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| Europe |
| Iraqi Report Could Prove Damaging to Germany |
| 2002-12-18 |
| Just as the heated debates within the German government over the role of German troops and equipment in a possible war against Iraq seem to be cooling down, another potential bombshell threatens to reignite the fires. On Tuesday, the Berlin-based left-wing paper, Tageszeitung reported that aspects of the 12,000-page Iraqi report on Iraq's weapons programs, submitted to the U.N last week, could prove highly embarrassing for Germany. The newspaper - believed to be the first to have access to the top-secret dossier - has written that the Iraqi declaration contains the names of 80 German firms, research laboratories and people, who are said to have helped Iraq develop its weapons program. The most contentious piece of news for Germany is that the report names it as the number one supplier of weapons supplies to Iraq. German firms are supposed to easily outnumber the firms from other countries who have been exporting to Iraq. Don't you love it when a plan comes together? They have delivered technical know-how, components, basic substances and even entire technical facilities for the development of atomic, chemical and biological weapons of mass destruction to Iraq right since 1975. In some cases, conventional military and technical dealings between Germany and Iraq are said to date till 2001, ten years after the second Gulf war and a time when international sanctions against Saddam Hussein are still in place. The paper reports that the dossier contains several indications of cases, where German authorities right up to the Finance Ministry tolerated the illegal arms cooperation and also promoted to it to an extent. The German Finance Ministry has said that it will react to the report only once it has studied the Iraqi declaration. "We’ll first wait till the report is in our hands," a spokesman from the ministry said on Tuesday. The spokesman however said that the German government of the time in 1990 had informed the parliament about such German supplies to Iraq. "It's the former governments fault!" Ever since Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990, there has been a strict embargo against the country. The spokesman said that there have been a few cases of violation of the embargo and the government has initiated investigations. Explosive as the newspaper report may appear, it’s not the first of its kind. For months rumors have been circulating in the German media of murky deals between German arms companies and businessmen with Iraq despite the rigid embargoes in place. In October this year, a magazine of the German radio channel, SÃŒdwestrundfunk reported that electronics giant Siemens had delivered specialized technical equipment to Iraq for the treatment of kidney stones, but which could also under certain circumstances be used as a detonator for atom bombs. High speed electrical pulse needed for the trigger Siemens insisted that the device could not be misused because it had commissioned an Iraqi company to regularly monitor the equipment. Oh, that's a good defense In fact the delivery was even sanctioned by the sanctions council of the U.N. and the Federal Office of Economics and Export Control (BAFA). Enough said The latest newspaper report also touches upon the gray zone between medicine and armaments and writes of so-called dual-use goods that can be used for developing weapons as well as for civilian purposes. The German government was apparently informed in 1999 of the delivery of such dual-use goods to Iraq, but is said to have turned a blind eye. German arms companies in the meantime have been conducting booming business with Iraq in recent years. According to the German Federal Statistics Office, German military exports to Iraq have been steadily rising from year to year. From annual exports amounting to 21,7 million euro in 1997, the volume of exports for the following year shot to some 76,4 million euro. The trend continued in 2001 with exports to Iraq bringing German firms profits in the range of 336,5 million euro. German goods worth 226,2 million euro have already been shipped to Iraq in the first half of this year. Some of the official heavyweights in the export scene are the German electronics firm Siemens with medical equipment and energy distribution systems and carmaker DaimlerChrysler. Both are reported to rake in revenues worth double digit figures in the millions. Like they always say, follow the money. Though the German government has not officially reacted to the Iraqi declaration detailing its role in supplying Iraq with arms, there is little doubt that the issue is bound to stoke passions. Ever since Chancellor Gerhard Schröder refused to be part of any military action in Iraq before the German general elections in September, Berlin’s relation to Washington has been a strained one. With Schröder sticking to his pacifist line, but dithering over the level of cooperation with the U.S. in the case of a war against Iraq, the latest report is guaranteed to provide ammunition to the opposition who have strongly criticized Schröder’s policy towards America. Another real fear is that Schröder’s image as a staunch pacifist might now be sullied if it emerges that Germany has all along been helping the very leader who it has been unwilling to topple, to stockpile his weapons. If you talk the talk, you better have walked the walk The report could also provide the U.S. with an excuse to step up the pressure on Germany to give in to American military demands for deployment of German troops and use of German military equipment in the case of a military attack on Iraq. Paybacks a mother, ain't it Gerhard? |
| Posted by:Steve |
| #3 exposure of German Co.'s selling arms,supplies,equipment to Iraq.Wonder if that has anything to do with Germany's vehement objections to taking out Insane Hussien. Surley not Germany is our......friend????? As to France,well what can you expect from the Toads,opps sorry Frogs,damn I mean French. |
| Posted by: raptor 2002-12-19 06:47:40 |
| #2 I am outraged that German Government would allow such a "Tragic Error in Judgment". To let weapons and other harmful devices be sold and delivered to obviously Terroristic Nations |
| Posted by: Kim Jong II 2002-12-19 05:58:16 |
| #1 We don't need German troops or military equipment for an attack. They could be useful as peacekeepers AFTER we win, but that's about it. Schroeder is going to pay dearly for his anti-American vitriol. He doesn't want us, and he'll get his wish. Our forces, once deployed to Iraq, ain't going back to Germany. The Poles, Czechs, and Hungarians want us and we'll oblige...We'll see how the Germans enjoy losing thousands of jobs and euros when we depopulate our bases... |
| Posted by: R. McLeod 2002-12-19 01:44:08 |