Denmark joins Germany in halting arms sales to Saudi Arabia

[jpak]

Source: Washington Post

BERLIN — Denmark became the second European country to halt future arms exports to Saudi Arabia on Thursday, following a similar decision by neighboring Germany earlier this month. The Danish announcement comes the same week President Trump backed Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, despite the CIA assessing that he ordered the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

Denmark’s ban includes goods that can be used both for military and civilian purposes but is still less expansive than the German measures, which also included sales that had already been approved.

While the Nordic country is a tiny arms equipment exporter in comparison to bigger players such as the United States, Britain or France, its decision will likely exacerbate concerns within the European arms industry of a growing anti-Saudi consensus in the European Union and beyond.

Even though Trump has suggested that he will put Saudi investments and arms exports revenues above human rights concerns, lawmakers across the political spectrum and on both sides of the Atlantic have grown increasingly alarmed.

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Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2018/11/22/denmark-joins-germany-halting-arms-sales-saudi-arabia/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.ef38fbc42af7

[Pachamama]

1. This is wonderful news

Now I would like to hear that the US is doing the same under the Magnitsky Act.....

[hot2na]

2. Boyscott Saudi Arabia

I have always thought we were picking the wrong ally in the Middle East. Iran would be a much better partner than SA.

When is the US going to halt arms shipment to SA.

Im with Setve Schmidt:

After pronouncing Saudi Arabia a "leech on the United States" ruled by a "despotic regime," Steve Schmidt let fly at the United States' non-response to the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, the war crimes committed in Yemen, and more.

[link:https://crooksandliars.com/2018/10/steve-schmidt-calls-shunning-saudi-arabia|

[TomVilmer]

3. Good news - but not enough transparency

Denmark has a very tiny arms export, but a social democratic government saw this as a nice thing to support and expand. And the now sitting conservative government has continued this.

Denmark started selling surveillance equipment to Saudi Arabia a few years ago - and to anybody else who wanted to buy. First the government removed the official yearly transparency reports, though these were mandated by the EU. Then they removed the restrictions for such sales. And sent Danish army officers to embassies in failed states to sell.

Soon after the government allowed a sale of for 60 million dollars of composite armor to Pakistan, and also big orders of surveillance equipment to Russia and Saudi Arabia. Success!

But know they has grown some (quite small) balls, and stopped part of this circus. Very few are aware of the Danish arms sales, since our journalists mostly do not give a sh*t about it. But our conservative government is also very xenophobic, so...

[LuckyLib]

4. We've been in love with their oil for decades. Time to get a moral backbone.

[iluvtennis]

5. Thanks you Denmark and Finland. Wish the US had a leader that did the right thing and didn't

support a country that murders journalists.

[notinkansas]

6. 45 will be forever tainted by his lack of response to this killing

He didn't have to be involved in the actual murder to be tainted by the event. His lack of response presents as an acceptance of this horrific event. He is now and will always be a pariah in the eyes of the rest of the world. Much like the Saudi 'prince'. Birds of a feather.

[iluvtennis]

7. Yep.

[Firestorm49]

8. I'm glad that other countries are standing up and doing what America should be doing.