KURTENBACH: War is Good Business for Canada

KURTENBACH: War is Good Business for Canada

Postby Oscar » Fri Apr 18, 2008 8:10 pm

April 17, 2008

To the Editor,

I am exceedingly saddened by the action taken by our political leaders, including some members of the Liberal party, that have decided to carry on with the offensive mode in Afghanistan.

There is another way, one that all Canadians could respect as in our former role as peace-keepers. Canada could take a leadership role under the auspices of the United Nations in initiating negotiations for a peace agreement with the people of Afghanistan. This is a war-ravaged, poverty-stricken country, that is presently also experiencing rocketing food prices.

As a Christian, or as a member of the global village, I cannot support that kind of violence. Nor can I see or accept the Bush administration's action of a preemptive war as being a form of self defence, especially when a military force is aggressive in a sovereign foreign land.

The leaders of our government are constantly telling us that the sacrifices made by our troops is improving the lives of the Afghan people. However, I have also read a two-page article in a magazine specifically outlining the reality of present day Afghanistan. The author of this information is Michael Skinner, who is a Ph.D candidate in Political Science at York University. In the summer of 2007, he joined Afghan-Canadian Hamayon Rastgor in a five-week tour of five Afghan provinces, including Kabul.

The following paragraph is the second last of Mr. Skinner's article: "The bottom line is that war is good for business in Canada. Businesses in the military and development sectors are already reaping large profits from Canada's war, while Canadian resource extraction companies are poised to profit from the privatization of resource extraction concessions currently owned by all Afghans."

You can read the whole article in the March/April issue of the Briarpatch magazine.

Leo Kurtenbach,
Box 268, Cudworth, Sask., S0K 1B0
Phone: 256 3638
Oscar
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Profiting from the Slaughter of Innocents in Iraq:

Postby Oscar » Tue Mar 31, 2009 9:39 am

Profiting from the Slaughter of Innocents in Iraq:

http://coat.ncf.ca:80/ARMX/cansec/CANSECweapons.htm

An Exposé on Canada's Iraq War Profiteers at the CANSEC Weapons Bazaar and their export of key parts & services for major US weapons systems used in Iraq

Campaign to Stop CANSEC! Online Petition! CANSEC Factsheet! Support COAT!

Ottawa Planning Meeting: Mon., April 6

Ottawa Rally/Candlelight Vigil: Wed., May 27

The Coalition to Oppose the Arms Trade (COAT), a Canadian anti-war network based in Ottawa, has published a detailed report exposing Canadian corporate complicity in the Iraq War. This report highlights Canadian war industry exports for 39 varieties of war planes deployed in the invasion and occupation of Iraq since March 2003.

COAT's report lists 130 Canadian military companies and provides hundreds of internet links on the key products and services they have provided for many of the world's deadliest weapons systems used in Iraq.

The three dozen data tables in this exposé also reveal corporate links to the so-called Canadian Association of Defense and Security Industries (CADSI). This federal government-funded lobby group is the organizer of CANSEC -- Canada's largest military export bazaar. CADSI's upcoming CANSEC 2009 trade show will be hosted at the City of Ottawa's Lansdowne Park, May 27-28, 2009. This directly contravenes the City's 1989 motion banning all arms exhibitions from municipal facilities. This ban resulted from COAT's first campaign, exactly 20 years ago.

Among the military companies belonging to CADSI, is Ottawa Mayor Larry O'Brien's Calian Technologies. SED Systems, a wholly owned division of Calian, will again exhibit its wares at the CANSEC war show this May. SED's " Manportable Surveillance & Target Acquisition Radar" has been used in Iraq, Afghanistan and the Balkans.

Read three Citizen articles on CANSEC and the Mayor's conflict of interest in promoting the CANSEC weapons exhibition. Calian products are embedded in the following war planes used in the Iraq War that are detailed in this COAT report: C-130 "Hercules" F-117 "Night Hawk" RQ-4 "Global Hawk" U-2 "Dragon Lady" F/A-18 "Hornet"

Calian products are also employed in the MQ-8B "Fire Scout," a killer aerial robot drone equipped with laser-guided missiles, that is slated for deployment in Iraq.

Most Canadians strongly oppose the Iraq war and would be shocked to learn that so many companies in this country have (been) aiding and abetting that illegal invasion and occupation.

Some 1.3 million Iraqis have been killed as a direct result of the war since the "shock and awe" aerial bombardments of 2003. The Canadian government has also supported the Iraq War in many other significant ways besides allowing, and often financing, Canadian military production and exports destined for America's top weapons technology.

Click here to access COAT's full report containing numerous data tables exposing details about Canadian war industry exporters complicit in the Iraq War and their links to the upcoming CANSEC arms bazaar in Ottawa.

http://coat.ncf.ca/ARMX/cansec/CANSECweapons.htm

Please circulate this report and join us in opposing CANSEC.

Richard Sanders,
Coordinator, Coalition to Oppose the Arms Trade (COAT)
Editor, COAT's magazine, Press for Conversion!
Author of report, Profiting from the Slaughter of Innocents in Iraq
Oscar
Site Admin
 
Posts: 9079
Joined: Wed May 03, 2006 3:23 pm


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