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CARADIAM ARMS EXPORT TO ‘He MIDEAST

BACKGROUND: The annual value of the International trade in
conventional arms has now risen to nearly fifty billion U.S.
dollars. The recent Gulf War has led to widespread recognition
of the fact that an unrestricted international arms trade has
created a dangerously militarized Middle East, and has
contributed to armed conflict in many other regions of the world.

According to President Bush, "Nowhere are the dangers of weapons
proliferation more urgent than in the Middle East", Prime
Miniater Mulroney has pointed out that Canadians "could be big
agmas merchants. We've chosen not to be aven though it's a very
lucrative business." He has declared that "one of the main
lessons to be learned from the Gulf War is the danger arising
from the proliferation of conventional weapons".

THE LAV: Essentially @ small tank on wheels iesigned for foreign
Miditary intervention, the Light Armoured -ehicle is capable of
operating in many anvironments, ranging from desert to water. It
can be aquipped aa an anti«tank weapon, a mortar launcher and a
troop carrier, among other roles. it can also be used to
suppress civilian demonstrations. GM Canada~buillt LAVs have been
uged by U.S. Marines in Panama and in the Gulf, and by the

Canadian Army at Oka.

THE SALE: The Diesel Division of General Motors in London, Ontario
has now received permission to sell 1,117 light~axrmoured vehicles
to Saudi Arabla in spite of widespread agreement that the Middle
East dia a dangerously militarized region and Saudi Arabla's
abysmal record on human rights, The sala, worth an astimated
$500-800 million, is part of a multi-billion dollar arms deal
arranged by tha Pentagon. Canadian government. approval of the
axport of automatic weapons to the Middle East contravenes its
own axport guidelines which call for arms sales restrictions to
"countries involved in or under imminent threat of hostilities".

{Reference, Ploughshares Monitor, March 1991)

Bill C-6 will make it possible for Canada to export automatic
rifles at a time when there is iegislation to tighten domastic
gun controls. The LAVs will likely be outfitted with automatic
rifles, manufactured by Dynaco, Kitchener, Ontario. It seems
that arms for dollars takes priority. In allowing this
-agiglation to he adopted without more extensive parliamentary
debate and obstructive maneuvers, the opposition was promised
that public hearings would be held before any further arms sales
are authorized under the provisions of this bill. During the
brief parliamentary debates on Bill C-6, the government defended
its contravention of previously accepted principles as necessary
in order to maintain the viability of Canadian companies which
produce light weapons for use by Canadian military services and
Givilian police forces and also in order to maintain the
employment of those who work in these industries.