Aiding and Abetting Will European Arms Manufacturers Come Before the International Criminal Court in the Hague?
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30 The Security Times – Policy Briefs February 2020 Aiding and abetting Will European arms manufacturers come before the International Criminal Court in The Hague? stopped issuing permits for arms being committed with the weap- The ICC took up its duties in Airbus spokesman in December, try. So far, however, weapons BY MARKUS BICKEL deliveries to Saudi Arabia more ons delivered. It lists 26 air strikes 2002 and is responsible for the thereby placing the responsibil- manufacturers have been cau- than a year ago, mainly because on markets, schools, hospitals and prosecution of wars of aggres- ity squarely on the shoulders of tious with regard to the damage he allegations are noth- of the murder of journalist Jamal other civilian targets in Yemen, sion, war crimes, crimes against political decision makers. claims looming on the horizon. ing new. Human rights Khashoggi in the Saudi consul- all of which would not have been humanity and genocide. How- And yet, it is exactly these poli- Last year, the Baden-Württem- Torganizations have been ate in Istanbul in October 2018, possible without the supply of ever, the court is not authorized ticians who for years have raised berg-based group Würth alone accusing European arms manu- but also because of the war in armaments and spare parts from to investigate the government of concerns among the arms lobby, filed an objection to a decision facturers of aiding and abetting Yemen. In 2019, however, deliv- Europe as well as training and Saudi Arabia or its military allies, especially because the Grand made by Germany’s Minister of war crimes in Yemen since 2015. eries to European arms projects Coalition in Berlin has signaled Economic Affairs, Peter Altmaier, That was the year Saudi Arabia’s were permitted in some cases. its intention to push through an which prohibits the delivery of air force began bombing military After submitting their criminal increasingly restrictive export switches for armored police vehi- and civilian targets in the coun- complaint to the International The 350-page complaint policy. Therefore it is rather cles to a French company that try sometimes referred to as “the Criminal Court (ICC) in The surprising that in 2019 German would then export the vehicles to poorhouse of the Arab world.” As Hague in December, German and argues that no party can say arms sales amounted to a record Saudi Arabia. a result of the bombings, the judi- Yemeni human rights activists of €8 billion. A statement issued Today, support for the Arab ciary in Italy launched an inves- are now seeking to put a stop to that they were unaware of the by the leading lobbying group military alliance in Yemen from tigation into RWM Italia, a sub- these deliveries. In December, the known as the German Security German corporations and gov- sidiary of the German arms giant Berlin-based European Center atrocities being committed and Defense Industry Associa- ernment members is not the only Rheinmetall Defence, which pro- for Constitutional and Human tion argued that “if Germany thorn in the side of human rights duces precision guided bombs on Rights, the Yemeni human rights with the weapons delivered wants to claim a special role for organizations and opponents of the island of Sardinia. In July 2019, group known as Mwatana and itself – one that is incompat- war. It looks like arms deliver- the parliament in Rome revoked four other organizations filed a technical assistance from the Arab such as the United Arab Emirates ible with its closest European ies to Turkey, including leopard the company’s export license for lawsuit against Airbus, the Euro- military coalition. or Egypt, because those countries partners – in the realm of arms main battle tanks manufactured the sale of MK 80 aircraft bombs pean joint venture that also hap- The complaint focuses on com- have not joined the ICC. Ger- exports, it will isolate itself in by Rheinmetall and Krauss-Maf- to Saudi Arabia and the United pens to deliver combat aircraft to panies and political actors in Ger- many and other EU countries, on Europe and no longer be seen as fei Wegmann, might also be the Arab Emirates. the warring parties in Abu Dhabi many, France, the United King- the other hand, are signatories a partner for arms cooperation subject of litigation in the near Those two Gulf monarchies and Riyadh. Moreover, the com- dom, Italy and Spain. In addition bound by its decisions. agreements and joint projects.” future. head up an Arab military alliance plaint named the largest German to Airbus Defence and Space and For now, the companies con- This argument has been heard that wants to drive the Houthi defense company, Rheinmetall Rheinmetall Defence, the other cerned are continuing to show a before under the catchphrase rebels out of Yemen’s capital, Defence in Düsseldorf, whose companies named are Dassault measured reaction to the charges, “German-free,” which is used Sanáa, and other parts of the Italian subsidiary RMW Italia has Aviation in France, Leonardo in though that could change as at trade fairs so as not to deter MARKUS BICKEL is editor-in-chief of country. The UN High Com- manufactured bombs dropped on Italy and the UK’s BAE Systems, investigations continue. “The potential buyers. Amnesty Journal, missioner holds this alliance residential areas in Yemen. the latter of which signed a con- final decision on the export The suspension of arms a magazine published by responsible for one-third of all The 350-page complaint argues tract with Saudi Arabia in 2007 of arms is made solely on the exports to Saudi Arabia after the the German chapter of civilian casualties in the war. For that no party can say that they for the purchase of a total of 72 basis of a release issued by the Khashoggi murder has already Amnesty International. its part, the German government were unaware of the atrocities Eurofighter Typhoon jets. federal government,” noted an caused turmoil in the arms indus- Who’s buying, who’s selling Top ten arms-producing and military services companies in the world, excluding China, in 2018 RANK ARMS SALES Arms Change Total sales as a 2017 to sales % of total 2018 2017 2018 2017 2018 2018 sales 2018 1 1 Lockheed Martin US $47.3 $44.9 5.2% $53.8 88% 2 2 Boeing US $29.2 $27.6 5.7% $101.1 29% 3 3 Northrop Grumman US $26.2 $22.9 14% $30.1 87% 4 4 Raytheon US $23.4 $22.6 3.9% $27.1 87% 5 4 General Dynamics US $22.0 $19.9 10% $36.2 61% 6 5 BAE Systems UK $21.2 $22.4 -5.2% $22.4 95% 7 7 Airbus Group Europe $11.7 $10.7 9.0% $75.2 15% 8 9 Leonardo Italy $9.8 $9.4 4.4% $14.4 68% 9 10 Almaz-Antey Russia $9.6 $8.2 18% $9.9 98% 10 8 Thales France $9.5 $9.6 -14% $18.8 50% All $ figures in billions Japan $46.6 -0.1 5.1 South TOP 10 MILITARY Korea SPENDERS IN 2018 $43.1 Countries with the highest military expenditure 5.0 in USD billion China Percentage change 2017–18 $250 4.6 3.1 US $649 India $66.5 Russia $61.4 1.0 -3.5 UK $50 Saudi Arabia $67.6 France 1.8 $63.8 Germany -6.5 -1.4 $49.5 Source: SIPRI and Myriad Editions.