Iraqi Report Could Prove Damaging to Germany

Deutsche Welle ^ | December 16, 2002 | Deutsche Welle

[RobFromGa]

Iraqi Report Could Prove Damaging to Germany

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.

[TaqueriaFanatic]

I dont know the source I heard this from; In Palestinian terrorist camps in the Arab world in the 60's and 70's, they hosted both ultra-leftists and neo-nazis in 2 separate parts of the terrorist camp. I think I heard it in a magazine article about German foreign minister Joschka Fischers radical days as a youth.

[Dog Gone]

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.

I don't think there have been any such demands. Nor do I think there will be regardless of the truth of this story.

There are some headaches we just don't need.

[bobi]

Yup.

[TaqueriaFanatic]

I once saw while studying a book in the Talmud, that is more then 2000 years old. They mention a nation descended from Esau called Germamia (Germania), and among other things it says that if they are not restrained , that they are capable of destroying the world.

[cake_crumb]

"Oh, Gerhard Schröder ought to be tied to the tail of one those planes and used as bait."

Hmmmm....now THERE'S an idea.

[cake_crumb]

"Industrial Germany warred for the world in 1912, 1938, and now wars in 2002."

Yep. It's amazing how little the government of Germany has really changed over the years.

[MrPeanut]

My father flew 8th Army Air Force over Germany in WW2. He told me before he died that Germany will work from generation to generation until they take the world.

[cake_crumb]

"Verrrry Innterrrrestink !"

LOL....but SCHTUPIT! (for the Schröderites)

[PoorMuttly]

How much of a shtuping do we need to take ?

[cake_crumb]

"There are some headaches we just don't need."

THAT'S for sure. We'll be fighting enough terrorists in Iraq and even Kuwaite...we don't need them at our troops' backs in Germany.

[cake_crumb]

Potential troll alert in the bobi department?

[TaqueriaFanatic]

Years ago I read a book about a famous Rabbi in Jerusalem in the 1920's . His name was Rabbi Chaim Sonnenfeld. Sometime in the early 1900's , the German Kaiser went to visit Jerusalem, and a lot of Jerusalemites went to catch a glimpse of the Kaiser, but not Rabbi Sonnenfeld. He said there was a tradition from the Gaon of Vilna , who lived in the late 1700's, that Germany was a descendant of Amalek, the biblical enemy of the Jews. On a more interesting point, the Gaon of Vilna , when he heard that America became independent , around 1776, said it would be the last place of exile for the Jewish people, before the Messiah takes the Jews to Israel in the final days.

[cake_crumb]

"How much of a shtuping do we need to take ?"

IMO, we'll take very little. No doubt if this report is proven via US intelligence gathering, the heat will be turned up on old Gerhardt just on account. Maybe we can even get him to stop listening to his knees knocking long enough to sign the shtupit order that allows German troops join in war on Iraq.

It won't be a political death sentence for him. It doesn't work that way in Leftville, Planet Earth. He'll make himself over into a new, tougher image, a la Joe LIEberman and will be relected when the time comes by a populace grateful for him putting aside his own fears in favor of the interests of his constituents.

[cake_crumb]

Looks like it's all coming eerily true.

[PoorMuttly]

Do you really think they are willing to take ground casualties, rather than do their killing from high altitude, or letting someone else do it, so that they can remain morally superior...in their own eyes ?

[MrPeanut]

I am not religious. I just know a society that can commit genocide can not be trusted.

[bobi]

It then moves on to say ...

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.

From military equipment sales talk it explains further that it is medical equipment and cars.

German exports are highly regulated. All this has gone through the UN administered program where the UN allows what equipment is to be imported in Iraq.

Anyway lets see what are the statistics for 1999 as we don't have any printed copies.

http://translate.google.com/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.destatis.de%2Fpresse%2Fdeutsch%2Fpm2000%2Fp3920181.htm&langpair=de%7Cen&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&prev=%2Flanguage_tools

As the Federal Statistical Office communicates, 1999 war weapons (after demarcation of the law over control of war weapons) in the total value of 2 844 Mill became in the year. DM from Germany implemented. That were 0.3 % of entire German export in the year 1999. The export of ships (1 894 Mill. DM) made two thirds of the German war weapon exports out (combat aircraft, warships, combat vehicles, weapons and ammunition); as consequence of intensified supplies of warships these exports doubled themselves in relation to the previous year more than (+ 113 %).

The predominant part of the war weapons (1 570 Mill. DM) was already supplied with, like in the previous years, to NATO and to NATO states on an equal footing. Under these 1999 was Turkey (645 Mill. DM), the Netherlands (385 Mill. DM) and France (141 Mill. DM) the principal clients. With on an equal footing the war weapons (1 274 Mill. DM), exported to outside of NATO and you the states, concerned it 1999 almost completely warships and/or parts of it. This applies in particular to exports into those the NATO not belonging of customer countries Israel (940 Mill. DM), Brazil (212 Mill. DM) and South Korea (117 Mill. DM).

The development of the war weapon exports in the years 1993 to 1999 is shown by the following table.

WELL THAT IS THE OFFICIAL DATA.

What is more important is the implementation of President Bush's policy of IF YOU ARE NOT WITH US YOU ARE AGAINST US.

Basically we see a start of propaganda against states that do SUPPORT the war on terrorism but DO NOT SUPPORT Imperialistic wars for the sole benefit of United States.

[cake_crumb]

Or maybe he's heading for Baghdad on the mothership with Louie the Loonie, where they will join hands and BOTH rail against the injustices done to the black man by America.

[MrPeanut]

You are fast to come up with facts in support of Nazi Germany....