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Saudi seeks to purchase more battle tanks from Germany - paper
June 17, 2012 - 16:10 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net - Saudi Arabia wants to buy 600 to 800 Leopard battle
tanks from Germany, at least twice the number previously expected, a
German newspaper reported on Sunday, June 17, according to Reuters.
A deal for around 300 tanks was about to be signed, Bild am Sonntag
newspaper said in a report sent to Reuters ahead of publication.
The newspaper said that while there was opposition to the deal in
Germany's Chancellery, Foreign Ministry and Defense Ministry, there
was support for it within the Economy Ministry.
"The Saudi order could secure the future of German tank-makers
Krauss-Maffei Wegman and Rheinmetall, which urgently need new markets
because of the restructuring of the German army," said Bild am
Sonntag.
A German government spokeswoman declined to comment.
Last year, Germany denied reports that it had agreed to export 270
Leopard tanks to Saudi Arabia. Exports of military equipment cannot be
officially acknowledged as they are confidential and disclosure is
punishable by a fine or jail.
Opposition lawmakers heaped pressure on Chancellor Angela Merkel's
government after reports it had cut a secret deal to sell the tanks,
saying it contravened the country's export guidelines for military
hardware.
Arms exports are a sensitive issue in Germany given its Nazi past as
well as the role arms makers like Krupp played in feeding 19th and
20th century wars with exports to both sides of conflicts.
Germany has refrained from exporting heavy weapons to Gulf states in
the past, given its close relationship with Israel and more recently
because of the so-called Arab Spring.
Citing industry sources, Bild am Sonntag said Saudi Arabia wanted to
sign the deal by July 20, when the Ramadan festival starts.
Spanish firm General Dynamic/Santa Barbara would produce the tanks
under license by the German firms, the newspaper said.
From: Baghdasarian
June 17, 2012 - 16:10 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net - Saudi Arabia wants to buy 600 to 800 Leopard battle
tanks from Germany, at least twice the number previously expected, a
German newspaper reported on Sunday, June 17, according to Reuters.
A deal for around 300 tanks was about to be signed, Bild am Sonntag
newspaper said in a report sent to Reuters ahead of publication.
The newspaper said that while there was opposition to the deal in
Germany's Chancellery, Foreign Ministry and Defense Ministry, there
was support for it within the Economy Ministry.
"The Saudi order could secure the future of German tank-makers
Krauss-Maffei Wegman and Rheinmetall, which urgently need new markets
because of the restructuring of the German army," said Bild am
Sonntag.
A German government spokeswoman declined to comment.
Last year, Germany denied reports that it had agreed to export 270
Leopard tanks to Saudi Arabia. Exports of military equipment cannot be
officially acknowledged as they are confidential and disclosure is
punishable by a fine or jail.
Opposition lawmakers heaped pressure on Chancellor Angela Merkel's
government after reports it had cut a secret deal to sell the tanks,
saying it contravened the country's export guidelines for military
hardware.
Arms exports are a sensitive issue in Germany given its Nazi past as
well as the role arms makers like Krupp played in feeding 19th and
20th century wars with exports to both sides of conflicts.
Germany has refrained from exporting heavy weapons to Gulf states in
the past, given its close relationship with Israel and more recently
because of the so-called Arab Spring.
Citing industry sources, Bild am Sonntag said Saudi Arabia wanted to
sign the deal by July 20, when the Ramadan festival starts.
Spanish firm General Dynamic/Santa Barbara would produce the tanks
under license by the German firms, the newspaper said.
From: Baghdasarian