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Mark Thatcher is the son of British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. He is an established arms dealer with significant connections in the international arms trade, particularly with Chile and South Africa.1
In 1983, Mark Thatcher introduced Gerald Bull to Pieter Van Der Westhuizen, chief of South African Military Intelligence, who then connected Bull with South African Arms Corporation for his "supergun" project.1
Mark Thatcher was present at a meeting in Santiago, Chile, in late 1986 with Carlos Cardoen, Robert Gates, Senator John Tower, and Pieter Van Der Westhuizen, where the USA reaffirmed its intention to maintain arms channels to Iraq through South Africa and Chile.1
Carlos Cardoen indicated that Mark Thatcher was involved in his business, and that he had the backing of the USA and the Chilean government. Mark Thatcher also had business dealings with South Africa for a long time, and was involved in providing military equipment through the Carlos Cardoen network to the Iraq, including nuclear missile projects.1
In 1988, Ari Ben-Menashe met Mark Thatcher in Santiago, Chile, where Mark Thatcher presented himself as a private businessman with no connection to the British government, despite his mother's position. He expressed admiration for Augusto Pinochet and discussed the Falklands War, noting Chile's support for United Kingdom. He also revealed that Carlos Cardoen received technology directly from the Central Intelligence Agency through Robert Gates office.1
Mark Thatcher was involved in the sale of 48 Chieftain tanks to Chile after the Falklands War. He was also linked to Ihsan Barbouti and Sarcis Sargalian in projects supplying Iraq with military equipment. Richard Babayan, a Central Intelligence Agency contract agent, also controlled a network providing equipment for Iraq.1
Footnotes
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Ben-Menashe, Ari. Profits of War: Inside the Secret U.S.-Israeli Arms Network. TrineDay, 1992. (Hereafter, "Profits of War") ↩︎