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    Wartime Economy? Germany Enjoys Tenfold Ammo Sales Leap Amid Battle for Mosul

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    Germany seems to be taking advantage of brewing conflicts around the world, including the unfolding battle for Iraq’s Mosul, as a leaked military report shows the country’s arms exports skyrocketed this year, setting a new record.

    According to a report published by the German Press Agency (DPA) on Tuesday, in the first half of 2016 Germany saw a tenfold increase in the sales of small-caliber gun ammunition, considered to be one of the major weapons causing civilian deaths in global and regional wars.

    Berlin has sold some €283.8 million of ammunition in the first half of this year, compared to €27 million in the same period in 2015.

    The report detailed that a lion’s share of the contracts, some €275 million, was made with Berlin’s traditional EU and NATO partners, as well as countries including Australia, New Zealand and Japan.

    However, Germans have been actively trading with countries like Iraq, nailing €5.4 million worth of deals with the war-ravaged state.

    According to German defense analyst Sebastian Schulte, the sales rise coincided with the intensification of fighting with Daesh in the Middle East.

    "The coalition is at the gates of Mosul, they're going through a lot of ammunition, and Germany has decided to support the coalition — notably the Kurds," Schulte said to Deutsche Welle. "You can go through several barrels of ammo for a machine gun in a day. That is quite normal."

    The new data dump fuels existing controversy in German society over its small-arms trade.

    In 2014, the country’s economy minister vowed to limit the amount of ammunition exports. It was revealed, however, that in 2015, deals doubled over a one-year period, from €3.97 billion to €7.86 billion.

    Following the Tuesday revelation, the government has come under heavy political criticism from the Lefts and the Green Party.

    The total sum of contracts Germany has received to date in 2016 has reached an unprecedented €4 billion. Nations that have received German weapons and ammunition include states involved in current conflicts, such as Turkey, Saudi Arabia and South Korea.

    Earlier, Germany was revealed to be one of the top five countries that benefit most from arms sales, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.

    Related:

    Russia Ready to Consider Requests From Libya, Iraq on Counterterror Efforts
    UN Lacks Data on Civilian Casualties From Anti-Daesh Campaign in Iraq’s Mosul
    Muslim Father of US Soldier Killed in Iraq Joins Clinton on Campaign Trail
    Tags:
    record, ammunition, arms sales, Turkey, Iraq, Germany
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    • Bob Hoferer
      War is always good for the economy! That is why the US has been at war continuously since it's inception.
    • goldcamshaft
      Time will tell if the increase in wealth will compensate for the deteriorating conditions in this so called Aryan nation. When there is war, there will be refugees. I guess the Germans love the situation and begs for more. There goes the true Aryan blood of the fatherland!
    • peaceactivist2
      So much free amos that Syria terrorists shoot without aiming, shoot all the way to the enemy, shoot on all and every thing. Have never seen any one or group in my 75 years on earth that has so much Amos to shoot at will but the Syria terrorists.
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