Germany defends export of tanks to Qatar
Germany defended on Friday a decision to allow the export of tanks and artillery to Qatar, saying it was confident the arms would not be used in a war in Yemen between government supporters and the Iran-allied Houthis.
The newspaper Sueddeutsche Zeitung reported on Friday that four German Leopard 2 tanks and three howitzers had recently been shipped from Germany, bound for Qatar.
The shipment is controversial because German Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel vowed last year to be much more cautious in licensing arms exports, and because Berlin is seeking to de-escalate tensions in the Middle East.
