Defence minister resigns in Saudi arms scandal
Thursday 29 March 2012
Printable
EmailThe Swedish defence minister resigned today after a backlash from leaked plans to build a weapons factory in Saudi Arabia.
Sweden's Green Party and other opposition forces had pressed for Sten Tolgfors to go since Swedish public radio, citing leaked documents, revealed that the Swedish Defence Research Agency (SDRA) was in talks to help Saudi Arabia build a facility to manufacture missiles and torpedoes and repair and modify anti-tank weapons.
The documents showed the SDRA had been working on Project Simoom since 2007, when the two countries signed a deal aimed at facilitating arms exports to the Islamist kingdom.
All Swedish military exports are supposed to be regulated by the independent Swedish Agency for Non-Proliferation and Export Controls, but ministers established a front company to deal with the Saudi regime to get round this.
The Green Party has demanded an investigation into the matter.
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