Photo spurs Swiss to cut arms shipments to UAE

Temporary move made after swiss-made grenade seen in photograph from Syria

5 July 2012, 4:12 pm

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Swiss economic chief Johann N. Schneider-Ammann speaking in 2011. (photo credit: CC-BY World Economic Forum/Michael Wuertenberg, Flickr)

GENEVA (AP) — The Swiss government has temporarily blocked all arms shipments to the United Arab Emirates after a newspaper published a photograph indicating that a Swiss-made hand grenade was found in Syria.

The Swiss economics ministry says the suspension will remain in effect until “the facts of the matter have been sufficiently clarified,” though no arms have been exported from Switzerland to Syria since 1998, after the Swiss passed a new law on war materials.

In a statement Wednesday the ministry said the hand grenade appearing in a photograph published July 1 by Zurich weekly Sonntagszeitung came from a shipment of 225,162 hand grenades by Swiss-based RUAG Holding AG to the United Arab Emirates in 2003.

It said the UAE armed forces had signed a declaration pledging not to “re-export” the weapons.