"the UK govt is also selling arms to Gaddafi & co, to help them put down the troublemakers"

Exactly why Governments buy weapons - to protect their State against anyone who is deemed to threaten them.
Exactly the same in every country, including yours.
Which ties in quite nicely with the fact that any country which manufactures arms for its own protection seeks to sell arms to other countries - sound business principles.

If you are waiting for the day that nobody produces and sells arms, don't hold your breath.

Or do you think only the countries that can produce their own armaments should be allowed to have arms?
Or do you think UK should only sell arms to other countries on the specific understanding they should never be used, even if State security is threatened by a revolutionary mob?
Or do you think the UK should be high-principled and turn down the order, so they have Russian arms instead (or French, or American, or ............insert nationality of choice).

Lots of options there, take your pick - or make up one of your own!

The "troublemakers" as you call them - or even more ridiculous "the demonstrators" as the BBC insist on calling them, are attempting a revolution, or coup d'etat, and the Government's job is to prevent that happening. Whether you or I or anybody else thinks they have a point or not.

I really believe we all have to first understand the actuality of what is going on before we jump to our simplistic, and usually entrenched conclusions.

g