Arms trade

German arms exports in 2016 increased significantly

At the weekend, the Figures for 2015 were known. Now, a new record is reported. And again, the previous government should be for the large sums of money responsible. The Opposition dismisses.

Export Hit: Leopard Main Battle Tank (Archive Image)

As the newspaper “The world” reported increase in German arms exports in the first half of 2016. The Federal government had granted export licences for weapons worth more than four billion euros – and half a billion more than in the corresponding prior-year period.

The majority of the 6400 permits relates to exports to EU and NATO countries, as well as in countries on an equal footing with the NATO and military allies apply, writes the newspaper, citing government circles.

Frigate for Algeria

In the height of the goods has driven the value of the exports, therefore, by the execution of a military order that had not yet been of the black-and-yellow previous government approved: Here was a frigate for Algeria in the value of more than a billion euros. The total amount of export of small arms was gone about a half a Million to 11.6 million euros. Of the supplies of small arms to third countries – so no Alliance partner is eliminated, a large part of the Kurdish regional government in Iraq; these received military goods to a value of 2.1 million Euro.

Federal Economics Minister Sigmar Gabriel (SPD) wants to present the provisional half-year figures for 2016 on Wednesday, when the arms export report 2015 is due to be adopted by the Federal Cabinet. Overall, the Federal government had granted in the previous year, exports to the value of 7.9 billion euros in the green light, had reported the “Welt am Sonntag”. This would be almost doubling that of 2014.

Promise broken?

Arms exports are politically controversial – and for Gabriel, as the Minister responsible sensitive. Because again and again he had declared to the German arms exports to decrease. Now, to report, in contrast to the promises, is on the increase, says Gabriel, among others, with
The decisions of the previous government, which acted under the same Chancellor, but with a different coalition partner – the FDP instead of the SPD.

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The peace officers of the Council of the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD), Renke Brahms, the language in the light of the Figures a “scandal”. Particularly critical is the be
Arms deliveries to Saudi-Arabia or Qatar. “The human rights situation in these Arab countries, the bad, and Saudi Arabia contributes with its policies to the Gulf region comes to rest. No German weapons may be delivered.” It could also be that changes in or aggravated situations may not be possible to incorporate in such regions in permits, because three or more years had old decisions, Brahms.

“Clear Diversion”

Criticism of Gabriel is also the former Minister of justice, Sabine Leutheusser expressed-Schnarrenberger (FDP), the heard time the for arms exports, to the competent Federal security Council. “It is a very transparent diversion from Gabriel to push this exponential increase in arms exports of the previous coalition in the shoes, the works three years after that,” said the FDP politician of the “Rheinische Post”. Gabriel had to be “his own decisions”.

jj/cr (dpa, afp)