Tanks for sale but nobody can have them

Leopard 2. (Photo: KMW)

January 31 2012: But what the government wants to earn snapping the sale of old Armament. Only properly to those countries that want our tanks, the Chamber will not lose them.

Overcome Sales Tanks

Dust to dust flies next to a rolling Leopard 2A6 main battle tank on a picture in a brochure of Defense. For 119 of these tanks is the cabinet-like Rutte euros cheer. Potential buyers have already been reported, but it's not that simple. Take Indonesia. Both under the cheese cover and in the country's 245 million inhabitants, this debate erupted.

The Jungle

What should an archipelago with many jungles with such heavy tanks - a tank weighs as much as fifty Volkswagen Golfs - MPs want to know. Even more worrying our MPs to human rights. Papuans, the original inhabitants of New Guinea, should it suffer. Late last year were twelve deaths and hundreds of people arrested in riots. According to human rights organizations are still sentences to 20 years imprisonment, based on old Dutch colonial laws. To include SP, PvdA and Christian Union GroenLinks reason not to sell tanks. The PVV see that in a country where 86 percent is Muslim, not sitting.

But where should it go Dutch cast-offs? For years, saw no objection Netherlands to deliver tanks to Saudi Arabia and armored vehicles to Egypt and Bahrain, but now sees a majority in Parliament that would not sit. And even in countries like Yemen and Turkmenistan are "pretty strong reservations.

No wonder, because on 14 February, exactly a year ago that the Netherlands embarrassed by images of vehicles in the uprisings of the Arab Spring that suspiciously resembled the old Dutch Band radios. In response to parliamentary questions from Green MP Arjan El Fassed, was Foreign Minister Uri Rosenthal recognize that the Netherlands' surplus defense materiel has repeatedly delivered to Bahrain. "There were also 35 M-113 and 25-YPR armored vehicles to" know the VVD minister.

Large Supplier

"In Egypt, when Maspero incident where in October of 27 deaths, tracked vehicles are used," says Christian Union MP CU. Fat chance that there were in our cast-offs. Netherlands are large supplier of armored tracked vehicles. Alone to Egypt between 1996 and 2006 there were over a thousand sold. Together with the Dutch treasury Bahrain Egypt spekte above 200 million euros.

The same amount would now Indonesia for the tanks have been reserved. And those pennies can Defence Minister Hans Hillen, who must cut 1 billion euros, or use it, even put a CDA-minister his "morality" for the side. PvdA MP Martijn van Dam, who was unsuccessfully attempted delivery of tanks to Egypt to stop: "The countries that want to buy tanks, we do not give. Look at the countries which we have made, there are few democratic countries. "

Source: Depers