Posted on 08/28/2002 12:15:35 PM PDT by ironwill
German authorities have impounded an Israeli shipment that included military equipment said to be headed for Iran, Israel said Wednesday.
The Defense Ministry confirmed media reports that a shipment by a private Israeli company was held up in Hamburg by customs officials. A statement released by the ministry said the cargo included some 3,000 Israel-made rubber treads for armored personnel carriers.
"The shipment sent by a private company from Israel to Germany was seized by the German customs authorities," the statement said, adding that the firm received permission to export the items based on a declaration that its final destination was Thailand.
"The Defense Ministry prohibits the sale of weapons and spare part of military equipment of any kind to Iran," the statement said.
The shipment was seized on an Israeli ship with a crew made up of Israelis and foreigners. The ship had been docking for several days at the Hamburg port.
Channel Two Television quoted the German authorities as saying that a German company bought the equipment and that it intended to ship the cargo to Iran. It is unclear whether the Israeli company, P.A.D., ownned by Aviahi Weinstein, knew that the equipment would end up in Iran.
Weinstein is related to Eli Cohen, who was suspected three years ago of trying to sell tank engines to Iran, Channel One news reported Wednesday. Cohen was never indicted, but the Defense Ministry suspended contacts with Cohen's company and cancelled his permit to export military equipment.
In the past, Israeli arms merchants have been sentenced to prison terms for selling military equipment to Iran, but in the 1980s, the government was involved in a complicated deal involving the United States, Nicaragua and Iran that eventually became known as "Irangate."
Israel is definitely an ally,but her interests and ours may not always coincide.
The German government did the right thing as far as I am concerned.
Agreed. But one has to wonder if this is more of a show to convince us that the Germans are fighting against terrorism even though they're against an Iraqi strike and won't send any of their troops.
The title should have been: Germany Seizes Military Parts from a Private Israeli Source, Headed to Iran.
I do agree that their policy regarding Iraq is sadly lacking.
Now, I'm really confused!
In essence they say : Although the Iranian Republic broke off diplomatic relations with Israel when it was originally founded, a covert arms trade has continued between the two countries.
It also notes this covert arms trade has been a source of friction between the US and Israel. ( I can't resist adding there has also been a sale of Israeli technology and defense systems to India, China,and other "hotspots" .)
From all the previous stories about how anti-semitism is still pervasive in the german workplace, I'm not really surprised.
Is Israel any more socialist than the US? Government in the US takes half of what I make. This doesn't count the cost of innumerable burdens imposed by idiotic, socialist-inspired regulations.
Since Ayatollah Humeini set up the Islamic republic, which hastened to sever ties with Israel, the covert relations between the two states, especially in arms sales, never really stopped. These ties were maintained despite the international sanctions imposed on Iran, despite the ban on selling it weapons, and despite the rift they caused more than once in the relations with the United States.
During the trial of businessman Nahum Manbar, who was sentenced to 16 years in prison for selling to Iran chemicals and providing it with know-how and equipment to set up plants for chemical warfare, the judges rejected his claim that he was not alone in trading with Iran, and that Israeli companies were also selling arms to the Islamic republic.
Talk about feeding your enemies! What are they thinking?!
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