Oct 21, 2021
Kelsey Gallagher is a researcher at Project Ploughshares. He focuses on Canada's participation in the global arms trade. In 2014, Canada began a contractual sale of light armoured vehicles to Saudi Arabia. Since then, evidence has accumulated showing some of those weapons being used in war zones. This contravenes the condition attached to the sales. However, the Canadian government has declined to cancel the contract. Project Ploughshares is pushing for them to do so. In addition to these sales, Canada supplies components of weapons as well as LAVs to the US and several other countries, including Turkey. The Turks have been supplying other countries with these weapons including Azerbaijan for its war in Nagorno-Karabakh. Canadian sniper rifles have been seen in other wars though Canadian law specifies that no sale can authorized to any country where there is substantial risk of armed conflict. That would also rule out Libya, where Canadian weapons have been seen. The Arms Trade Treaty to which Canada is a signatory specifies that no country is allowed to sell weapons to any country that has been officially put under sanctions by the United Nations itself. There are reasons to emphasize the importance of converting arms manufacturers to peaceful uses both as a way of preserving jobs and as a way of protecting the investments of shareholders. For the video, audio podcast, transcript or comments: https://tosavetheworld.ca/359-if-you-are-building-weapons-you-need-a-new-job