr Smith, who was based at the British Embassy in Dublin, added he had received nothing more than basic acknowledgments.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) declined to comment on an individual case but said the government was committed to upholding international law.
The resignation email, which has been seen by the BBC, was sent to a wide set of distribution lists including hundreds of government officials, embassy staff and special advisors to Foreign Office ministers.
According to the email, his role was "Second Secretary Counter Terrorism" - understood to be a relatively junior rank, but one in which he described himself as "a subject matter expert in the domain of arms sales policy" after "a long career in the diplomatic service".
His email continued: "Ministers claim that the UK has one of the most 'robust and transparent' arms export licensing regimes in the world, however this is the opposite of the truth."
"As a fully cleared officer raising serious concerns of illegality in this Department, to be disregarded in this way is deeply troubling. It is my duty as a public servant to raise this."
Mr Smith said he had previously worked in Middle East arms export licensing assessment for the government and "each day" colleagues were witnessing "clear and unquestionable examples" of war crimes and breaches of international humanitarian law by Israel in Gaza.
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