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----- Original Message -----
From: mart <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: Mrs. Jela Jovanovic <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 30, 2001 9:24 PM
Subject: Fw: [Fwd: Canada 19th Biggest Weapons Contractor for
Pentagon] > > > > > > > > > (PLEASE FORWARD, AND FEEL FREE TO REPRODUCE) > > > > > > "Canada is a peacekeeping nation." - Popular Canadian myth > > > > > > "Canada the 19th Largest Pentagon Contractor, Fiscal Year 2000" - U.S. > > > War > > > Dept. > > > > > > "Death is our business and business is good." > > > - Slogan on U.S. helicopter unit headquarters, during Operation > > > Speedy Express, a particularly brutal period of U.S. mass murder in > > > Vietnam > > > > > > (The following is the first in a series of research articles produced by > > > the Toronto chapter of Homes not Bombs, which believes Canada Should > > > Build > > > Homes, not Blow Them Up. Homes not Bombs is developing a Campaign to > > > Demilitarize Canada, one major part of which is attempting to expose the > > > many tentacles in the Canadian arms production and export process. We > > > encourage research submissions on what's going on in your neck of the > > > woods > > > (and there's plenty of it going on across Canada that needs exposure to > > > the > > > public light.) If you've got information on the local arms manufacturer > > > in > > > your neighbourhood, we'd be pleased to hear about it, share it and, if > > > possible, work with you to protest and transform it from a merchant of > > > death to a builder of community). > > > > > > > > > > > > There seems no stopping the Big Lie. Canada continues to promote > > > the big lie of "peacekeeping nation," evidenced lately by glowing > > > encomiums > > > to former Secretary of State for External Affairs Lloyd Axworthy, who, > > > among his many crimes, oversaw millions of dollars in arms shipments to > > > the > > > regime in Indonesia, supported Canadian armed enforcement of sanctions > > > against the Iraqi people, and cheered loudly the bombing of the Balkans. > > > Axworthy also made several desperate visits to the U.S. to ensure that > > > American "security concerns" would not interfere with Canada's $5 > > > billion > > > weapons production industry. > > > It is hard to square Canada's self-proclaimed reputation as > > > international good guy, however, with the factual record. And this > > > week's > > > news provides yet another piece of the true puzzle of Canadian policy: > > > that > > > as far as military production and export are concerned, death is indeed > > > a > > > Canadian business, and by all accounts, business is good. > > > Each year, the U.S. War Dept., known as the Pentagon, releases a > > > list of its top 100 weapons contractors. For the year 2000, the list > > > contains most of the usual suspects (most of which have Canadian > > > subsidiaries), including Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Raytheon, Litton, > > > General > > > Dynamics, General Electric and Honeywell. > > > Making the top 20 for the year 2000 is an entity described as > > > "Government of Canada." Yes, right there at #19 in the top 100 is the > > > peacemaking nation Canada, which, through the benign front of the > > > Canadian > > > Commercial Corporation (CCC), raked in $676,881,000 in contracts to help > > > the world's most vicious military power construct even more ingenious > > > ways > > > of liquidating whole populations. > > > It's instructive to visit the website of the friendly CCC > > > (www.ccc.ca) to see how, exactly, Canada acts as a pimp for arms > > > manufacturers north of the U.S. border. Essentially, this government > > > export > > > sales agency, wholly funded by you and me, is mandated to promote trade > > > between Canada and whoever is willing to buy our stuff (more than 100 > > > countries, according to the CCC). > > > Staff at the CCC help with the bidding on contracts for weapons > > > systems, acting in essence as prime contractor. > > > "CCC is a security blanket for us and our bankers, and it gives us > > > credibility with foreign buyers," explains Henriette Martinitz, CEO of > > > Parry Sound-based Pro-Safe Fire Training Systems Inc. With CCC's > > > assistance, that company generated multi-million-dollar sales to the > > > U.S. > > > Navy and Air Force, helping those institutions do their dirty work > > > around > > > the globe. > > > So, if you've got a big gun, or the key component for the use of > > > that new weapons system, CCC will use our tax dollars to find a market > > > for > > > it. "CCC, as Prime Contractor, will enter into a contract with your U.S. > > > government buyer and take a legal risk position in the deal. Our > > > governmental status to sign contracts on behalf of Canadian exporters > > > puts > > > the power of Canada behind the export sale-guaranteeing its full and > > > satisfactory completion." So much for the glory of the free market, eh? > > > Plus, this service is provided to Canadian weaponsmakers at no charge. > > > Hell, if you've got cash flow problems, CCC will even provide, at NO > > > CHARGE, accelerated payment of project invoices. > > > One of the golden opportunities for Canadian companies now, > > > according to the CCC, is participation in the Joint Strike Fighter, a > > > $300 > > > billion program to build the next generation of fighter aircraft. > > > Missions > > > to seek out contract opportunities for the fighter jets are also > > > supported > > > by the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Industry > > > Canada, and Technology Partnerships Canada. If you are interested, you > > > can > > > contact the key point people on these projects and express your > > > revulsion > > > that Canadian tax dollars are being bloodied in such a manner: > > > Joe Yagminas, Senior Business Development Officer, CCC, 613-995-7706, > > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > Jean-Louis Robitalle, Trade Commissioner, Department of Foreign Affairs > > > and > > > International Trade (DFAIT), 613-944-9474, > > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > Les Goodwin, Senior Industrial Development Officer, Industry Canada, > > > 613-954-3302, [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > Laurence Otupiri > > > Senior Investment Manager, Technology Partnerships Canada, 613-941-5607, > > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > > > Nowhere on the CCC site or related sites can one readily find > > > information on the creation of true nonviolent intervention and peace > > > building programs, the building of social justice and civil society, or > > > the > > > cost-free consultations that the government should be providing for such > > > initiatives. > > > Meanwhile, don't let concerns about human rights interfere with > > > cutting a good deal. If you want to sell to a country with blemishes > > > like > > > torture, summary executions, massacres and the like, the CCC lists > > > Canadian > > > representatives who can help peddle your wares in a variety of Amnesty > > > International repeat offenders, including, but not at all limited to, > > > China, Indonesia, Turkey, Colombia, Guatemala, Mexico, Algeria, Iran, > > > Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Israel. > > > In addition to European (NATO) opportunities, the CCC actively > > > encourages "market opportunities" for weapons firms in East Asia ("the > > > financial crisis in Asia should cause only a temporary downturn in > > > defence > > > [sic] sales in the region"), Latin America (which "presents important > > > opportunities in the aerospace and defence electronics markets for > > > Canadian > > > firms, particularly in countries such as Chile, Argentina, Mexico and > > > Peru), and, of course, the Middle East, which is "expected to absorb > > > over > > > $150 billion in offshore defence purchases" in the near future. > > > So the next time Molson's Joe Canadian gets up to talk about what > > > makes us what we are, don't forget about Canada's proud ranking as the > > > 19th > > > biggest weapons contractor for the Pentagon in year 2000. > > > > > > (Next up: Canada is NOT in the process of deciding whether to be > > > involved > > > in Star Wars, because CANADA IS ALREADY INVOLVED, what with contracts at > > > a > > > facility called DREO, Defence Research Establishment Ottawa, where > > > research > > > is proceeding apace on ways to improve the deadly "National Missile > > > Defence" program). > > > > > > Homes not Bombs is a provincial network of nonviolent activists located > > > across Ontario. For more information, drop us a line at [EMAIL PROTECTED] or > > > write us at PO Box 73620, 509 St. Clair Ave. West, Toronto, ON M6C 1C0. > > > > > > Peace! > > > Matthew Behrens, for HNB-Toronto > > > |
