Government Announces Cuts to Army Exports

Swiss Information service, The Swiss government wants to reduce considerably its export of surplus army equipment, it announced on Friday. By 2010, the army has to dispose of a surplus worth SFr10 billion ($7.7 billion). 
 
The cabinet said it would continue with its practice of approving all military exports before they can be shipped. 
 
In the case of excess war materiel, this would have to be re-sold primarily to its country of origin or handed back without charge. 
 
The defence ministry also announced that in future not only forwarding military equipment to a third country would be forbidden but also donating and loaning it. 
 
As a rule Switzerland demands a guarantee from importing countries that war materiel bought from Switzerland will not be sold on. In theory this should prevent arms ending up in countries involved in conflict and to which Switzerland has not approved export. 
 
The defence ministry said Switzerland would in special cases stipulate the right to perform follow-up inspections, saying closer cooperation would make it easier to monitor whether the declaration of not forwarding on materiel was being adhered to. 
 
It added that it should be seen to that importing countries also regard their guarantees as binding. 
 
Tank trouble 
 
Switzerland's arms-export policies have not been without controversy. In June 2005 the Swiss cabinet approved the sale of 180 used armoured personnel carriers to Iraq via the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for SFr12 million ($9.4 million) but suspended the sale in August, following reports that the carriers would not be used for civilian purposes. In October the UAE cancelled the deal because of the delay. 
 
The Swiss government had wanted guarantees that the vehicles would be deployed for civilian purposes. 
 
The UAE said the unarmed tanks would be given free to Iraq to boost efforts by police to enforce law and order but it was reported that the M113 armoured personnel carriers would be used by Iraqi troops. 
 
Days after Switzerland suspended the sale, Swiss arms-export policy was thrown into disarray when it was revealed that 40 tanks sold to the UAE in 2004 had been sent to Morocco in a clear breach of the end-user certificate. 
 
The Middle East nation said it had obtained permission from the United States, which built the tanks, but not the Swiss authorities. Economics Minister Joseph Deiss said the Swiss would probably not have approved their export to Morocco.