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Following a report at the weekend that Saab has once again signed a deal to sell equipment to Saudi Arabia, politicians on the left have called for an overhaul of Swedens weapons export laws.
Were talking about one of the worlds worst dictatorships. We cant send weapons to dictatorships that should be buying food instead, Green Party defence policy spokesperson Peter Radberg told the TT news agency on Monday.
The comments come after a report published in Janes Defence Weekly, one of the worlds foremost publications on the defence industry, revealed Saudi Arabia as the buyer in a 4.5 billion kronor ($669 million) deal for a Saab-produced advanced early warning radar system.
The system, known as the Saab 2000 Airborne Early Warning & Control system, includes Saab 2000 aircraft equipped with the advanced ERIEYE radar system, as well as ground equipment and logistics and support services.
Saab announced the deal last week, but didnt divulge the name of the client.
According to Janes, Saudi Arabia is interested in the Swedish systems ability to see low and slow-moving flying objects and because it works well over both land and water.
Radberg was also reacting to statistics published on Monday from the Swedish Agency for Non-Proliferation and Export Controls which show that Saudi Arabia received arms shipments from Sweden as recently as August.
Swedish military products were also sent to Saudi Arabia in March, April and May of this year.
The exports in August and March were classified as combat materiel, which can include missiles, rockets, torpedoes, bombs, etc.
The opposition Red-Green coalition has long called for a comprehensive review of Swedens arms export procedures. Rådberg added that deals like the one between Saab and Saudi Arabia wouldnt be allowed if the Green Party had the chance to decide on the matter.
Swedish military exports to Saudi Arabia also caused a stir earlier this year following a report that another Saab subsidiary, Saab Bofors Dynamics, sold anti-tank missiles to Saudi Arabia.
While Saab refused to confirm that it was involved in the deal, which was approved in 2002, it has since been sent to the Riksdag committee on the constitution for review.
Revelations about Swedish arms sales to Saudi Arabia also angered Hans Linde, foreign policy spokesperson for the Left Party, who blamed Swedens complicated export rules.
If we had gotten a Red-Green government we would have introduced legislation which, in my estimation, would have stopped weapons exports to countries like Saudi Arabia, Linde told TT.
Were talking about one of the worlds worst dictatorships. We cant send weapons to dictatorships that should be buying food instead, Green Party defence policy spokesperson Peter Radberg told the TT news agency on Monday.
The comments come after a report published in Janes Defence Weekly, one of the worlds foremost publications on the defence industry, revealed Saudi Arabia as the buyer in a 4.5 billion kronor ($669 million) deal for a Saab-produced advanced early warning radar system.
The system, known as the Saab 2000 Airborne Early Warning & Control system, includes Saab 2000 aircraft equipped with the advanced ERIEYE radar system, as well as ground equipment and logistics and support services.
Saab announced the deal last week, but didnt divulge the name of the client.
According to Janes, Saudi Arabia is interested in the Swedish systems ability to see low and slow-moving flying objects and because it works well over both land and water.
Radberg was also reacting to statistics published on Monday from the Swedish Agency for Non-Proliferation and Export Controls which show that Saudi Arabia received arms shipments from Sweden as recently as August.
Swedish military products were also sent to Saudi Arabia in March, April and May of this year.
The exports in August and March were classified as combat materiel, which can include missiles, rockets, torpedoes, bombs, etc.
The opposition Red-Green coalition has long called for a comprehensive review of Swedens arms export procedures. Rådberg added that deals like the one between Saab and Saudi Arabia wouldnt be allowed if the Green Party had the chance to decide on the matter.
Swedish military exports to Saudi Arabia also caused a stir earlier this year following a report that another Saab subsidiary, Saab Bofors Dynamics, sold anti-tank missiles to Saudi Arabia.
While Saab refused to confirm that it was involved in the deal, which was approved in 2002, it has since been sent to the Riksdag committee on the constitution for review.
Revelations about Swedish arms sales to Saudi Arabia also angered Hans Linde, foreign policy spokesperson for the Left Party, who blamed Swedens complicated export rules.
If we had gotten a Red-Green government we would have introduced legislation which, in my estimation, would have stopped weapons exports to countries like Saudi Arabia, Linde told TT.
