Breaking news
Qatar to receive first Leopard 2A7 main battle tanks and PzH-2000 self-propelled howitzer 42310153.
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Defence & Security News - (Qatar)
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| Qatar to receive first Leopard 2A7 main battle tanks and PzH-2000 self-propelled howitzer | |||
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Qatar will receive the first four KMW Leopard 2A7 tanks and three PzH-2000 howitzers from Germany, according to the German Süddeutsche Zeitung newspaper. The shipment has left Germany a few days ago and will soon arrive to Qatar. The shipment is part of a contract signed in 2013 with an overall value of USD2.2 billion. It includes the sale of 62 Leopard 2 tanks, 24 Pzh-2000 howitzers and other equipment.
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 KMW Leopard 2A7 (Photo: KMW) |
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The issue might cause a political controversy in German politics, due to the German Vice-Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel’s position that the shipment of weapons to the restive Gulf area cannot be justified. Given that the export of weapons to countries either involved in combat operations or with a record in human rights issues, has been an area of special interest for many parties and organizations in Germany, the involvement of Qatar in Yemen could raise many questions. Freezing the contract seems to be out of question, as this could force the German government to pay compensation to the industry. It is expected that Germany would try to seek a reassurance that the new weapons would not be used in Yemen, according to the Süddeutsche Zeitung report. |
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