Swiss War Materiel and Arms Exports

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M113 plans for Iraq and Pakistan

Goods category: War materiel

Swiss M113 at the Steel Parade in Thun, 27.10.2006.

Public Domain (weltweite Freigabe durch Urheber)

In June 2005, the Federal Council approved the proposed sale of 180 decommissioned M113 armoured personnel carriers to Iraq via the United Arab Emirates. They were intended for use as police vehicles. Following criticism of their intended use, the deal was suspended in August; the Emirates withdrew in October. The delivery did not take place. On 29 June 2005, the Federal Council authorised the brokerage of up to 736 decommissioned M113 armoured personnel carriers from Swiss army stocks to Pakistan. The vehicles were to be used exclusively on UN missions; the expected value of the deal was around 40 million Swiss francs. No contract was concluded and the planned delivery did not take place. In 2006, the Federal Council restricted sales of decommissioned war materiel.

Effect of the proposed War Materiel Act revision

Under the new Article 22b, the Federal Council could depart from all the licensing criteria in Article 22a under vaguely defined ‘exceptional circumstances’. The public would not have to be informed. The Federal Council could add Iraq, the United Arab Emirates and Pakistan to Annex 2 by amending the War Materiel Ordinance. This would remove the exclusion criterion based on participation in an armed conflict and make approval the rule. The Federal Council could refuse a licence only in exceptional cases. Article 18 paragraph 1 would abolish non-re-export declarations in the vast majority of cases. Weapons for Iraq, the United Arab Emirates and Pakistan could thus easily be supplied through a subsidiary or intermediary in a third country. For example, the following states could serve as third countries, having supplied substantial quantities of war materiel in recent years according to SIPRI: Iraq: United States (3’948 million TIV); United Arab Emirates: United States (9’818 million TIV); Pakistan: United States (2’134 million TIV).

Countries

Conflicts

Time period

Approvals and abandonment in 2005; review in 2006

Sources