Yesterday, we published a picture on this website, along with a simple question: What do you see? Well, if you read the French speaking press in Belgium, you’ve probably seen this already. If you read one of the best Belgian news outlets in Dutch, too. What the picture of yesterday showed, and what the picture, above this post, shows as well, is a member of the al-Quds brigades, the military wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad — a terrorist organisation according to several countries — with a FN F2000. The FN F2000 is a Belgian-made assault rifle that was exported as from 2001 and that equips some special operations forces around the world. The Walloon Region (the authority responsible for Walloon arms exports) and FN Herstal (whose sole shareholder is the Walloon Region), said they never exported any F2000 to the Palestinian territories. So how did those weapons arrive there? One hypothesis is that they were diverted from Libya. But, as it is impossible to spot any serial numbers on the pictures posted on the official website of the al-Quds brigades, it is impossible to trace down those weapons. After the Libyan example — where Belgian weapons have been used for purposes they were not sold to fulfill, and with the current Syrian one — where Belgian weapons have been seen where they should not have been, the Walloon arms exports are, yet again, cast in the light. Here are the questions the VLD will ask the Belgian Minister of Foreign Affairs, soon in the parliament (in Dutch. Google Translate can give you a good idea of what is going on, though). Mondelinge Vraag - De Aanwezigheid Gesofisticeerde Wapens Van Belgische Oorsprong in Palestijns Gebied Bij … — The pictures are from the official website of the al-Quds brigades. The GRIP, on its website, was the first to talk about the questions those pictures are raising. Thanks to Nic Jenzen-Jones for his assistance. Edit October 20, 2012: Mr. Jenzen-Jones wrote a piece about the issue that adds some depth to it. Read it here.
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Yesterday, we published a picture on this website, along with a simple question: What do you see?

Well, if you read the French speaking press in Belgium, you’ve probably seen this already. If you read one of the best Belgian news outlets in Dutch, too.

What the picture of yesterday showed, and what the picture, above this post, shows as well, is a member of the al-Quds brigades, the military wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad — a terrorist organisation according to several countries — with a FN F2000.

The FN F2000 is a Belgian-made assault rifle that was exported as from 2001 and that equips some special operations forces around the world. The Walloon Region (the authority responsible for Walloon arms exports) and FN Herstal (whose sole shareholder is the Walloon Region), said they never exported any F2000 to the Palestinian territories. So how did those weapons arrive there?

One hypothesis is that they were diverted from Libya. But, as it is impossible to spot any serial numbers on the pictures posted on the official website of the al-Quds brigades, it is impossible to trace down those weapons.

After the Libyan example — where Belgian weapons have been used for purposes they were not sold to fulfill, and with the current Syrian one — where Belgian weapons have been seen where they should not have been, the Walloon arms exports are, yet again, cast in the light.

Here are the questions the VLD will ask the Belgian Minister of Foreign Affairs, soon in the parliament (in Dutch. Google Translate can give you a good idea of what is going on, though).

Mondelinge Vraag - De Aanwezigheid Gesofisticeerde Wapens Van Belgische Oorsprong in Palestijns Gebied Bij …

—

The pictures are from the official website of the al-Quds brigades.

The GRIP, on its website, was the first to talk about the questions those pictures are raising.

Thanks to Nic Jenzen-Jones for his assistance.

Edit October 20, 2012: Mr. Jenzen-Jones wrote a piece about the issue that adds some depth to it. Read it here.

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