Posted on 08/28/2002 3:16:05 PM PDT by Seti 1
Germany holds up Israeli military shipment said headed for Iran
Wed Aug 28, 2:04 PM ET
JERUSALEM - German authorities have impounded an Israeli shipment that included military equipment said to be headed for Iran, the Israeli government said Wednesday.
The Israeli Defense Ministry confirmed an Israeli media report that a shipment by a private Israeli company was held up in Germany by customs officials.
The Defense Ministry statement said the cargo included Israeli-made treads for armored personnel carriers. The firm received permission from the ministry for exporting the items based on a declaration that its final destination was Thailand, but German officials said they were meant for Iran, the statement said.
The statement said, "The Defense Ministry forbids sale of military equipment, spare parts and weapons of any kind to Iran," adding that it was turning the matter over to Israel's police.
German officials were not immediately available to comment.
Israel TV said the ship was impounded in the German port of Hamburg and was owned by a firm called Piad, headed by Avichai Weinstein.
In the past, Israeli arms merchants have been sentenced to prison terms for selling military equipment to Iran, but in the 1980s, the Israeli government was involved in a complicated deal involving the United States, Nicaragua and Iran that eventually became known as "Irangate."
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