Letters

+ Letters

a

Canadian role in the Gulf crisis
fuelling international arms trade

We are shocked by the (Aug. 20) state-
ment by Canada’s United Nations ambas-
sador that he would be promoting a UN
“cover” for the U.S.-engineered build up of
lethal forces in the Persian Gulf. This is
directly contrary to Canada’s widely ap-
proved peace-keeping role.

Joining the U.S. escalation of the conflict
will only serve to discredit Canada and
prevent any useful role we might play to
reduce tensions and prevent further hos-
tilities. Only when the UN Security Council
decides that it is necessary to supplement
diplomacy and mediation efforts to settle
disputes should a standing “force” under UN
auspices take on international policing ac-
tions. Until then, Canada should support UN
resolution. 661 which calls on all states to
stop trade with Iraq and Kuwait.

In our haste to back up the U.S. interven-
tion, we are encouraging rampant hypocrisy
on their part. Iraq’s storming of Kuwait
seems relatively minor when compared to
the long list of U.S. military interventions
including Vietnam, Grenada, Libya,
Nicaragua, and most recently, Panama.
Now, because the U.S. stands to lose its

Innu walk
continuing

The Freedom for Nitassinan
walk from Halifax to Ottawa is now
into its fifth week. Walkers hope to
raise awareness about the issue of
low level flights over Labrador and
Quebec by West Germany, the
Netherlands and Great Britain.

We now have six walkers. Five
others left temporarily to join a
peace caravan from the Tobique
Indian reserve in New Brunswick to
Kanesatake to try and form a human
barrier between the army and the
Mohawk warriors.

Three of the five walkers who
went to Kanesatake were Innu
people from Nitassinan. The fourth
Innu stayed on the walk in order to
tell people about the devastating
effects of low-level flying on both
the Innu people and the
environment.

The walk will end in Ottawa
with a major rally on Noy. 10 to
show the government that the
Canadian people will not support
the cultural genocide caused by the
flights. Actions of non-violent civil
disobedience will take place Nov.
13;

For further information contact
Nancy Hunter, 2575 Creighton St.,
Halifax, N.S. B3K 3S3, tel. (902)
420-9835.

Nancy Hunter,.
Halifax

HMCS Protecteur leaving Halifax harbour for the Persian Gulf ... putting Canada
clearly behind the U.S. intervention.

stakes in Kuwait oil, it is quick to condemn
Hussein’s action.

The Janus-face of the United States
comes out in even bolder relief when one
recalls that Hussein’s invasion of Iran 10
years ago was not only tolerated, but lauded
by the American press, even though it was
much more disastrous and cost many more
lives than Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait. The fact
that the U.S.-supplied both Iran and Iraq
with arms during their war is further evi-
dence of the American double standard with
regard to Middle Eastem politics.

The arms traders, governed by profit mo-
tives, built up Iraqi forces and promoted the
war with Iran, resulting in a massive Iraqi
debt which, in part, prompted the invasion
of Kuwait to acquire its oil and accumulated
wealth. On the other hand, Saudi Arabia’s
purchases of $46 billion worth of arms last
year, making it the world’s largest arms im-
porter in 1989, did not lessen its fear of an
Iraqi invasion.

Massive expenditures on arms have cer-
tainly not helped the peace and security of
people in the Middle East, especially the
poor. The intervention of Western armed
forces in the region has also threatened
rather than guaranteed the safety of U.S.,
Canadian or other foreign nationals in Iraq
and Kuwait. If Canada postpones sending
the three refitted old ships and 800 armed
services personnel, our fellow citizens in

Iraq and Kuwait may not be kept as hos-

tages.

At this stage, it is extremely important for
the Canadian government and people to
realize that a conflict between the Western
countries and Iraq, if it occurs, will create
strong feeling of resentment and hostility
among the Arab and Muslim peoples. From
their perspective, the stated objectives of
Western intervention in the Persian Gulf
carry very little credibility.

Even a short conflict with Iraq, which the
West might win now, would create antag-
onisms leading to much longer and bloodier

conflicts between the Western and Islamic
worlds in the years to come.

Finally, we ask: “Who benefits from this
crisis?” The U.S.- initiated escalation of the
Persian Gulf conflict serves as a convenient
rationalization for expanding the military-
industrial complex in the Western world.
The recent thawing of the cold war, and
possibility of peace breaking out, has caused
much consternation amongst military com-
panies whose huge profits depend on pre-
parations for war. The West has been
desperately looking to the Third World for
enemy figures to replace the Soviet “bogey-
man.”

Hussein’s strike against Kuwait came at
a perfect time to reverse the declining mar-
kets of arms manufacturers. The imminent
threat of further hostilities in the Persian
Gulf has in fact answered the wildest dreams
of those who profit from the scourge of war.

Coalition to Oppose the Arms Trade,

Ottawa

NPA shows
its lack of
democracy

Regarding the article by Jeff Lee
in the Vancouver Sun Sept. 13
headlined “NPA uses rule to exclude
Baker” (referring to the Vancouver ~
Non-Partisan Association’s action in
keeping incumbent alderman .
Jonathan Baker off the slate by
invoking a little-used rule which
bars floor nominations in cases
where candidates have not been
endorsed by the NPA executive
committee—Ed.).

The headline should have read
“NPA executive uses rule to exclude
NPA members from choosing
candidates.”

The rule means that no member
of the NPA may be nominated from
the floor — therefore the
membership has no say in choosing
whom they will support.

NPA president J. Paul Shason’s

also stated that the party rebuked

- Baker because Baker has personally
insulted his colleagues. But the
party has not rebuked Baker. The
executive has rebuked Baker and
insulted the party.

As well, the mayor and other
NPA aldermen have insulted and
denigrated Baker and other
aldermen in writing as well as in the
council chambers on many
occasions and Shason and his
cohorts have never complained
about that.

In most democratic
organizations, it is the members
which decide whom they will
support. That is how it is done by
the Committee of Progressive
Electors, the New Democratic Party,
the Liberals, the Conservatives, the
Socreds. Perhaps the NPA
membership should step in and take
control and restore democracy to
their organization.

Ald. Bruce Eriksen,
Vancouver

Fantasies for the wealthy

The mysteries of wealth, numerology
and beauty combined forces to bring
genuine Third World-style politics to B.C.

Witness the playful splashings of Vander
Zalm in the process of milking the sale of
Fantasy Gardens for all it’s worth. The spec-
tacle of the sale of this “national treasure”
reminded me of my trip last spring to the
Philippines where power politics is com-
pletely imbued with what might be called
the “Dallas” or the “Dynasty factor.” The
poverty is so stark in the Philippine ar-
chipelago that the ruling 20 per cent skip
quite gleefully over the backs of the remain-
ing 80 per cent with similar sickening dis-
plays of crass power in the form of personal
wealth. The wealth is extracted from the
country through the hard labour of people

who are severely malnourished and have
little security of the person.

Bill Vander Zalm’s public waltz with off-
shore wealth merely serves to reinforce the
generally held perception about people with
money and power. They like to shove our
noses in it.

Fortunately, in this country, those of us
who find such displays immoral and cruel
have the power to vote out Vander Zalm and
his ilk. The fresh winds of determination that
threw out the idlers in Ontario Sept. 6 blow
just as strongly here in B.C. Thanks, Bill, for
fanning the flames that keep those winds
blowing.

Liz Thor-Larsen,
Vancouver

Pacific Tribune, September 24, 1990+ 5

rhe

me

|
|