Resources for the Campaign to Oppose CANSEC

Dozens of links to recent radio, TV and print media stories on CANSEC

Letter to Ottawa Council from Malalai Joya, an Afghan woman MP June 12, 2009
Malalai Joya is an elected Afghan Member of Parliament. The Afghan Parliament passed a law granting immunity to all Afghan warlords -- including those now dominating Parliament. It also passed a law saying Afghan MPs could not criticise each other.  In 2007 this law was used to bar Malalai from Parliament when she denounced her fellow MPs.  This is the democracy Canada helped install and is now protecting by armed force.  For more about this view this Coalition to Oppose the Arms Trade slide show on CANSEC:
The section of the slide show on Malalai starts here

Ottawa's Mayor O'Brien, Calian Technologies and the CANSEC War-Industry Bazaar:
Democracy under Attack at Home and Abroad
As a result of his trial for alleged bribery and purported influence peddling, Ottawa Mayor Larry O'Brien has been widely critiqued for his apparent disdain for local democracy. This article by Richard Sanders of the Coalition to Oppose the Arms Trade, suggests there is a much bigger story here that the corporate media has so far refused to cover. This relates to O'Brien's company, Calian Technologies, and its role in providing war-related products and services that have aided and abetted in undermining democracy at a global, international level.

"COAT vs CADSI, Ottawa arms bazaar" Dennis Guending, June 16, 2009
When Dennis Gruending was an NDP MP, he was the critic for international development and the environment. He has been a print and TV journalist and radio host and has written five books. Dennis was also director of information for the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops.

"Military Industrial Complex Show, Ottawa May 27-28, 2009" Koozma Tarasoff, June 15, 2009
Koozma J. Tarasoff is a Doukhobour photo-journalist and peace activist. He is a world renown expert on Doukhobour culture and has published ten books. This article is accompanied by 24 photos from antiCANSEC peace activities on May 27 in Ottawa.

Greens Join Call for Ottawa to Respect Ban on Arms Shows, May 27, 2009

Correcting Misperceptions
Gord Breedyk and Evelyn Voigt, of "The Grateful We're Not Dead" wrote these notes to reach out to Councillors in a language they can relate to. 

Countering CANSEC
This generic article focuses largely on the May 27 Rally and delegations to City Hall in early June.

Slide Show: CANSEC 2009: Fuelling wars around the world
Question: What do the following have in common?  Mark Twain; Martin Luther King; Marine General, Smedley Butler; Afghan MP, Malalai Joya; General Rick Hillier; Mayor O'Brien; Albert Einstein; Taoist master Lao Tzu and Walt Kelly's cartoon possum, Pogo.
Answer: They all figure in this slide show by Richard Sanders, coordinator of the Coalition to Oppose the Arms Trade

Esprit de Corps (Canadian Military magazine)
"CANSEC 2009 preview: live at Lansdowne: Ottawa's annual defence show extravaganza has a new venue"
Photo Galleries This magazine's website has dozens of photographs from inside CANSEC 2009.
 

VIDEO RELATED

Oppose Arms Trade Shows rally in Ottawa, May 27, 2009:

Paul Dewar  MP for Ottawa Centre, and NDP Foreign Affairs critic

Clive Doucet Ottawa City Councillor expresses opposition to the CANSEC arms trade show

Diana Ralph  Carleton Professor and coordinator of Independent Jewish Voices, opposes the Canadian military exports to Israel.

Wakil Zazai founder of the United Afghan Association of Ottawa explains the effects of military weapons on civilians and specially on children.

Richard Sanders Coordinator of the Coalition to Oppose the Arms Trade (COAT), appeals for public support to stop arms trade shows in Ottawa

Evelyn Voigt recites a peace poem

antiCANSEC Peace Music Video
This music video -- using excerpts from tunes by Bob Dylan and Pete Seeger -- was produced by Richard Sanders for the Coalition to Oppose the Arms Trade (COAT). All the major weapons shown in this video are embedded with Canadian military components made by exhibitors at CANSEC 2009 in Ottawa, May 27-28, 2009.

Video from the antiCANSEC Rally on May 27
Bill Clennett filmed and edited this seven-minute video of the Rally at Southminster United Church on May 27.

Grannies protest CANSEC arms fair
Magnus Isacsson, independent film maker in Montreal comments on the May 27 events that he filmed.

Coalition to Oppose the Arms Trade (COAT) Reports:

CANSEC 2009 Corporations and their Exports
Ninety percent of the Canadian corporations exhibitors at the CANSEC military trade show export their products. This table uses data from an Industry Canada database to provide detailed lists of the countries to which these CANSEC exhibitors export to.  

Canadian Military Exports to Countries at War, 2003-2005
Between 2003 and 2005, Canada exported billions in military exports to 73 countries. Of these, 39 had troops in wars and major armed conflicts.  These 39 warring nations accounted for a full 90% of the total value of Canada's military exports between 2003 and 2005. This report's data tables list the wars fuelled by Canadian military exports and provide details on casualties.

The CANSEC War Fair: Weapons Galore and Global Warfare
This report provides a list of about five dozen CANSEC exhibitors and links them to various weapons systems including nuclear bombs and missiles, depleted uranium munitions, antipersonnel landmines and cluster bombs, "Ballistic Missile Defense" weapons, small arms and many more.

Profiting from the Slaughter of Innocents in Iraq
This report is an exposé of Canadian war industries exhibiting at CANSEC and their role in the production of five dozen major US weapons systems that have been used in the Iraq War since 2003. It contains more than a thousand internet links detailing Canadian components embedded in these US weapons.

Canadian Military Exports to Israel: Aiding and Abetting War Crimes in Gaza (2008-2009)
This report was produced during the recent bombardment of Gaza, in which some 1400 people were killed including 400 children. The report provides data on 200 Canadian military companies with export links to Israel. One hundred of these are members of CADSI, the military industry association that organizes CANSEC, Canada's largest arms bazaar.  Data includes Canadian components in three types of US warplanes exported to Israel as well as information on military companies with direct exports to Israel.