- 12 Apr 2019 15:51
#14998896
https://www.spiegel.de/politik/ausland/ ... 62477.html
(Partially) translated with the help of Google and dict.leo.org:
They really should have been more honest and announced they would still allow purely defensive systems. Now they have the bad press they deserve.
Although I am a bit baffled who would want to attack Saudi Arabia. This is one of the most powerful militaries of the planet:
Current spending on the military, according to Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_c ... penditures
1. List by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute 2018 Fact Sheet (for 2017), SIPRI Military Expenditure Database
1. United States - 610 billion US$ - 3.1% of GDP
2. China - 228 billion US$ - 1.9% of GDP
3. Saudi Arabia - 69.4 billion US$ - 10%(!) of GDP
4. Russia - 66.3 billion US$ - 4.3% of GDP
5. India - 63.9 billion US$ - 2.5% of GDP
2. List by the International Institute for Strategic Studies Top 15 Defence Budgets 2018
1. United States - 643.3 billion US$
2. China - 168.2 billion US$
3. Saudi Arabia - 82.9 US$
4. Russia - 63.1 US$
5. India - 57.9 US$
(Partially) translated with the help of Google and dict.leo.org:
The Federal Government again supplies weapons to countries that are directly involved in the Yemen War. The Cabinet has approved the export of war material to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, among others, in the secret Security Council. This is revealed by a list from the Federal Ministry of Economics from Thursday, which is available to the SPIEGEL.
Saudi Arabia, for which there has been a stop of arms deliveries following the assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, does not get German armaments directly. However, parts will be delivered to a French company that exports the final product to the Kingdom. The coalition had argued for months over such so-called community products.
[...]
The opposition harshly criticized the new permits. "The announced an export stop just a few days ago, which was simply a cynical deception maneuver," said the Greens security politician Agnieszka Brugger. "A federal government that this irresponsibly deals with dangerous arms exports must be brought to its senses with a strict and binding arms export law," she demanded.
[...]
France, in particular, had complained about the attitude of the German government because important arms exports could not take place due to the lack of parts from Germany. In a notable guest contribution, the French ambassador accused the government of being unreliable.
[...]
The Federal Government justifies the now approved deliveries with pointing out that they are not offensive weapons systems used in the Yemen War. The "Cobra" radar system is a kind of scanner for approaching rockets. The system is intended to protect major cities in the Emirates against possible attacks.
They really should have been more honest and announced they would still allow purely defensive systems. Now they have the bad press they deserve.
Although I am a bit baffled who would want to attack Saudi Arabia. This is one of the most powerful militaries of the planet:
Current spending on the military, according to Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_c ... penditures
1. List by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute 2018 Fact Sheet (for 2017), SIPRI Military Expenditure Database
1. United States - 610 billion US$ - 3.1% of GDP
2. China - 228 billion US$ - 1.9% of GDP
3. Saudi Arabia - 69.4 billion US$ - 10%(!) of GDP
4. Russia - 66.3 billion US$ - 4.3% of GDP
5. India - 63.9 billion US$ - 2.5% of GDP
2. List by the International Institute for Strategic Studies Top 15 Defence Budgets 2018
1. United States - 643.3 billion US$
2. China - 168.2 billion US$
3. Saudi Arabia - 82.9 US$
4. Russia - 63.1 US$
5. India - 57.9 US$
There's class warfare, all right, but it's my class, the rich class, that's making war, and we're winning. - Warren Buffett
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