Wednesday, May 11, 2016

The Saudis' Assurances Are Worth Nothing, As Trudeau Well Knows

The Trudeau government is adamant about seeing through the $15 billion sale of armoured vehicles to human rights' suppressor Saudi Arabia, trying to hide behind assurances given that they will not be used against its civilian population. That, of course, is absolute nonsense, a fiction intended to paper over the fact that our leaders are essentially saying that blood money is acceptable, as long as the price is right.

I hated it when the Harper government lied to us, but I hate it even more that our 'new' government is doing exactly the same thing. The Globe and Mail reports the following:
Footage analyzed by The Globe and Mail shows Saudi Arabia using armoured vehicles against minority Shia Muslim dissidents in the Mideast country’s Eastern Province, raising serious questions about Riyadh’s tendency to use these military goods against its own citizens.

Copies of the videos, which date from 2012 and 2015, were supplied by Saudi human-rights activists who want Canada to suspend shipments of combat vehicles to Riyadh in a $15-billion deal between Canada and the ruling House of Saud.

The Trudeau government in April approved export permits for the bulk of these vehicle shipments in what Ottawa calls the largest advanced manufacturing export contract in Canadian history. The vehicles, made in London, Ont., are expected to ship over four years, and will have machine guns and anti-tank cannons.

The combat vehicles in the videos are not Canadian-made, but they demonstrate the regime’s inclination to use such military assets against its own people in a region that is very difficult for Canada to monitor. It also casts doubt on the Liberal government’s assurances that the massive arms sale to Saudi Arabia presents no risks for the country’s civilians.

6 comments:

  1. There are plenty of photos and video of Canadian-made, Saudi LAVs in Bahrain where they were used to put down pro-democracy demonstrations. But don't fret, Lorne, Junior tells us all we're selling are "jeeps." It's funny how Liberals react to the youngster and his lies. Some show abject disappointment while others rally behind him refusing to see how much like the previous guy he really is.

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    1. As i have said before, Mound, they do no service to democracy if they give Trudeau a pass on things that need to be noticed and condemned.

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  2. Disgusting isn't it Lorne. I'm sorry to say that Trudeau is revealing his lack of ethics in supporting this deal. Having a PM whose ethics is not at the forefront of his decision making, means we cannot trust him to do the right thing. Why is it so d**n hard for him to do the right thing.There is nothing more important, even sacred then human life.

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    1. Apparently, Pamela, Trudeau feels $15 billion in sales is more sacred.

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  3. .. there going to be need for sacrifices.. but at the same time comes the opportunities for salvation.. The General Dynamics plant in London, Ontario is a classic example.. so are the Tar Sands, so are the 'farmed salmon'.. and so are Federal Elections & electoral reform.. Canadians get the opportunity to step up to bat & smoke line drives over the fence.. or wank out and retreat..

    Some of these (and there are so many more) are the defining challenges of our times.. and the contemporary Canadian Identity.. A week or so ago, Mound from BC raised this.. very specifically.. and in general the question hovers in and around every major topic in forums, twitter and coherent indy blogs..

    In this particular case.. Canadians really need to decide if Canada should be fostering an Arms Manufacturing sector. Is that part of our national psyche? Sniper rifles? Fighting Vehicles? Bombs? Landmines or Cluster Bomblets?

    And how does that compare to Insulin ? Or communication.. or Environmental Science? Or education? You know.. understanding our world versus getting into the killing of its peoples? We just got rid of a Prime Minister who seemed thrilled Canada was the 'Liberia' of registering mining companies.

    There's a lot of headroom on this planet for serious leadership.. and economic growth related to fair and prudent understanding of just how fragile we are.. Mother Nature kicks our asses whenever we forget .. and on the economics end we let stockbrokers and political animals kick our asses..

    We can face up to it.. In London Ontario we can create manufacturing models for agricultural machinery.. hydroponics, alternative energy.. or we can let government tell us its subsidizing the manufacture of transports aka just jeeps to crush people, machine gun them or vaporize them via cannon fire.

    We don't need to blow away the jobs or local economy... but we do need to define exactly what we stand for.. or what we won't stand for. Destroying the wild fisheries of Canada is a similar example.. killing off keychain species is the height of stupidity.. or rather, letting some truly ignorant political animals we elected as public servants decide its OK.. is suicidal.. and marks Canada as a patsy for irresponsible and decaying Big Business

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    1. Points all very much worth serious pondering, Salamander. It seems a hallmark of our times that so much of the discussion regarding public policy, etc. is polarized and absolutist in nature, as if there are only two choices, growth or non-growth. As your comments show, there is much in between those polarities.

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