Fixing Harper - Part 5 - Regimes we Support

Believe it or not, Canada has an arms deal with Saudi Arabia.

Here are some things you should know about that deal.

Maybe this won't surprise you, after all, we buy oil from them, we have diplomatic relations with the regime.  So we're friends, right?

The deal was brokered, in secret, a couple of years ago now and even though it became public before the election, it did not become an election issue.  Not really.  There were, of course some pointed pictures that floated around.

In recent days, it has become somewhat of an issue, mostly because there seems to be pressure for the new Liberal government to cancel the deal.  Also, there is Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition now asking for information about the deal.  Huh?  The party that brokered the deal in the first place?

The brutality of the Saudi regime has been much in the news of late.  Beheadings.  Oppression of women (although that's nothing new).  And, of course, the regime's ties with certain terrorist groups.  Not to mention how the regime is flooding the world with crude, depressing prices... and how the previous government sold the Wheat Board to the regime....  I don't think I've seen any positive articles about the regime - one of our allies, supposedly.

Frankly, I think the deal was a mistake.  Mind you, the past 10 years were mostly mistake after mistake.  Canada has no business doing business with thugs like these.  Jobs or no jobs.  

I wonder if Kim is thinking these thoughts now?

Rick Mercer even weighed in on this one.  See his rant here.

Canada has, of course, sold arms (military equipment) to other regimes that most of us would label as unsavoury.  Certainly unstable.  Examples would include Iran, Afghanistan, Nigeria, Libya, to name a few.  Should we be selling such equipment to places like these?  

If you want some additional information about arms deals to Saudi Arabia, Project Plowshares has a few that are well worth reading.