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DEFENSE INDUSTRY:Saudi Arabia gets first patrol boat
from . 6 July 2016
The federal government has given the green light to a controversial arms deal with Saudi Arabia. Approved was the delivery of the first of a total of 48 patrol boats.
http://www.svz.de/deutschland-welt/...rhaelt-erstes-patrouillenboot-id14193431.html
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The main battle tank "Leopard 2 A6" rolls over dusty ground. Germany is one of the five largest arms exporters in the world. / Archives
Photo: Peter Steffen
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About the decision of the secret, which meets Federal Security now informed Economy Minister
Sigmar Gabriel (
SPD ) the Bundestag. The letter was "Spiegel Online" and the German press agency before. Gabriel had filed objections to the delivery of the boats to earlier statements from government circles.
Saudi Arabia stands internationally for violations of civil and human rights repeatedly criticized. The Sunni royal family in
Riyadh but is a close ally of the West in the anti-terror fight. Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier (SPD) had spoken clearly for the supply of 48 patrol boats. He referred to "legitimate safety and security interests" of the Saudis. Even Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) is a supporter of armaments cooperation with Riyadh.
In addition to Merkel, Steinmeier and Gabriel, other ministers are members of the Federal Security Council. It is still unclear whether Gabriel was overruled. On request, the Ministry of Economy to declined to comment.
Approved further arms exports were still in the Gulf region: Egypt receives another submarine and 32 torpedoes,
Kuwait an armored Fuchs 2 for testing, Oman a Bergepanzer bison 2 for testing.
On Wednesday, the Cabinet also decided to arms export report 2015. As is already known, the export of arms increased compared to 2014 to around 7.86 billion euros - equivalent to almost a doubling. Approved In the first half 2016 Gabriel with over four billion euros significantly more than in the same period last year.
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06/07/2016 14:50
Arms exports, a record that no one will have wanted
The scope of the approved by the federal government arms exports has almost doubled - Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel to justify yourself.
BY
CLAUDIA OF SALTS
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A battle tank type Leopard 2. Ten of these tanks were delivered last year in the Gulf state of Qatar. PHOTO: CLEMENS NIESNER / DPA
The numbers did not look good for Sigmar Gabriel. The Federal Minister came into office with a promise to reduce the German arms exports. But last year, the federal government approved arms exports worth 7.86 billion euros - almost twice as much as in the previous year and more than ever before. More than half of the total was for States belonging to neither the EU nor NATO. If we add the so-called collective licenses, the total volume of exports allowed is nearly 13 billion euros.
On Wednesday, the Federal Cabinet approved
the arms export report , the Minister questioned the figures not publicly available. Gabriel had already expressed as February, when the numbers are not yet officially existed. On Tuesday, one day before the release of the report, was the SPD leader disseminate a detailed justification. One should not look "on the raw numbers", but must take a closer look, Gabriel warned in the two-sided paper. "The results speak for themselves." The Minister pointed out that it had managed to reduce the permits for the export of small arms compared to the previous year. Were 2014 still exported guns and other small arms worth 47 million euros, there were in 2015 only 32 million. These weapons are used particularly in civil wars.The high total volume of permits explains Gabriel with "special factors" such as the supply of tanker aircraft to the UK or a submarine to Israel.
Shortly before the report came to the table in the Cabinet, it was announced that the Federal Security Council has just approved further arms deals, including a patrol boat for Saudi Arabia and a submarine for Egypt. The government is on the issue of exports to
Saudi Arabia cleaved
reported "Spiegel Online" . Gabriel had been "apparently overruled" in the Federal Security Council. On this reading, Gabriel has failed in his desire for a more restrictive arms export control on coalition partners. The Federal Security Council convenes secret, its members are bound to secrecy. Thus it remains unclear who has as matched. The panel also approved in June arms exports to Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates. This year the German arms exports could thus even reached a new record. From January to June, the federal government issued permits already amounting to about four billion euros - more than in the entire year, 2014.
Main beneficiary German armaments was 2015 Gulf state of Qatar. Thither ten Leopard 2 battle tanks and five howitzers were delivered - one of the most controversial arms deals last year. Total exports were allowed worth around 1.6 billion euros to Qatar. The delivery of tanks was as early as 2013, been so authorized by the black-yellow government says Gabriel. "It is also an unfortunate fact that I can take back permits the previous government only in exceptional cases." Qatar is participating in a military operation in Yemen. In order for a delivery of tanks actually contradicts the principles of the Federal Government. But the deal has not been stopped, in the federal government, there was resistance to withdrawal of the authorization. The companies concerned have also damages to be paid. And the supply of nearly 200 machine guns to Qatar allowed the federal government in the past year, although the export of small arms but is supposed to be more restrictive.
Besides Qatar are among the largest recipient countries of German arms exports striking number of Gulf states: Saudi Arabia could get parts for armored vehicles and target drones. The country will be upgraded for years from Germany, especially in the area of border management systems. For Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Oman, the federal government has granted 2015 permits a large scale. Overall, the German industry was allowed to export military equipment worth 2.2 billion euros to the Arabian Peninsula.
In another crisis area the federal government on the other hand reacted far more cautiously, so several applications for arms exports to Ukraine including the supply of protective equipment were rejected in view of the war in the East.
http://www.tagesspiegel.de/politik/...d-den-keiner-gewollt-haben-will/13838578.html
