Spain delivered arms to Libya – WikiLeaks

05.05.2011 Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero disclosed information on Spanish arms exports which made $1.6 bln in 2010. Thanks to WikiLeaks, it got out what Zapatero concealed. In 2007 he agreed with Gaddafi on arms delivery to the amount of $1.5 bln. Hasty growth of Spanish arms export began after Zapatero assumed the office; this conflicts with pacifist ideology declared by the head of Spanish government, supposes Spanish El Economista.

Sharply changed political situation in Libya forced the Spanish premier to make radical decision and re-direct Spanish arms against the profitable customer. In one night Muammar Gaddafi who had been treated as a special partner in Madrid turned into a rogue leader doomed to be overthrown by military force. Special relationship with Libya established after Gaddafi's visit to Madrid in 2007 made Spain the world's sixth arms exporter in 2008, reports El Economista.

During Gaddafi's official visit to Spain in Dec 2007 government of Zapatero held negotiations on arms delivery and then a $1.5 bln contract was signed. This information came out only while posted on WikiLeaks website.

Few days after that visit, on Jan 14, 2008 US Ambassador to Spain Eduardo Aguirre sent a "confidential" telegram to the State Department and reported on the Spanish-Libyan trade alliance ensuring use of Spanish production capacities on $12.5 bln including arms manufacture. In this manner, Spanish government unblocked arms sales to Libya, although results deceived expectations – Spain's incomes barely exceeded $35 mln. However, dual-use technologies dominated in final formulation of the Libya's order.

On Feb 22, 2011 – on the threshold of military operation in Libya – Spanish government frozen delivery of 1,000 night vision goggles to Libya. El Economista supposes this equipment could increase capabilities of Gaddafi's army and condemns statements of Spanish diplomats blaming the US for frustrated deliveries.

Nevertheless, by the beginning of the operation arsenals of the Libyan leader had been already reinforced with Spanish-made arms. In the first quarter of 2010 Spanish government sanctioned arms export to Libya to the amount of EUR 7.8 mln, including ammunition, infrared equipment, radar display systems, spare parts for combat aircraft, and night vision goggles mentioned above. There were no official reports on arms deliveries in the second half of 2010 and two first months of 2011, but El Economista hopes that foreign trade department would disclose that information.

Aside from Libya, among Spain's clients there are other dictatorships and questionable regimes black-listed by the UN as violators of human rights. For instance, Spain sold significant amount of riot control means to countries practicing repressions, not forgetting about small arms so cheap and easy for shipment.

The crisis did not affect arms sales, since Spanish arms industry has obtained benefit of the tenfold export growth through the recent decade. According to El Economista, that is not a matter of proud.

Representatives of Spanish defense industry say export development displays worldwide recognition of Spanish technologies which is a result of wise research-and-development policy. Spanish manufacturers say the greater part of arms is exported to EU and NATO countries, and give examples of large-scale European arms development projects providing Spain with thousands of workplaces – Eurofighter, transport aircraft A400M, Eurocopter, tank Leopard. Their most solid argument is that the portion of Spanish arms exported to North Africa and Middle East makes only 1.2%.

Concluding the analysis, El Economista says it is necessary to tighten self-control over export of arms to countries infringing human rights, and to fulfill European code in the area of arms export.