explicit
19.11.05, 21:55
Mam nadzieje ze ta nowa , (Merkel?) zajmie sie zebrakami :) Nielatwe zadanie ,
raz dasz jalmuzne , ciezko sie odczepic ,...
uklony
============================================================================
Reports: Germany to sell Israel submarines at discount price
==============================================================
By Reuters , Last update - 15:45 19/11/2005
BERLIN - German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder's outgoing government has agreed
to sell two submarines to Israel for a deeply discounted price, German news
magazines reported on Saturday.
Der Spiegel and Focus magazines said the two Dolphin class submarines would
be built in Kiel for a total of about one billion euros (e1.17 billion) and
the federal government, leaving office on Tuesday, would pick up one-third of
the cost.
After the Gulf War in the early 1990s Germany gave two Dolphin class
submarines to the Israel's navy, which then bought a third for a fraction of
the price.
Schroeder's Social Democrat-Greens government had long been hesitant about
selling more submarines, according to German media reports, over fears Israel
could arm the Dolphins with nuclear weapons and threaten Middle East
stability.
But according to Israeli security sources, the dispute was over whether
Germany should charge the full price. Der Spiegel and Focus said on Saturday
that Germany had indeed long resisted Israel's request to help finance the
cost of the submarines.
If the sale is confirmed, it would be the second major and long-delayed arms
deal the government has agreed in its final month in office. Two weeks ago,
Schroeder's government agreed to sell 298 surplus Leopard 2 battle tanks to
Turkey.