CANADA: Unexpected Departure of John Baird from Govt & Conservative Party

John Baird, “Attack Dog” Who Changed Canada’s Diplomatic Image, Resigns TORONTO – Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird, head of Canadian diplomacy for the last four years, has resigned unexpectedly from his post after transforming the international image of his country. During the last 10 years in the federal parliament, and the previous decade in the parliament of Ontario province, Baird was known by opponents and supporters as one of the “attack dogs” of the Conservative Party. In the Canadian parliament on Tuesday, Baird referred to his fierce partisanship and ideological zeal as excesses of his youth that he “quickly learned.” The departure of Baird, 45, from both the government and the Conservative Party leaves Prime Minister Stephen Harper without one of his most faithful and reliable supporters. The unexpected and unexplained departure of Baird, along with the previously announced resignations of more than a dozen veteran Conservative members, increases the idea of losing elections this year is taking shape in the party. Finding a substitute as capable as Baird and who understands Harper’s diplomatic tact on issues like Iran, the Middle East and Russia is going to be a difficult task for the prime minister.  [LOL.  Diplomatic tact?  Baird had none.  Shouldn't be hard to replace him.] At present, Harper has been forced to appoint International Trade Minister Ed Fast as the interim foreign minister. Baird’s first portfolio in the Canadian government was as president of the treasury board, a powerful department responsible for the operation of the government and public officials. In 2007 he was appointed as the environment minister, one of the most challenging portfolios for Harper, who before coming to power had described the Kyoto Protocol on global warming as a “Socialist scheme” and, once in power, refused to accept climate change for years. But it was from his position as foreign minister since 2011 that he materialized the political ideology of Harper better and the Conservative movement in western Canada, viscerally opposed to the philosophy of liberal Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. Baird imposed a harsh policy against Iran, a country that he described as the greatest “threat to the rest of the world,” by closing the Canadian embassy in Tehran. Russia also became one of his favorite targets of attack and on numerous occasions called Moscow and President Vladimir Putin “evil” on a par with Hitler’s regime, especially since the outbreak of the Ukraine conflict. He also criticized the anti-homosexual policies of African countries, Iran and Russia, while ignoring abuses committed against the same community by Canadian allies such as Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.   SOURCE http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2372622&CategoryId=12395 COMMENT John Baird would have to be one of the most contemptible wankers in politics.  Good riddance, hopefully. This is HUGE.  Wonder what happened. Something's probably going on with the Conservatives in Canada ... or maybe Pitbull's 'diplomacy' is crap and they thought they'd better appoint somebody less damaging? .............................................................. Links Conservative Party of Canada - here. Ed Fast - here.

Canada - Blasphemy

CANADA Why Is Blasphemy Still Illegal in Canada? January 20, 2015 By Shanifa Nasser Section 296 of the Criminal Code of Canada states: "Every one who publishes a blasphemous libel is guilty of an indictable offense and liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years." True, no one has been prosecuted under the law in more than 70 years; charges against the Canadian distributor of the Monty Python film Life of Brian in 1980, for example, were later dropped. But secular advocacy groups say it's plainly hypocritical for Canada to keep an anti-blasphemy law on the books when it accuses other countries of using similar laws to justify human rights abuses. The United Kingdom abolished its blasphemy law in 2008; the United States has never had one at the federal level. Meanwhile, Canada's law has expanded in application beyond Christianity to religion in general. Last month, the heads of Humanist Canada and the Centre for Inquiry (CFI), a national organization that promotes "skeptical, secular, rational, and humanistic inquiry," met with Ambassador Andrew Bennett of Canada's Office of Religious Freedom to note the inconsistency of the law with his office's policy of supporting religious freedom abroad. But Bennett's mandate doesn't include domestic issues. So the two groups, with the support of lawyers, are now taking their case to the Department of Justice. "There are certain parts of the world where apostasy will get your head removed. We don't have that issue here but why would we even have this on our books?" said Eric Thomas, president of Humanist Canada. [ ... ]  Lawyer Derek James From of the Canadian Constitution Foundation argues that while it's unlikely anyone would be charged with blasphemy in Canada, the very existence of the law is a violation of our freedom of expression. He says the law was considered dead in the UK, too, until it resurfaced in 1977. It's therefore not dead, but dormant, he says. Willoughby agrees. "If it is truly a dead and unused law, then let us bury it." EXTRACT ONLY - FULL @ SOURCE http://www.vice.com/read/blasphemy-in-canada-217 COMMENT What kind of demented government would even have an 'Office of Religious Freedom'? The guy from Canadian Constitution Foundation has a point about that ridiculous blasphemy law.  LINKS Canadian Constitution Foundation

UAE-Funded Canada to train Egyptian police

Canada to train Egyptian police #EgyptTurmoil As part of new agreement, Canada will be directly supporting the same ministry detaining Egyptian-Canadian journalist Mohammed Fahmy Tom Stevenson Monday 26 January 2015 18:58 GMT Last update: Friday 30 January 2015 1:00 GMT CAIRO - On 14 and 15 January, Canada's Foreign Minister John Baird visited Egypt with the intention of securing the release of imprisoned Al Jazeera journalist Mohammed Fahmy, a dual Canadian-Egyptian national. The minister's team was unsure its effort would be successful, but remained cautiously optimistic, Baird's officials told Canadian journalists in the days leading up to the trip. In the end, they were unsuccessful: Baird sat down with Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry for talks he described as “fruitful”, but his planned meeting with President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi was cancelled and Fahmy remains in jail. While in Cairo, however, the minister announced a set of new co-operation agreements between Canada and the Egyptian government, which Baird's officials told journalists were designed to “support stability and prosperity in Egypt”. The plans ranged from training for Egyptian diplomats to funding for local small-to-medium sized businesses, but one of the agreements stood out. With funding from the United Arab Emirates, Canada has agreed to send a team of Canadian police officers to Egypt to train their Egyptian counterparts, and to receive Egyptian police officers for training at the Canadian Police College in the capital, Ottawa. This “trilateral initiative to support the professionalization and skills development of the Egyptian police”, as Canada's Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development described the project, means that Canada will be directly supporting staff from Egypt's Interior Ministry, the same ministry that is currently responsible for detaining Fahmy. Adam Hodge, Baird's press secretary, told Middle East Eye this week that initiatives like the Canada-UAE-Egypt police collaboration programmes "will help to encourage stability, security and economic growth in the country". [Ignore the cheer squad] "Minister Baird’s most recent visit to Egypt allowed him to advance Canadian foreign policy interests and support social and economic development, while providing the opportunity to again raise consular issues, particularly concerning the journalist Mohamed Fahmy," Hodge said. [Ignore the cheer squad] Fahmy has been held for over a year, alongside Al Jazeera colleagues Peter Greste and Baher Mohamed. He and Greste were sentenced to seven years' imprisonment while Mohamed was sentenced to 10 years. The three will face retrial later this year. In a statement released while Baird was in Cairo, Fahmy criticised the Canadian government's approach to securing his release. “I do believe that Prime Minister [Stephen] Harper could do more to obtain my release if he were to directly intervene in our case,” Fahmy said. Baird finally met with Sisi at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Thursday, where he “raised the topic [of Fahmy's detention] over dinner”, Canada's CTV reported.  [Placing considerable political pressure on Sisi?  LOL] Fahmy's family members had expressed hope that he might be included on the list of 584 prisoners expected to be pardoned on the four-year anniversary of Egypt's 25 January revolution. Those pardons have yet to be issued, however, and Fahmy remains behind bars. http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/canada-train-egyptian-police-1589938575 COMMENT Canadian politicians have to be the most brazenly disgusting of the whole bunch.  Completely shameless. Only dirtbags go to Davos, I've decided. Politicians don't care about journalists. Everything they do centres around the desires of corporate masters. UAE is certainly in the thick of things. The Sisi government must be a USA, Israeli, Saudi Arabian & UAE backed government. And Baird, he's selling his snake oil all over the Middle East.

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".

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'.

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.

Canada Condemns Hezbollah Attack & Ramallah Eggs Canadian FM John Baird

Canada Condemns Hezbollah Attack On 'Region's Only Democracy' Canadian FM John Baird calls Hezbollah a 'brutal terror group bent on Israel's destruction'; supports Israel's right to self-defense. By Cynthia Blank First Publish: 1/29/2015, 9:00 AM Canada strongly condemned Hezbollah's deadly attack on an IDF convoy Wednesday, and reiterated its belief in Israel's right to defend itself from "brutal terrorist organizations." Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird, fresh from his recent trip to Israel, issued the statement Wednesday night. “Canada condemns the assault by Hezbollah on the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) that tragically killed two IDF members. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families and friends of those lost and injured." "Canada also extends its condolences to the family and friends of the Spanish UN peacekeeper killed in the exchange." “Hezbollah, another Iranian proxy, is a brutal terrorist organization bent on the destruction of Israel. Canada fully supports Israel’s right to defend itself by itself." Continuing, Baird criticized the "destructive force" of Iran and accused it of working toward Israel's annihilation. “This is just another example of the threats Israel faces - from Gaza to Southern Lebanon and Syria - from all proxies funded, trained and materially supported by Iran. It illustrates the danger of a nuclear-armed Iran and the need for the international community to ensure that never becomes a reality." “Iran is a destructive force in the region, contributing to much of the current instability. The international community must condemn today’s assault and stand by the only liberal democracy in the region, which is far too often on the front lines in the struggle against terrorism.” Canada's southern neighbor, the United States, also stood by Israel Wednesday as it exchanged fire with Hezbollah terrorists in Lebanon. "We support Israel's legitimate right to self-defense and continue to urge all parties to respect the blue line between Israel and Lebanon," State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters. "We urge all parties to refrain from any action that could escalate the situation," Psaki said, adding Washington was closely monitoring the situation. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/190657 COMMENT The impression I have of Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird is that he might be what I'd call a 'useful idiot'. It sounds like somebody unscrewed the top of his head and inserted what's becoming a rather familiar, official, pro-Israeli narrative, which he's regurgitating. The other impression I get is that Baird's visit to Ramallah (West Bank) wasn't well received: Some 100 Palestinian protesters hurled eggs at Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird as he was visiting Ramallah. Canada is among the nations resisting Palestinian efforts to gain recognition as a state in international organizations. SOURCE - RT News Here's more on that from Press TV: The Palestinian youths gathered in protest against the Canadian government’s pro-Israeli stance, including its recent decision to vote against a Palestinian bid at the United Nations Security Council to end the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories by 2017. Baird’s recent request from chief Palestinian negotiator, Saeb Erekat, to apologize for likening “Israeli terrorism” to the atrocities committed by Takfiri ISIL militants, has also angered Palestinians. In response, Erekat demanded that Baird apologize to the Palestinian people for “going out of his way to legitimize the banality and brutality of a 50-year-old Israeli occupation” of Palestinian territories. Earlier, the Canadian foreign minister had also condemned the Palestinian bid to join the International Criminal Court (ICC). No idea what the first-mentioned call for apology is about.  It sounds as if Baird called for an apology? Yep, looks like that's what Baird's done: The office of Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird wants the Palestinian Authority’s chief negotiator to apologize for equating Israel with ISIS, saying the “offensive and ridiculous” comments undermined the fight against the Islamist terror group. In a speech in Jericho on Monday, Saeb Erekat likened Israeli settlement-building in the West Bank to ISIS terrorism. “There is no difference between the terrorism practiced by the group led by [ISIS leader] Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and Israel’s terrorism,” he said. “Ending settlement activities is a prerequisite for eliminating terrorism.” EXTRACTS ONLY - FULL @ SOURCE - National Post Had no idea Canadians could be so entertaining.

Egypt - Owned by Foreign Oil Companies - $6 BILLION DEBT

EGYPT ----------------------------------------   WOW!!! >> #Germany #Canada #Italy, Tunisian & ors (?) -- oil & gas exploration deals @ $187m signed by #EGYPT >> http://goo.gl/I8pV39 >"Egypt has started repaying ... debt to foreign oil companies, which had reached more than $6 BILLION" -- So Egypt pays THEM! ----------------------------------------    COMMENT Found this snippet interesting. It looks like Egypt's paying the money out instead of the other way around, which I would have expected. Check out the debt to foreign oil companies!  Egypt sounds like it's owned. This info tells you who is particularly cosy with Egypt, I'm guessing.

GERMANY - CANADA & EU TRADE AGREEMETN (CETA) - INVESTOR-STATE DISPUTE HAZARD

Why Germany Is Backing Away From a Trade Deal That Lets Corporations Sue the Government Wednesday, 13 August 2014 09:16 In a move that has many on the left cautiously celebrating, Reuters reported on July 28 that Germany might reject a new trade agreement between Canada and the European Union. The deal is called the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, or CETA. It's part of a new wave of large, aggressive trade deals that also includes the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) between the United States and the European Union, and the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) between 12 countries of the Pacific Rim. If all the deals passed, they would affect more than half of the world's economy. But the red light from Germany could signal that these agreements are not as inevitable as their advocates suggest. Germany's objections are centered specifically on the so-called "investor-state dispute settlement" provisions in CETA. These provisions—also known by the acronym ISDS—allow transnational corporations to take legal action against individual governments if they believe that the country's domestic laws violate a trade agreement. And the legal disputes happen through arbitration, which is a way to settle disputes completely outside of the involved countries' courts. We've seen this movie before. Chapter 11 of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) stipulates that three-person panels of private attorneys decide who wins in disputes between corporations and individual governments. These proceedings are closed to public observation. The fallout has been dramatic: Corporations have used the NAFTA tribunals to win big-ticket monetary settlements from the taxpayers of nations whose domestic laws interfere with corporate profits. According to a report by the consumer-rights advocacy group Public Citizen, there are 17 pending claims in which corporations are seeking a total of $38 billion through NAFTA and other deals. The compensation won through these claims hits particularly hard in Argentina—the most frequent target of these cases according to a 2014 report by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development. In one example, Argentina was ordered to pay $185.3 million to the energy company BG Group, who sued for profits lost when the country froze gas prices in 2001. Argentina is not alone: another report by the same U.N. group shows that 66 percent of investor-state cases initiated in 2012 were brought against "developing or transition economies": SOURCE - here - credit UNCTAD [...] Some implications Germany is no stranger to similar dispute settlements. After the country decided to phase out nuclear power following the disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in 2011, the Swedish energy firm Vattenfall filed for arbitration to seek €3.5 billion ($4.6 billion) in damages, blaming the country for past and future loss of profits. Considering how that worked out, Germany's change of heart is perhaps to be expected. But some commentators see the move as proof that global organizing against the new round of trade agreements is gaining ground. Arthur Stamoulis, director of the Citizens Trade Campaign, noted that "The German government and other governments are starting to feel the heat from public opposition to [investor-state dispute settlements]." Yet not everyone is convinced by the messages coming out of Berlin. Peter Fuchs, executive director of PowerShift, a Berlin-based NGO focused on international trade and investment policy, expressed skepticism toward the idea that German opposition will sink CETA. "Unfortunately, you cannot trust this government at all when corporate interests are at stake," Fuchs said, calling the German government "a staunch proponent of neoliberal trade and investment agreements." According to Fuchs, this is a time for the public to ramp up pressure by calling on politicians to reject the trade deals. [...] EXTRACT - FULL @ SOURCE http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/25544-why-germany-is-backing-away-from-a-trade-deal-that-lets-corporations-sue-the-government

This sounds rather interesting.

Read somewhere that Japan and Australia concluded a deal without these provisions, so it's not like it's impossible to alter that clause when it looks like it could be an issue.

It looks like sovereignty issues might come into play as well.

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Check this out:

Corporate Sovereignty Tribunal Makes $50 Billion Award Against Russia

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In an historic arbitral award rendered on July 18, 2014, an Arbitral Tribunal sitting in The Hague under the auspices of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) held unanimously that the Russian Federation breached its international obligations under the Energy Charter Treaty (ECT) by destroying Yukos Oil Company and appropriating its assets. The Tribunal ordered the Russian Federation to pay damages in excess of USD 50 billion to our clients who were the majority shareholders of Yukos Oil Company.

That comes from a press release issued by the lawyers acting for the Yukos shareholders, who are also doing quite nicely:

The Tribunal also ordered the Russian Federation to reimburse to our clients USD 60 million in legal fees, which represents 75% of the fees incurred in these proceedings, and EUR 4.2 million in arbitration costs.

Even for an oil- and gas-rich country like Russia, this is obviously a massive amount of money. A detailed and insightful post by Kavaljit Singh puts it in context:

In relative terms, the compensation award is equivalent to around 11 per cent of Russia's foreign exchange reserves, 10 per cent of annual national budget and 2.5 per cent of country’s GDP. Given the magnitude of compensation, the Award could be more damaging to the Russian economy than all the economic sanctions imposed by the West against Russia for its actions in Ukraine.

He goes on to point out one of the most worrying aspects of these awards by tribunals:

What is most astonishing is that the arbitral tribunal has not provided any standard or credible rationale behind awarding $50 bn in compensation to claimants. The calculations of total damages put forward by claimants are based on assumptions and hard evidence is lacking.

EXTRACT ONLY - FULL @ SOURCE

https://www.techdirt.com/blog/?company=yukos+oil+company