[[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|Thatcher]] introduced [[Gerald Bull]] to [[Pieter Van Der Westhuizen|Gen. Pieter Van Der Westhuizen]], chief of [[South African Military Intelligence]], who then connected Bull with [[South African Arms Corporation|ARMSCOR]] for his "supergun" project.[^1] [[Mark Thatcher|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|Gen. Pieter Van Der Westhuizen]], where the [[USA|U.S.]] reaffirmed its intention to maintain arms channels to [[Iraq]] through [[South Africa]] and [[Chile]].[^1] [[Carlos Cardoen|Cardoen]] indicated that [[Mark Thatcher|Thatcher]] was involved in his business, and that he had the backing of the [[USA|Americans]] and the Chilean government. [[Mark Thatcher|Thatcher]] also had business dealings with [[South Africa]] for a long time, and was involved in providing military equipment through the [[Carlos Cardoen|Cardoen]] network to the [[Iraq|Iraqis]], including nuclear missile projects.[^1] In 1988, [[Ari Ben-Menashe]] met [[Mark Thatcher|Thatcher]] in [[Santiago]], [[Chile]], where [[Mark Thatcher|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|Pinochet]] and discussed the [[Falklands War]], noting [[Chile]]'s support for [[United Kingdom|Britain]]. He also revealed that [[Carlos Cardoen|Cardoen]] received technology directly from the [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]] through [[Robert Gates|Gates's]] office.[^1] [[Mark Thatcher|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|CIA]] contract agent, also controlled a network providing equipment for [[Iraq]].[^1] ### Footnotes [^1]: Ben-Menashe, Ari. *Profits of War: Inside the Secret U.S.-Israeli Arms Network*. TrineDay, 1992. (Hereafter, "Profits of War")