The glittering opulence and sheer pageantry of the Middle East's largest arms bazaar held recently in Abu Dhabi, capital of the United Arab Emirates, was like an alchemist's magic, transforming the dross display of the death-bestowing technologies into a grand spectacle where the world's weapons dealers were treated to live-fire demonstrations using live ammunition. Such weapons shows also offer elixirs of life from the fiery crucible of linguistic magic, by taking the mass murder of "war" and turning it into "peace."
International relations, peace and conflict
Much has been written and broadcast in the Western media about U.S. drone attacks in northwestern Pakistan, but little about the main targets of these drones: the Pathan people.
Since George Bush declared the Global War on/of Terror on September 20, 2001, some influential Canadians have described Canadians' sacrifice of tax-dollars and soldiers' lives and bodies on the battlefronts in Afghanistan and beyond as an "investment." The payoff promised for this "investment" was supposed to be global security and hence greater security for Canadians. The official story told us we would achieve this laudable goal by destroying terrorism and liberating Afghans – especially Afghan women and girls.
Joe Lombardo is co-coordinator of the United National Anti-War Coalition (UNAC), the largest anti-war coalition in the United States. He is also a founding member of Project Salaam, a group that helps Muslims persecuted (mainly by the government) in the U.S. In October 2012, Lombardo visited Pakistan as one of the leaders of a 31-member delegation of U.S. anti-war activists. They were there to show solidarity with activists in that country who were protesting the slaughter of Pakistani civilians by U.S. drone attacks.
This report demonstrates that the federal government is headed for a disaster with their plans to build Arctic/Offshore Patrol Ships. The authors indicate that an urgent change of course is required, and recommend that the government: cancel the procurement of the A/OPS; to commission 6 to 8 purpose-built high-speed offshore patrol ships based on a proven design; and to rebuild the Coast Guard icebreaker fleet taking into account changing ice conditions and the need for the vessels to fulfill an additional, constabulary role.
2013 marks the 50th anniversary of the entry into service of Canada’s Sea King helicopters, which despite their age and associated risks are still being relied upon by the Canadian Forces.
Twenty years have passed since Prime Minister Jean Chrétien cancelled the contract for EH-101s that were supposed to replace the Sea Kings. Ten years have passed since the Paul Martin government signed a contract for the CH-148 Cyclones with Sikorsky – and not a single fully operational Cyclone has been delivered to date.
The botched procurement of F-35 stealth fighter jets has attracted much attention, and rightly so at $40-billion and counting. But the F-35s are not the ugliest example of Defence Department incompetence. That dubious honour belongs to the Sikorsky CH-148 Cyclone maritime helicopter, which, as Defence Minister Peter MacKay himself admitted last July, is “the worst procurement in the history of Canada.”
OTTAWA – L’Institut Rideau et le Centre canadien de politiques alternatives publient un nouveau rapport sur le projet du gouvernement canadien de construire des navires de patrouille extracôtiers / de l'Arctique.
OTTAWA – A new report examining the government’s plans to build Arctic/Offshore Patrol Ships has just been released by the Rideau Institute and the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.
Titanic Blunder: Arctic/Offshore Patrol Ships on course for disaster was written by University of British Columbia political science professor Michael Byers, and Stewart Webb, visiting research fellow at the Rideau Institute and research associate at the Salt Spring Forum.
Ottawa — L’Institut Rideau et le Centre canadien de politiques alternatives viennent de publier un rapport fouillé et en profondeur sur l’acquisition des hélicoptères maritimes.
« La pire acquisition de l’histoire du Canada » : pour résoudre la crise des hélicoptères maritimes est un rapport produit par Michael Byers, professeur de sciences politiques à l’Université de Colombie-Britannique et Stewart Webb, chercheur invité à l’Institut Rideau et associé de recherche au Salt Spring Forum