Peace-loving Sweden accused of keeping brutal dictators stocked with military weapons

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http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/05/20/peace-loving-sweden-accused-of-keeping-brutal-dictators-stocked-with-military-weapons/



Alongside a global reputation for peacemaking and generous foreign aid, Sweden has become a major world supplier of weapons counting a number of regimes criticised for human rights abuses among its customers.

Ranked the third largest arms exporter per capita after Israel and Russia, Sweden’s booming industry has stirred up ethical concerns among Swedes about some countries it is doing business with.

In a hangar in the heart of Sweden’s military-industrial complex, Saab technicians are building an assembly line for the next generation of Gripen fighters — at least 60 destined for the Swedish airforce — equipped with state-of-the-art warfare systems and larger weapons bays.

The Gripen E, designed to stand up to Russia’s best warplanes, boasts a unique networking system allowing planes to communicate and divide up tasks such as detecting, electronic jamming and firing, Saab operations chief Lars Ydreskog told AFP during a recent visit to the plant in Linkoeping.