Saudi Arabia: French arms purchases go uncollected

Saudi cargo ship the Bahri Yanbu left the Spanish port of Santander on 13 May heading for Genoa, Italy with a delivery of munitions (previously loaded in Belgium) and ceremonial military equipment from Spain. However, the ship had earlier failed to stop as expected at the French port of Le Havre, following court action by local rights group Action des Chrétiens pour l’Abolition de la Torture (ACAT), which had objected to the supply of more Caesar artillery pieces from defence firm Nexter.