Germany exported 111 tons of chemicals to Syria between 2002 and 2006 that could be used in the production of sarin gas, according to a government document published on Wednesday.

But the government rejected a suggestion from an opposition lawmaker that Germany might thereby have inadvertently contributed to the August 21 sarin attack in Syria, which the West blames on President Bashar Assad.

The chemicals – sodium fluoride, hydrofluoric acid and ammonium hydrogen fluoride – are classified as “dual use” under European Union law, meaning they can be used for either civil or military purposes. They require special export permits.

In a written response to a parliamentary question from Germany’s Left Party, the economy ministry said the chemicals sold between 2002 and 2003, in 2005 and 2006 had a total value of 174,000 euros ($232,300) and were sold for civilian use.

“Permits were granted after careful consideration of all possible risks, including of the goods’ misuse or transfer into chemical weapons use. In all cases their planned civil use was considered to be plausible,” the ministry stated.

“The German government has no information to suggest that the delivered goods were later used for purposes other than the originally declared civilian purpose,” it added.

Chancellor Angela Merkel told ARD television: “We are of course looking into all allegations on this but from what we can see so far the export license was for civil use.”

Jan van Aken, foreign affairs spokesman for the Left party condemned the sale of the chemicals to Syria – a country which “the whole world knew had a huge chemical weapons program”.

From TRU News

Posted by The NON-Conformist