Canadian Complicity in the War on Iraq

http://www.nowar.ca/complicity.shtml

Many Canadians were dismayed to recently learn that the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) is investing our retirement savings in manufacturers of dozens of world's deadliest conventional weapons, and their delivery systems.

Unfortunately, forcing Canadians to invest in businesses that profit from war is not an aberration in Canadian policy; it is completely consistent with our Canadian tradition. Canada has been a silent partner in U.S. wars for many decades. The most recent invasion and occupation of Iraq is no exception. The myth of â??Canada the global peacemakerâ? looms large over Canada's collective self-image. It is how we see ourselves and the role of our country in the world, but it is largely delusory. In order to make this worthy dream an actual reality, Canadians will have to face the ugly fact that we are very deeply complicit in the U.S. war machine.

The Canada Pension Plan is forcing millions of Canadians to invest in businesses that profit from war. At least $2.55 billion, collected by the government from Canadians, is currently invested in domestic and foreign military corporations.

Donations to Political Parties
Between 1996 and 2002, Canadian military corporations (many U.S.-owned) donated at least $7.93 million to the Liberal, Progressive Conservative, Reform/Canadian Alliance parties (62% to the Liberal Party). However, the actual total of these political donations is probably much higher because there are so many legal loopholes that allow political parties to receive secret donations that do not have to be publicly disclosed.

The Canadian government's pretense that it did not support the latest Iraq war was repeated ad nauseum by the mainstream media. The ugly reality, however, is that Canada ranked third on the list of nations supporting the U.S. - just behind Britain and Australia. Many other governments, though contributing only a tiny fraction of what Canada did, were at least honest enough to admit their involvement. Canada's government was silent about its role in aiding and abetting this illegal war. It was unwilling to be declared a member of the "Coalition of the Willing," preferring - hypocritically - to act as if it had taken a principled stand against the war. Amazingly, the Liberal government's public relations experts once again skillfully managed to maintain their party's popular, but illusory, public image of a global peace-mongerer while simultaneously engaging in many blatant acts of complicity in this latest war:

Leading the Coalition's Navy
Canada led the multinational naval taskforce in the Persian Gulf. Some 1,300 Canadian troops, aboard state-of-the-art, multi-billion-dollar Canadian warships, rallied to protect U.S. aircraft carriers so they could "safely" position themselves to launch air strikes against Iraq.

Coordinating Air Battles
Canadian military personnel aboard E-3 AWACs aircraft helped to direct the war. E-3 aircraft are mobile nerve centres of modern air war. Canadian crews helped coordinate and manage air battles, and filled command, weapons control and communications roles.

Providing War Planners
Canadian war planners worked among the war strategists at U.S. Central Command (CentCom) headquarters at McDill Air Force Base, Florida. At least two dozen of these Canadian war strategists moved with CentCom when it relocated to the Persian Gulf, just before the war.

Providing Military Transport Planes
At least three Canadian CC-130 military transport planes were listed by the U.S. military as having helped to supply coalition forces during the war.

Parts and Services for Major Weapons
At least 100 Canadian corporations contributed components and/or services for at least 35 of the major weapon systems that were used in the latest Iraq war. Index listing Canadian corporations and the major weapons delivery systems that they provided with components and/or services: http://members.rogers.com/overcoat/PDF/10.pdf

Welcoming U.S. War Planes
U.S. warplanes have Canadian government permission to:
(1) fly through Canadian airspace to and from the war,
(2) stop over for refuelling in Newfoundland and PEI,
(3) "perform" at Canadian "air shows" to provide "entertainment" for children of all ages, and
(4) conduct low-level, training and bombing exercises through seven "flight corridors" in Canada.

Freeing up Troops
By providing extra troops for the U.S.-led war in Afghanistan, Canada freed up U.S. troops for the Iraq war.

Diplomatic Support
On numerous occasions, Canadian government officials gave diplomatic support for the war. For instance, Prime Minister Chrétien said that the U.S. had a "right" to go to war with Iraq, and that Canadians should not question the war because this gives comfort to Saddam Hussein.

RESOURCES
In 2002 alone, Canadian contractors sold about US$440 million worth of military equipment to the U.S. The vast majority of this hardware was used in the Iraq war. Links to data on 33 major weapons delivery systems used in current Iraq war, with Canadian components &/or services: http://members.rogers.com/overcoat/warmachines.html

Military Testing
(1) Two types of cruise missiles (AGM-86 and AGM-129) were tested in Canada, 1983-1994. [Editor's Note: It was this testing which led to the formation of Against Cruise Testing (ACT), in 1983. ACT evolved into ACT for Disarmament and began publishing the ACTivist in 1984] http://members.rogers.com/overcoat/PDF/32.pdf (2) The RQ-4A "Global Hawk" surveillance drone flew test flights over Alberta and BC in 2000.
http://members.rogers.com/overcoat/PDF/25.pdf

Canada: Top U.S. Supplier of Major Weapons in 2002
http://members.rogers.com/overcoat/PDF/38.pdf
Canada's Exports of Light Armoured Vehicles to the U.S., 1994-2002
http://members.rogers.com/overcoat/PDF/39.pdf
Canadian Corporations Selling Parts to the U.S. Military, 2001-2002
http://members.rogers.com/overcoat/PDF/40-43.pdf
Libertarian Toker Reviewed by Libertarian Toker on . Canadian Complicity in the War on Iraq Canadian Complicity in the War on Iraq http://www.nowar.ca/complicity.shtml Many Canadians were dismayed to recently learn that the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) is investing our retirement savings in manufacturers of dozens of world's deadliest conventional weapons, and their delivery systems. Unfortunately, forcing Canadians to invest in businesses that profit from war is not an aberration in Canadian policy; it is completely consistent with our Canadian tradition. Canada has been a Rating: 5