Posted on 10/24/2018 6:32:46 AM PDT by sukhoi-30mki
BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany’s hardline halt to arms sales to Saudi Arabia over the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi may jeopardize a big UK-led Eurofighter order from Riyadh and could hit jobs at a shipyard in struggling northeastern Germany.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has been more outspoken than fellow major arms exporters the United States, Britain and France about stopping sales to Saudi Arabia until Khashoggi’s case is cleared up, a stance that a senior conservative ally said could also affect previously approved orders.
Berlin is now reviewing all Saudi sales, including contracts approved in September for more patrol boats built by privately-held Luerrsen and four Cobra counter-battery radar systems built by a consortium that includes France’s Thales, Airbus and the U.S. defense company Lockheed Martin.
German authorities approved more than 400 million euros worth of Saudi arms supply contracts in the first nine months of 2018, but have not specified the value of equipment not yet delivered.
Germany accounts for just under 2 percent of total Saudi arms imports, a small percentage internationally compared with the United States and Britain - but, crucially, also makes components for other countries’ export contracts.
The biggest impact may be on a 10-billion-pound ($12.99 billion) agreement by Saudi Arabia to buy 48 new Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets from Britain, given that a third of their components would come from Germany, industry sources said.
The deal, nailed down in a memorandum of understanding in March, has not been finalised yet, and is not reflected in BAE Systems Plc’s 2018 financial statements.
BAE declined to comment on the issue, as did officials from the German-based Eurofighter consortium. Britain’s Foreign Office had no immediate comment.
Nearly four years in the making, the Saudi Eurofighter order would secure thousands of jobs at BAE,
(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...
China or maybe Russia would be happy to sell whatever is wanted.
So he Germans will happily do biz with the mullahs, but not the Saudis?!
SNORT.
But after flying U.S.-produced F-15s for many decades, they may not be happy with what China or Russia are selling.
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This thing with the Saudis is someone trying to gin up a game of lets-you-and-him-fight.
I say we don't oblige.
Euro-NATO fools getting played by Turkish islamist dictator into turning their back on his enemies the Saudi “reformers”(such as they are).
Has McCain’s ghost returned? We are attacking a Saudi government that has been growing closer to Israel and resisting radical Islam in order to take up the cause of a “journalist” of suspicious background who is not even an American citizen.
+1
I have faith Trump will play this one right. Makes control of Congress all that much more important, especially for Israel.
The EU isn’t getting played.
The EU is aiding and abetting.
We’ll build those parts for the jet, that are now built in Germany. 8>)
The Saudi’s killed a terrorist supporter. Good for them.
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