CANADA / UAE NUKE DEAL

CANADA / UAE NUKE DEAL Ottawa ends UAE spat with nuclear deal CAMPBELL CLARK OTTAWA — The Globe and Mail Published Tuesday, Sep. 18 2012, 6:13 PM EDT Last updated Tuesday, Sep. 18 2012, 9:40 PM EDT The Harper government has sealed the end of its spat with the United Arab Emirates with an agreement to sell the Gulf country nuclear technology. Relations between Canada and the UAE blew up into a tense dispute two years ago when Ottawa refused to provide more landing rights for Emirati airlines, and the Persian Gulf nation responded by abruptly booting Canada out of the staging base used for troops and equipment in transit to Afghanistan. But it was all smiles on Parliament Hill Tuesday, when Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird and his Emirati counterpart, Sheik Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, announced a new nuclear deal, spoke of each other as friends and declared relations healed. Or almost healed: The UAE cut the hefty fees for the visas Canadians have required to travel there since the spat, but didn’t drop the visa requirements completely. The deal that marks the end of the spat is a nuclear co-operation agreement, which opens the door for Canadian firms to sell nuclear technology and material, such as uranium, to the UAE. “It also represents the trust between our two countries,” Mr. Al Nahyan said. The Emirates, a major oil exporter, are installing four 1,400-megawatt, South Korean-designed nuclear reactors to supply electricity to the country, and are seeking to expand the list of potential suppliers to its nuclear industry. Mr. Al Nahyan pointed to his country as a “model” for the region in its use of nuclear power – contrasting his country’s plans to build civilian reactors with international suspicions that Iran is using its nuclear industry to develop weapons. “It’s unfortunate that other countries – and here, obviously I’m talking about Iran – do not look at the bigger picture when it comes to civil nuclear programs,” he said. Between Canada and the UAE, the deal marked a step in Mr. Baird’s lengthy efforts to repair ties – that he played a part in straining. It was Mr. Baird, as transport minister, who lobbied the cabinet to refuse the UAE’s demand for more flights to Canada for their Emirates and Etihad airlines; he argued it would undercut Air Canada and Canadian jobs. The UAE responded by booting Canada out of the staging base, Camp Mirage, used for Afghanistan operations – and even refusing to allow Defence Minister Peter MacKay to fly over its airspace. The dispute also created a rift at the cabinet table with Mr. MacKay, who argued Ottawa should make concessions to the UAE on landing rights because of defence co-operation with the UAE. On Tuesday, Mr. MacKay arrived to shake hands with Mr. Al Nahyan after the two foreign ministers held their news conference in the foyer of the House of Commons. Mr. Baird told reporters that the two countries “obviously had a difficult point in our relationship,” but that he and Mr. Al Nahyan have sought to repair ties. The two men have met several times, and this was Mr. Al Nahyan’s second trip to Ottawa in a year. He credited his “friend,” Mr. Baird, with improving the relationship. [LOL.  Baird sounds like such a suck job.] But some of the the effects of the spat still linger. When asked about landing rights for Emirati airlines, Mr. Al Nahyan said that is “still important” but that improvement in the overall relationship will help the two countries get through it. He said his country will reduce the visa fees Canadians now pay to go to the UAE – $1,000 for a six-month, multiple-entry visa, and $250 for a 30-day visa. An aide said those fees will be reduced by a third. But the UAE didn’t drop the visa requirement, and Mr. Al Nahyan appeared to suggest the UAE is waiting for Canada to make other concessions before the visa requirements are dropped. “I hope that’s only one step toward relaxing the visa regime between our two countries,” he said. SOURCE http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ottawa-ends-uae-spat-with-nuclear-deal/article4552179/ COMMENT Hilarious.  Fell out 2010. Iran gets a bashing, of course.  But that's standard. So Canada's passion for the Middle East isn't just about arms sales; it's about nukes as well.

UN Calls on Israel to accede to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT)

Show Me Your Nukes: UN Urges Israel to Come Clean About Its Nuclear Program A resolution introduced by Egypt and backed by 161 countries called on Israel to accede to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) ... Only five countries voted against the document: the US, Canada, Palau, Micronesia and Israel itself. 18 member-states abstained, according to AP reports. The resolution was unanimously backed by all Arab states. [ ... ] The UN resolution comes at a rather difficult time for Israel. Just recently the French Parliament recognized the independence of Palestine in a symbolic move, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dissolved the Knesset with new elections set to be held on March 17. But since the document, overwhelmingly approved by UN members, is not a binding act, Jerusalem is not obliged to follow it, and the question of Israel’s nuclear weapons program will remain open, at least to the rest of the world. http://us.sputniknews.com/world/20141204/1013291211.html COMMENT How bizarre is the UN? What is the point of these resolutions? Canada's really in the thick of things.  Palau is in the Western Pacific Ocean, is geographically part of Micronesia and: Politically, Palau is a presidential republic in free association with the United States, which provides defense, funding, and access to social services. Micronesia is: Micronesia is divided politically among 6 sovereign countries — one of which being the Federated States of Micronesia, which is usually also called simply "Micronesia" for short ... Micronesia is party to Compact of Free Association and has "entered into as associated states with the United States".

Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) - October 2014

India, Israel, N.Korea say no to NPT at UN October 31, 2014, 8:46 am India has voted against the provisions of draft resolutions that would have required it to accede to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), saying there is “no question” of it joining the treaty as a non-nuclear weapon state. The First Committee of the 193-member UN General Assembly that deals with disarmament and international security issues approved a draft resolution yesterday urging all member states that had not yet done so to sign and ratify the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty. Prior to approval of that draft as a whole, votes were polled on provisions, by which the Assembly would call on all those countries that have not joined the NPT to accede to it as non-nuclear weapon states. India, along with North Korea and Israel, voted against the resolution. 164 nations voted in favour of the resolution. “India’s position on the NPT is well-known. There is no question of India joining the NPT as a non-nuclear weapon state. Nuclear weapons are an integral part of India’s national security and will remain so, pending non-discriminatory and global nuclear disarmament,” said an official Indian statement explaining the vote. By another provision in the resolution, the Assembly would stress the fundamental role of NPT in achieving nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation and urge India, Israel and Pakistan to promptly accede to the Treaty as non-nuclear- weapon states and place all their nuclear facilities under IAEA safeguards. The provision was also approved by a recorded vote of 163 in favour with India, Israel, the US and Pakistan voting against. In its explanation of vote, India said it remains committed to the goal of complete elimination of nuclear arms. “We are concerned about the threat to humanity posed by the continued existence of nuclear weapons and their possible use or threat of use. India also shares the view that nuclear disarmament and nuclear non-proliferation are mutually reinforcing. We continue to support a time-bound programme for global, verifiable and non-discriminatory nuclear disarmament,” it said. Earlier last month, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott inked a civilian nuclear deal with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi in New Delhi. India and Australia had begun talks on the nuclear cooperation agreement in 2012. [Labor Party = 2012] The Australian decision, although geared to fight the energy poverty in India, has been criticised for circumventing the NPT and severely weakening it. The US administration had imposed sanctions on Delhi after its 1998 nuclear bomb tests. The tests confirmed India as a nuclear power and led neighbouring Pakistan to follow its lead. Later in 2005, however, the US had overturned its decision and agreed to aid India’s civil nuclear programme. Meanwhile, Iran, which is a signatory to the NPT ratifying the global accord, had accused Western countries of double standards while dealing with India’s nuclear ambitions. Last month, a UN monitoring agency said Iran is yet to fully address all nuclear concerns, in a further setback to international agreement over its nuclear program. http://thebricspost.com/india-israel-n-korea-say-no-to-npt-at-un/ COMMENT The existence of nuclear power and nuclear weapons is disturbing.  Sooner or later, something's bound to go wrong. Over 2,000 nuclear explosions detonated worldwide between 1945 and 1996 http://www.un.org/en/events/againstnucleartestsday/history.shtml#a24 1955 = just over 3,000 nuclear weapons 1965 = United States 31,000 nuclear weapons / Soviet Union 6,000 nuclear weapons ORDER USA - 1945 (July) - Trinity test, New Mexico USA - Hiroshima & Negasaki - 1945 (August) Soviet Russia - 1949 (August) UK - 1952 (Oct) - Tests Australia / USA USA - 1952 (Nov) - Hydrogen bomb USA - 1954 (March ) - Castle Bravo (largest ever nuke detonated by US + disaster) France - 1960 (tests Algeria + South Pacific) China - 1964 (test Lop Nur in Xinjiang Province) Partial Test Ban Treaty 1963, banned testing: atmosphere, underwater & space (testing goes underground) Israel - 1966 (R & D phase complete) India - 1974 (test) South Africa 1982 South Africa 1991 - dismantles nuclear program France - 1990s - closed & dismantled all nuclear test sites Pakistan - 1998 - 2 tests Korea - 2006 The UN article is a really good one. Look who has went from testing a nuclear weapon to using one, in the blink of an eye. Look who's been driving the nuclear weapons race.

1956 - Canada Unwilling to Send Israel Arms Supplies

Blast from the Past Herald-Journal - July 6, 1956 Source:  Google News How cool is this article? Don't believe a word of it, but it's a great piece of history. "Israel's right to have the military balance in the Middle East" must have been the buzz phrase of the day.

Israel Inks Weapons Deal with US and Canada

Israel Inks Weapons Deal with US and Canada By: Jspace Staff October 29, 2014 at 1:43 PM Israel and the United States announced the continuation of a sale of 19 new F-35 multipurpose fighter planes to Israel, as well as approval for a second squadron. Israel Aerospace Industries will be assembling the wings of this new fighter, which will also include Israeli-made components. The assembly line for the F-35 parts manufactured in Israel is expected to be inaugurated next week. Other deals, such as the continued joint development the David’s Sling and Arrow missile intercept systems, were also reached. These deals were discussed and agreed to by Secretary of Defense Moshe Yaalon and his American counterpart Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel, when they met in Washington last week. Elbit Systems also announced a deal to supply the Canadian Armed Forces with mobile satellite communication systems. The systems being sold are exclusive, as they have the ability to connect to the US Defense Department satellite network. Despite recent comments made by unnamed American officials regarding Prime Minister Netanyahu, the deals point to a working relationship, and continued alliance, between the Unites States and the State of Israel. The news comes amid a media skirmish, after an Atlantic report yesterday quoted anonymous sources in the White House as calling Benjamin Netanyahu a “chickens**t.” SOURCE http://www.jspacenews.com/israel-inks-weapons-deal-us-canada/ COMMENT Looks like Canada is a buyer of fancy Israeli 'mobile satellite communications systems'.

'Hague Invasion Act' 2002 & USA War Criminals

U.S.: 'Hague Invasion Act' Becomes Law White House August 4, 2002 (New York) - A new law supposedly protecting U.S. servicemembers from the International Criminal Court shows that the Bush administration will stop at nothing in its campaign against the court.   U.S. President George Bush today signed into law the American Servicemembers Protection Act of 2002, which is intended to intimidate countries that ratify the treaty for the International Criminal Court (ICC). The new law authorizes the use of military force to liberate any American or citizen of a U.S.-allied country being held by the court, which is located in The Hague. This provision, dubbed the "Hague invasion clause," has caused a strong reaction from U.S. allies around the world, particularly in the Netherlands.     In addition, the law provides for the withdrawal of U.S. military assistance from countries ratifying the ICC treaty, and restricts U.S. participation in United Nations peacekeeping unless the United States obtains immunity from prosecution. At the same time, these provisions can be waived by the president on "national interest" grounds.     "The states that have ratified this treaty are trying to strengthen the rule of law," said Richard Dicker, director of the International Justice Program at Human Rights Watch. "The Bush administration is trying to punish them for that."     Dicker pointed out that many of the ICC's biggest supporters are fragile democracies and countries emerging from human rights crises, such as Sierra Leone, Argentina and Fiji.     The law is part of a multi-pronged U.S. effort against the International Criminal Court. On May 6, in an unprecedented move, the Bush administration announced it was "renouncing" U.S. signature on the treaty. In June, the administration vetoed continuation of the U.N. peacekeeping force in Bosnia in an effort to obtain permanent immunity for U.N. peacekeepers. In July, U.S. officials launched a campaign around the world to obtain bilateral agreements that would grant immunity for Americans from the court's authority. Yesterday, Washington announced that it obtained such an agreement from Romania.     However, another provision of the bill allows the United States to assist international efforts to bring to justice those accused of genocide, war crimes or crimes against humanity - including efforts by the ICC.     "The administration never misses an opportunity to gratuitously antagonize its allies on the ICC," said Dicker. "But it's also true that the new law has more loopholes than a block of Swiss cheese."   Dicker said the law gives the administration discretion to override ASPA's noxious effects on a case-by-case basis. Washington may try to use this to strong-arm additional concessions from the states that support the court, but Dicker urged states supporting the ICC "not to fall into the U.S. trap: the law does not require any punitive measures."     Human Rights Watch believes the International Criminal Court has the potential to be the most important human rights institution created in 50 years, and urged regional groups of states, such as the European Union, to condemn the new law and resist Washington's attempts to obtain bilateral exemption arrangements.     The law formed part of the 2002 Supplemental Appropriations Act for Further Recovery from and Response to Terrorist Attacks on the United States. http://www.hrw.org/news/2002/08/03/us-hague-invasion-act-becomes-law COMMENT Well, here's Human Rights Watch on the Hague Invasion Act 2002: "the new law authorizes the use of military force to liberate any American or citizen of a US-allied country being held by the court, which is located in The Hague." That's just mind-blowing. The law was passed during the time of George W Bush, President 2001-2009.  ............................................ Bush also happens have been convicted, in absentia, as a war criminal: Kuala Lumpur War Crimes Tribunal. Bush Convicted in Absentia: IT’S OFFICIAL – George W Bush is a war criminal. By Yvonne Ridley Global Research, May 14, 2012 Foreign Policy Journal 14 May 2012 In what is the first ever conviction of its kind anywhere in the world, the former US President and seven key members of his administration were today (Friday) found guilty of war crimes. Bush, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld and their legal advisers Alberto Gonzales, David Addington, William Haynes, Jay Bybee and John Yoo were tried in absentia in Malaysia. The trial held in Kuala Lumpur heard harrowing witness accounts from victims of torture who suffered at the hands of US soldiers and contractors in Iraq and Afghanistan. They included testimony from British man Moazzam Begg, an ex-Guantanamo detainee and Iraqi woman Jameelah Abbas Hameedi who was tortured in the notorious Abu Ghraib prison. At the end of the week-long hearing, the five-panel tribunal unanimously delivered guilty verdicts against Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld and their key legal advisors who were all convicted as war criminals for torture and cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment. Full transcripts of the charges, witness statements and other relevant material will now be sent to the Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, as well as the United Nations and the Security Council. The Kuala Lumpur War Crimes Commission is also asking that the names of Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Gonzales, Yoo, Bybee, Addington and Haynes be entered and included in the Commission’s Register of War Criminals for public record. The tribunal is the initiative of Malaysia’s retired Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, who staunchly opposed the American-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. EXTRACT ONLY - FULL @ SOURCE http://www.globalresearch.ca/kuala-lumpur-war-crimes-tribunal-bush-convicted-in-absentia-it-s-official-george-w-bush-is-a-war-criminal/30839 It puts a new kind of spin on everything.

Canada - Middle Eastern Player

CANADA  -  MIDDLE EAST Curious what is motivating the huge Canadian display of solidarity with Israel. Here's a bit about trade: Canada-Israel Free Trade Agreement In force since January 1997. The Canada-Israel Free Trade Agreement (CIFTA) eliminated tariffs on industrial products and some agricultural and fisheries products. Since CIFTA came into force, Canada-Israel bilateral merchandise trade has more than doubled, from $507.3 million in 1996 to over $1.4 billion dollars in 2013. On January 21, 2014, Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of the State of Israel, announced the launch of negotiations to expand and modernize the CIFTA Agreement ... http://www.international.gc.ca/trade-agreements-accords-commerciaux/agr-acc/israel/index.aspx?lang=eng&view=d Canada and Israel Begin Third Round of Trade Expansion Talks December 7, 2014 - Ottawa, Ontario - Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada The Honourable Ed Fast, Minister of International Trade, today announced the start of the third round of negotiations to expand and modernize the Canada-Israel Free Trade Agreement (CIFTA). The negotiations are taking place in Jerusalem from December 7 to 11, 2014, and will cover a range of issues. An expanded and modernized agreement will support Canadian businesses and investors, deepen trade and investment linkages and further strengthen Canada’s bilateral relationship with Israel. Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced the launch of negotiations during his official visit to Israel last January. Israel is a priority market for Canada under the Global Markets Action Plan. Quick Facts CIFTA is a cornerstone of Canada’s commercial relationship with Israel. Since CIFTA came into force in 1997, Canada’s two-way merchandise trade with Israel has more than doubled. Key opportunities for Canadian companies exist in sectors such as defence, information and communications technology, life sciences, sustainable technologies, agriculture, agri-food, and fish and seafood. http://www.international.gc.ca/media/comm/news-communiques/2014/12/07a.aspx?lang=eng Trade and Investment (2013) Canadian exports to country: ...   $380,860,289 Canadian imports from country: $1,058,896,443 http://www.canadainternational.gc.ca/israel/bilateral_relations_bilaterales/fs_israel_fd.aspx?lang=eng It looks like Israel does better out of the trade than Canada, as Canada's importing way more than it is exporting. Found this really cool site - International Trade by Commodity Statistics 2013, Canada - but from a quick flick nothing really jumps out at me. ......................................................................... A random check on arms indicates: Canada Is Ramping Up Its Arms Exporting Trade By Nicky Young April 9, 2014 | 10:55 pm Earlier this year, the Harper government proudly announced it has sealed the “largest export deal in the country's history”—a $10-13 billion deal that will create and sustain 3,000 jobs. Contrary to what you might want to think, the commodity we’re sending overseas isn’t maple syrup or lumber; it's light armored vehicles. The recipient? Saudi Arabia: everyone's favorite champion of human rights and democracy. While light armored vehicles sound like fairly chill, non-threatening machines, they’re actually “amphibious reconnaissance vehicles” that are often mounted with machine guns. The Saudis have already used these kinds of vehicles to suppress Arab Spring protests in Bahrain, in hopes of preventing any encroaching Iranian involvement in the area. So basically, Canada’s record-breaking arms deal just provided a significant advantage to the Saudis who are in the midst of an already very complex and hostile arms race in one of the most volatile regions in the world. Nice one! Canada is getting more secretive with protected 'public information'. Read more here. Bolstering economic stability by increasing Canada’s presence in the arms trade has become a cornerstone of Conservative policy in the past few years. One of the more controversial deals, especially in light of recent events, was the $80,000 arms deal to the brutal Ukrainian Yanukovych regime in 2011, which was enabled by Harpers refusal to sign a landmark UN Arms Trade Treaty (ATT); a treaty that even the U.S signed. On its own website, the Canadian Government claims to “strongly support the ATT” in a seven year old post they have conveniently ignored editing, while simultaneously ignoring demands to put the treaty they originally agreed with into effect. This issue is certainly underreported, but the NDP issued a statement last month requesting that the Government of Canada follow the lead of Germany and suspend all arms trade with Russia following the invasion of Crimea, because apparently we haven’t already. It appears that this request has gone unanswered. After losing nearly 46,000 jobs in December 2013 alone, Canadians are clearly hurting for work; so maybe we shouldn't be looking the gift munitions in its armed mouth. After all, new jobs have to come from somewhere, and they certainly won’t be coming from public sector. So they might as well come from selling arms to one of the most brutally repressive regimes in the world, right? This strategy feels even more hypocritical when you take a peek at other stances the Conservatives and their buddies are campaigning on. There’s the ongoing Ethical Oil lobbying foundation started by Alykhan Velshi, a former Conservative communications director, who is continuously attempting to pacify Canadians to the tar sands by running TV commercials that argue Canadian oil is the lesser of two evils, when compared to the oil being produced in Saudi Arabia. These ads viciously attack the Saudis on their human rights violations, and yet our International Trade Minister still feels confident about Canada’s decision to sell weapons to their government. As Canada.com reported, the Minister’s spokesman insisted that Canada “rigorously assesses all exports of military goods and technology on a case-by-case basis,” adding that deals are only given the green light “if such exports are consistent with Canada’s foreign and defence policies, including human rights.” This is not to mention Harper’s new "Office of Religious Freedom,” which is emblematic of an open and accepting Canada, while also providing the Conservatives with a great PR look for the country’s religious minorities. Unfortunately, slanging LAV’s to a country where religious conversion from Islam is considered apostasy and punishable by death seems slightly counter-productive to dropping five million a year in hopes of "Protecting, and advocating on behalf of, religious minorities under threat" in Canada. [LOL ... this writer's quite funny.] It seems the glory days in which Canada was held in high regards as a global peacekeeper have come to an end, thanks to economic instability. Since massive cuts to the defense budget in the United States, Canada is now looking to unstable developing nations to market its tools of death. For more information on Canada’s increasing role as an arms exporter, I got in touch with Hilary Homes, an ATT campaigner from Amnesty International Canada. She told me: “Amnesty isn’t opposed to arms sales, we’re opposed to irresponsible arms sales. We’ve been campaigning for the ATT to assess and regulate the risk of weapons being used for human rights violations through sales and licensing. I think people often focus on tanks, guns, and ammunition and forget that transport is needed to moves forces, and LAV’s often have other equipment like automatic weapons mounted to them. Our Government likes to think it’s got a good record in terms of the export regulation of arms. Amnesty would really like Canada to sign on to the ATT and become more rigorous. When you see a sale of this size to a country like Saudi Arabia it raises red flags.” As for Canada’s reluctance to sign the UN’s ATT, Hillary explained: “Canada voted in favour at the UN when first considering the text, but has yet to sign it. Internationally, Canada is way behind the game on that one and really doesn’t have a valid reason. The U.S signed the ATT; they didn’t even sign the Landmine Treaty. Canada needs to live up to prior commitments.” Hilary directed me to Ken Epps, an expert on the Canadian military industry and our arms exporting deals, who is currently serving as Senior Program Officer at Project Ploughshares, an NGO that “works with churches, governments and civil society, in Canada and abroad, to advance policies and actions to prevent war and armed violence and build peace.” Hilary described Ken has someone who has “been in the room,” alluding to his firsthand experience with arms treaties. Ken told me he thinks the Canadian government “intends” to play a large role in the arms trade, adding: “The Saudi deal has certainly been couched in those terms.” He referred me to an article he wrote that demonstrates “the different programs that have been around for some time but are now getting a boost from the current Canadian government all pointed towards increasing Canada’s arms exports. The Saudi deal is the first major indication that things are moving in the direction they want.” In a way, Ken says Canada’s recent deal with the Saudis is “not news” as “between 1988 and 2008 Saudi Arabia was the second largest customer, next to the U.S, of Canadian military goods… it’s just the size suggests that Canada is really trying to boost arms exports.” While Canadian arms dealing may not be a brand new phenomenon, such a large sale to the Saudis is noteworthy. As Ken told me: “This new arms deal is being promoted by the government as jobs, with very little attention paid to the risk of this equipment being used in the next outbreak of conflict in the region… Canada should not be creating jobs dependent on countries where human rights are a major concern. Workers should not be in a position where they are building equipment that they could see on the news being used to attack civilians. I think that’s a pretty poor job creation strategy.” https://news.vice.com/article/canada-is-ramping-up-its-arms-exporting-trade ......................................................................... COMMENT If Canada is invested in selling arms in the Middle East, Canada is therefore probably invested in promoting and maintaining conflict in the Middle East -- or, at the very least, backing up the camp it stands to profit from. No wonder the Canadian Foreign Minister is hysterically pointing at Iran, the imminent Iranian threat to the 'Universe' and galaxies beyond!  Iran is the Saudi Arabian nemesis in the region and Saudi Arabia appears to be Canada's best customer.