Victory
07-12-02, 21:51
No German tanks for Israel
4:54:04 PM
Berlin, Dec 7 - German defense minister Peter Struck here Saturday said that Germany will not provide Israel with the requested Fuchs armored troop carriers (atc).
Struck explained in a German television interview that his country had no tanks to spare since most of them were deployed abroad for peacekeeping missions.
Although the German defense ministry has announced that this did not amount to a general rejection of the Israeli tank request, Tel Aviv has signalled that it is wiling to forego the order.
The controversial request caused a public stir in Germany after Israel's ambassador to Germany, Shimon Stein, made it clear that his government thought that the requested German infantry tanks would be used to suppress the Palestinian Intifada.
The German constitution bars the export of offensive weapons into conflict regions.
4:54:04 PM
Berlin, Dec 7 - German defense minister Peter Struck here Saturday said that Germany will not provide Israel with the requested Fuchs armored troop carriers (atc).
Struck explained in a German television interview that his country had no tanks to spare since most of them were deployed abroad for peacekeeping missions.
Although the German defense ministry has announced that this did not amount to a general rejection of the Israeli tank request, Tel Aviv has signalled that it is wiling to forego the order.
The controversial request caused a public stir in Germany after Israel's ambassador to Germany, Shimon Stein, made it clear that his government thought that the requested German infantry tanks would be used to suppress the Palestinian Intifada.
The German constitution bars the export of offensive weapons into conflict regions.