Iraqi Report Could Prove Damaging to Germany [Arms Supplier?]

Deutsche Welle via instapundit ^ | 17.12.2002 | Unsigned

[aculeus]

Iraq’s declaration of its weapons programs contains explosive news for Germany, a Berlin paper has reported. The dossier is said to detail covert arms deals between German defense firms and Iraq.

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.

Germany, Iraq’s number one arms supplier?

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.

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.

Wait and watch says German Finance Ministry

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.

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.

German military exports to Iraq nothing new

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, Südwestrundfunk 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.

Siemens insisted that the device could not be misused because it had commissioned an Iraqi company to regularly monitor the equipment. 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).

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 defense firms conduct roaring trade with Baghdad

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.

Chancellor Schröder in precarious situation

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.

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.

http://www.dw-world.de © Deutsche Welle

[dfwgator]

Saddam hates Jews, it makes perfect sense.

[aristeides]

FYI.

[wretchard]

If true, this development may destroy the image of Joschka Fischer and Gerhard Schroeder as smiling pacifists. But then, historically speaking, Nazism was a mere offshoot of Bolshevism.

[Publius Maximus]

Hmm. Remember that alleged canister of uranium that was later said to be a dud that was captured along with some Arab-type folks trying to smuggle it into Turkey from, presumably, Syria or Iraq? Did it not have "Made in Germany" written on it? I remember some FReepers pointing that out.

Interesting.

[aculeus]

German defense firms conduct roaring trade with Baghdad.

Roaring trade ping.

[LdSentinal]

Saddam hates Jews, it makes perfect sense.

That's pretty much the case. Since Germany heads the EU, and the EU is the #1 contributor to the Palestinian Authority, I would not be suprised to hear that Israel dropped a nuke on Berlin.

[dighton]

See Giftgas, which isn't quite as Christmasy as it sounds.

[Travis McGee]

Plenty of ZYKLON-B?

[MadIvan]

Great, do we have to go to war with these blighters again?

How many wars do they have to lose before they get the message? Keep your head down, Fritz, and shut up.

Regards, Ivan

[Jumper]

Germany has always, along with France, maintained profitable trade relationships with enemies of America. These trade deals and the resultant revenue are the sole basis the the leftists in Europe have to defent to stay in power.... There is a second war ongoing in the World, the first with radical Islam and rogue Arab states - the second is with the liberals in Europe for control of the West politically (the liberal leadership in many an European country is both morally and soon financially bankrupted!). These two wars will have far reaching economic consequences for Liberal European Political Parties and the move to Conservative Post-War Leadership will result!

[general_re]

Well, isn't that special? The spineless Euro-sh*ts insist that we wait for sanctions to have an effect before turning to military solutions, and in the meantime, those same Euro-sh*ts are violating the sanctions by rearming the Iraqis.

First Baghdad, then Berlin....

[aculeus]

First Baghdad, then Berlin....

[BlueLancer]

"First Baghdad, then Berlin...."

Here's a modern version of "Over the Hills and Far Away"
(from SHARPE'S EAGLE)

Four thousand dollars on the drum,
For those who’ll volunteer to come
And enlist to fight the foe today,
Over the hills and far away.

O’er the hills, we will attack
Afghanistan and then Iraq;
George Bush commands and we obey,
Over the hills and far away.

When duty calls me, I must go
To stand and face another foe;
But part of me will always stray
Over the hills and far away.

O’er the hills, from sea to land,
Iraq, and then on to Iran;
George Bush commands and we obey,
Over the hills and far away.

If I should fall to fight no more,
As many comrades did before,
Then ask the pipes and drums to play
"Over the hills and far away".

O’er the hills, pro patria,
Iran and then Arabia;
George Bush commands and we obey,
Over the hills and far away.

Then fall in, lads, behind the drum,
With colours blazing like the sun,
Along the road to come what may,
Over the hills and far away.

O’er the hills we will advance,
Through Belgium, Germany, and France;
George Bush commands and we obey,
Over the hills and far away.