Arms Delivery to Libya: Who Delivered What?
(B2) Who delivered what? The answer is: 14 of the 27 member states of the European Union exported arms to Libya in 2009, according to figures from the latest report published by the European Union.
A total of 283 licenses were thus issued to European exporters for an estimated amount of 343,7 million euros (if we take the value of the licenses) or 173,9 million euros (if we take the value of the weapons ). It is this last figure that must be taken into account. It should be noted that 7 export licenses were refused.
The overall champion is... Malta with nearly 80 million euros in small arms, followed by Germany (53 million), Italy and France (44 million each, the United Kingdom (25 million).
In terms of equipment, the two countries to have supplied almost the entire range of military equipment listed in the European catalog (which includes 22 headings) are the United Kingdom, first, followed by France, supplying in particular the agents riot control chemicals.
Nb: here we take into account "legal" exports.
Details
Germany (9 licenses): 53,15 million euros = small arms under 20mm; torpedoes, rockets, missiles; land vehicles; miscellaneous electronic equipment; shielding equipment (helmets, clothing, sheets, etc.); directed energy weapon systems (lasers, etc.); other technology materials.
Austria (1 licence): 0,002 million euros (2.476 euros) (small arms under 20mm
Belgium (11 licenses): 22,3 million euros = small arms under 20mm; manufacturing and testing equipment;
Bulgaria (1 license): 3,7 million euros = ammunition and fuze tuning devices
France (58 licenses): 44,35 million euros = small arms under 20mm; torpedoes, rockets, missiles; fire control equipment and warning equipment; land vehicles; toxic chemical or biological agents, in particular anti-riot agents (for 476.000 euros); aircraft, drones and aircraft engines; miscellaneous electronic equipment; shielding equipment (helmets, clothing, sheets, etc.); imaging equipment (infrared, radar, etc.); manufacturing and testing equipment; other technology materials.
Spain (2 licenses): X euros = aircraft, drones and aircraft engines.
Greece (1 license): 0,03 million euros (33.555 euros) = land vehicles.
Italy (10 licenses): 44,7 million euros (value of licenses = 111,80 million euros) = small arms under 20mm; torpedoes, rockets, missiles; aircraft, drones and aircraft engines; miscellaneous electronic equipment; shielding equipment (helmets, clothing, sheets, etc.); imaging equipment (infrared, radar, etc.).
Latvia (1 license): 0,2 million euros (254.000 euros) = aircraft, drones and aircraft engines.
Malta (4 licenses): 79,69 million euros = small arms under 20mm.
Poland (2 licenses): 2,0 million euros = aircraft, drones and aircraft engines.
Portugal (44 licenses): 4,6 million euros = aircraft, drones and aircraft engines.
Slovenia (1 license): 0,2 million euros (274.000 euros) = aircraft, drones and aircraft engines.
UK United Kingdom (138 licenses): 25,5 million euros = small arms below 20mm, ammunition and fuze setting devices; torpedoes, rockets, missiles; fire control equipment and warning equipment; land vehicles; toxic chemical or biological agents, in particular anti-riot agents (for 210.700 euros); aircraft, drones and aircraft engines; miscellaneous electronic equipment; shielding equipment (helmets, clothing, sheets, etc.); training equipment (eg simulators); imaging equipment (infrared, radar, etc.); software for military use (Command & Control, weapon control, etc.); other technology materials.
And during this time, after 2 planes arrived in Malta, then 1 plane deliberately crashed, it is 1 ship which has just “fleed” and docked in Malta.
These materials are "mobile" and "flightable", while obviously many tanks, many weapons will not have been used against the population. It seems that the army, in a good proportion, on the contrary supported the demonstrators against the mercenaries hired by Gaddhafi.
This proves, if need be, that there is no need for tons of weapons to kill an unarmed people, and that weapons as such (such as ships, planes or tanks in this case) are only dangerous depending on their guardians. A rocket-equipped plane piloted by the Colonel that landed in Malta was less dangerous to the Libyan people than 3 AK47s in the hands of 3 mercenaries.
Moreover, to speak of “toxic gas”, it is necessary to take a few tweezers. If France exports tools like “tear gas grenades”, it does not export nuclear, bacteriological or chemical weapons. Moreover, they do not manufacture, possess or use bacteriological or chemical weapons themselves, nor “dirty” bombs (radioactive materials with no chain reaction). Yet it is easy to fantasize about the meaning of the word “gas” when it is not specified.