BERLIN: Germany has approved new deliveries of weapons to several Arab countries, according to a newspaper report yesterday. The Sueddeutsche Zeitung reported on its website that weapons including tanks and machine guns are to be delivered to countries including the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Algeria. But critics rounded on the government’s decision, with Jan Van Aken, a deputy from the far-left party Die Linke, questioning the delivery.
The opposition took Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel to task over the decision, accusing him of bending to the arms lobby. As recently as August, Gabriel had pushed for rules to be tightened on arms exports particularly to countries with poor human rights records, and had called for deliveries to Saudi Arabia to end. Under German law, arms exports to countries outside the European Union and non-Nato allies are banned, although exceptions can be made on a case-by-case basis.
Canada PM asks House to support Iraq airstrikes
OTTAWA: Canada is poised to join the war against the Islamic State group in Iraq after Prime Minister Stephen Harper yesterday outlined plans to seek a vote on joining the mission.
Harper said parliament, where his Tory Party enjoys a solid majority, would be asked to vote on the six-month “counter-terrorism” mission on Monday. If the House of Commons greenlights the action as expected, it will be Canada’s first military expedition since Libya in 2011.AFP
