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Could Canadian-made Colt M4 and MK18 assault rifles be exported for Israeli “civilian security squads”?

By
Brent Patterson
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Photo: Protest at Colt Canada Corporation plant in Kitchener, Ontario; February 28, 2024. Photo by World Beyond War Canada.

On March 18, the House of Commons passed a motion that included an amendment from a Liberal Member of Parliament so that it would read Canada will “cease the further authorization and transfer of arms exports to Israel to ensure compliance with Canada’s arms export regime and increase efforts to stop the illegal trade of arms, including to Hamas.”

The CBC now reports: “One arms contract that may yet cause problems for Canada is an Israeli order for 24,000 Armalite-style assault rifles that already has been the subject of a hold order from the U.S. government.”

The CBC article continues: “Three-quarters of those rifles are to be supplied by Colt. Colt’s subsidiary Colt Canada (formerly Diemaco) manufactures small arms for the Canadian Forces [and the RCMP, including the controversial C-IRG unit] and was expected to supply some of the Israeli contract.”

**UPDATE: CBC reporter Evan Dyer subsequently tweeted this thread of updates on this.**

As such, it could be the case that the weapons or components could be exported to Israel via the United States.

Image by World Beyond War Canada.

The American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) Action Center for Corporate Accountability has noted: “Israel requested to purchase from Colt about 18,000 M4 and MK18 assault rifles, out of 24,000 total assault rifles from U.S. companies. Israel designates these firearms for newly-formed civilian ‘security squads’ in dozens of cities and towns, including illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. U.S. State Department officials, who have to approve the sale of automatic rifles, expressed concerns that these weapons will be used to expel Palestinian civilians from their land in the occupied West Bank.”

Video: Since October 2023, “some 800 new civilian defense squads have been set up throughout Israel.”

Timeline

In October 2023, Israel requested 24,000 rifles for civil security squads under the auspices of the Israel Police.

On November 5, 2023, The New York Times reported: “The three proposed tranches of semi-automatic and automatic rifles are valued at $34 million and are being ordered directly from U.S. gunmakers, but they require State Department approval and congressional notification. Israel says the rifles would be used by the national police force, but has also indicated that they could be given to civilians, people familiar with the weapons orders told The New York Times.”

On November 6, 2023, the Wall Street Journal reported: “The Biden administration has approved the transfer of some 24,000 rifles to the Israeli national police.”

On November 9, 2023, Colt declined to comment to Fox News about a protest outside their Connecticut plant about the sale of these rifles.

On December 13, 2023, Axios reported: “Several weeks after the deal was approved, the U.S. State Department decided to slow-walk the process and put the licenses under a new review, the U.S. officials said.”

On January 3, 2024, the AFSC called on the Office of the Secretary of Commerce to
“suspend all licenses and shipments of firearm exports to Israel”.

On March 20, 2024, following the passage of a motion in the House of Commons that references arms exports, CTV reported: “Export permits that were approved before Jan. 8 remain in effect, the office of Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said in an emailed statement.”

Beyond this, the current status of the order for these assault rifles is not clear.

Colt at CANSEC, May 29-30

The AFSC has highlighted: “Colt’s Manufacturing Company makes firearms, including the M16, which was the standard-issue assault rifle used by the Israeli military from the 1990s to the early 2010s. Many older M16 rifles are still in use by the Israeli military and police.”

Photo: IDF soldiers in Jabalia, Gaza Strip.

We Are the Mighty has also noted: “The IDF maintains a large quantity of M4s and M16s that have been converted to carbines. As a result, the IDF continues to field both the Tavor and AR as its standard-issue rifles.”

Colt Canada Corporation is listed as an exhibitor (in Booth 1429) at the upcoming CANSEC arms show, this May 29-30 at the EY Centre in Ottawa.

We continue to follow this.

For more: Save the date, World Beyond War Canada webpage for protests planned against CANSEC 2024.

PBI-Colombia accompanies CREDHOS on Humanitarian Mission to hear from people in La Esperanza, Cantagallo

By
Brent Patterson
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CREDHOS has posted on Facebook:

“From the territories, listening to the human rights situation of the civilian population, we build peace.

To the district/administrative subdivision of La Esperanza, in the municipality of Cantagallo, Bolivar, the Credhos corporation accompanied the Humanitarian Mission organized by the Ombudsman’s Office and the Mayor’s Office of Cantagallo, in conjunction with State entities, in order to listen carefully to the situation of serious violations of human rights of the population and breaches of international humanitarian law in the context of the conflict that continues to be latent in the territories.

This action is carried out with the Community Boards and Human Rights Committees of the municipality of Yondó, Antioquia and Cantagallo, Bolívar.”

More context on this soon.

The Peace Brigades International-Colombia Project has accompanied the Regional Corporation for the Defence of Human Rights (CREDHOS) since 1994.

Global Affairs Canada Trade Commissioner Service withdraws from CANSEC arms show in Ottawa, but why?

By
Brent Patterson
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The Global Affairs Canada (GAC) Trade Commissioner Service (TCS) has withdrawn from this year’s CANSEC arms show.

It’s not yet known why.

The TCS still notes on its website: “Canada’s export-intensive defence and security sector is of critical importance to the country.”

The website for the Canadian Association of Defence and Security Industries (CADSI) organized CANSEC arms show also still highlights: “Each year, the Government of Canada and CADSI work together to engage a diverse global community at CANSEC. Contact your Canadian in-country trade commissioner to learn how you can attend the event in partnership with the Government of Canada, as well as any rules and regulations that may apply.”

And the Canadian Commercial Corporation (CCC) has previously stated the crucial role the TCS has played at CANSEC.

In their 2017-18 Annual Report, they note: “CCC played a leadership role with the TCS at the CANSEC tradeshow by participating in the Government of Canada Pavilion and managing the foreign delegation program.”

TCS at CANSEC for 18+ years

At CANSEC 2005, they were there as “The Canadian Trade Commissioner Service/ Export Controls Division” in Booth T11.

TCS was also present in 2013.

Photo: CANSEC 2014 Show Guide.

Photo: TCS was even there in-person at CANSEC during the pandemic.

And most recently in 2023.

When and why was the decision made?

On November 23, 2023, the TCS noted under “Upcoming Sectoral Events and Activities” CANSEC with a hyperlink to the 2024 event.

And on January 25, 2024 the TCS was listed as an exhibitor at CANSEC. It had even been assigned Booth 225-S at the EY Centre, the location of the show. 

At some point by February 8, 2024, it was no longer listed.

This happened before the House of Commons vote on March 18, 2024, in which the Liberal government put forward significant amendments to an NDP motion including so that it would now read: “Cease the further authorization and transfer of arms exports to Israel to ensure compliance with Canada’s arms export regime and increase efforts to stop the illegal trade of arms, including to Hamas.”

Video: Minister Mary Ng rises in the House to vote in favour of the revised motion.

The decision to withdraw from CANSEC also appears to have been made after January 8, 2024. That’s relevant because in a statement published by CBC News, Global Affairs Canada says: “Since Jan. 8, the government has not approved new arms export permits to Israel and this will continue until we can ensure full compliance with our export regime.”

Confirmation TCS has withdrawn

In response to an enquiry (dated February 27, 2024) from Peace Brigades International-Canada, an emailed statement (dated March 22, 2024) from the Public Affairs Branch of Global Affairs Canada says: “Since the TCS has been an exhibitor at CANSEC in the past, it’s likely we were left on the exhibitors list inadvertently by the show organizers. However, the TCS has withdrawn exhibiting at CANSEC this year.”

The question remains why.

We will be reaching out to other officials at the TCS for answers.

Sara Wilshaw is the Chief Trade Commissioner, International Business Development, Investment and Innovation. Her team is listed here. TCS is the responsibility of the Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic Development. That Minister is Mary Ng. CADSI lists Trade Commissioners Pierre-Alexandre Carrier and Rob Hunter as the TCS contacts at CANSEC 2023.

PBI-Guatemala accompanies the Maya Ch’orti’ Indigenous Council of Olopa Chiquimula at media conference on IACHR request

By
Brent Patterson
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PBI-Guatemala has posted on Facebook:

“PBI accompanies the Maya Ch’orti’ Indigenous Council of Olopa Chiquimula at their press conference in which they report to the CIDH [Inter-American Commission on Human Rights] that their opposition to the mining project in their region is ignored by the State. ‘We as Ch’orti’ people have the right to protect our territory.’”

The 36-minute video of that press conference can be seen here.

PBI-Guatemala has previously highlighted:

“The communities of Olopa are confronting the company American Minerals S.A., which was granted a 25-year antimony extraction license in 2012, without prior consultation with the communities. In 2016, when mining activities began, the communities became aware of the negative impacts of these activities on water and the environment, and demanded the closure of the project.”

PBI-Guatemala has also noted that the Indigenous [Maya Ch’orti’] Community of San Francisco Quezaltepeque is also resisting Minerales Sierra Pacifico S.A. (a subsidiary of Vancouver, Canada-based Gold Group Management Inc.), a company has five exploration licenses for gold, silver, copper, lead and zinc.

San Francisco, Quezaltepeque is situated about 20 kilometres south-west of Olopa, Chiquimula.

PBI-Guatemala has accompanied the Maya Ch’orti’ Indigenous Council of Olopa Chiquimula since June 2021.

PBI-Guatemala accompanies Human Rights Law Firm (BDH) at hearing of two former state intelligence agents

By
Brent Patterson
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PBI-Guatemala has posted:

“On Friday [March 15] PBI accompanied the Human Rights Law Firm in the hearing of the Military Diary case. The judge decided to accept the substitute measures of liberty requested by the defense of the two accused, José Daniel Monterroso and Edgar Virginio de León Sigüenza, consisting of: Unattended house arrest. Ban to leave the country. Prohibition to relate to persons who are in the process. There is still no date scheduled for the next hearing.”

Prensa Comunitaria explains in more detail:

“The High Risk Court ‘B’, headed by Judge Claudia Ordoñez, decided to grant conditional release to two military officers who are accused of crimes against humanity and forced disappearance in the case of the Military Diary.

The ‘Military Diary’ or ‘Death Dossier’ [is] a document that details chronologically, the way in which state security forces committed a series of crimes.

Among them: kidnapping, forced disappearance, transfer to clandestine detention centers, torture, sexual abuse and the murder of 183 [also reported as 195] people between 1983 and 1985, during the Internal Armed Conflict.

On May 27, 2021, the Human Rights Prosecutor’s Office reported the capture of 11 military personnel accused [of these crimes].

This case was handled by Miguel Ángel Gálvez, but the judge resigned from the Judicial Branch (OJ), due to the harassment and criminalization of which he was a victim as a result of rulings issued in that case.

The beneficiaries of alternative measures [granted last week] were José Daniel Monterroso Villagrán and Edgar Virgilio de León Sigüenza. The judge justified her decision on ‘humanitarian grounds’ due to the health problems of the two defendants.

Intelligence officer Monterroso Villagrán was sent to trial for the crimes of forced disappearance and crimes against humanity, to the detriment of Rubén Amílcar Farfán.

[Rubén Amílcar Farfán, was captured on May 15, 1984. According to annotation no. 134 in the military logbook, Farfán was killed (denoted by the code ‘300’). At the time of his disappearance, Rubén was a student at the San Carlos University in Guatemala City.]

Photo: Rubén’s sister Aura Elena Farfan is the founder of the PBI-Guatemala accompanied Association of Relatives of the Detained and Disappeared of Guatemala (FAMDEGUA).

Meanwhile, the case of intelligence specialist sergeant De León Sigüenza was put on hold, due to the resignation of his lawyer and there was no date for the start of the intermediate stage.

[PBI-Guatemala accompanied Human Rights Law Firm] lawyer Francisco Vivar, lawyer for the victims, regretted what happened in the case, since impunity continues to be generated. ‘International conventions and treaties are not being respected. These are crimes classified as serious human rights violations that have other special treatment,’ he said.

‘We will take legal action. As a precedent, the resolutions in which measures have been granted have previously been revoked by the Chambers. In other words, these measures are illegal. It leaves a bad taste because the rights of the victims are being violated,’ he added.”

PBI-Guatemala has accompanied the Human Rights Law Firm (BDH) since 2013.

PBI-Mexico accompanies Peoples’ Front in Defence of Land and Water at highway blockade at Cholula garbage dump

By
Brent Patterson
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On March 21st, PBI-Mexico tweeted: “Today PBI accompanies the @fpdtampt [Peoples’ Front in Defence of Land and Water] at a protest against the landfill in San Pedro Cholula. We urge state and federal agencies, such as @Segob_Puebla [the Secretary of the Interior of the State of Puebla] and @AmbientePuebla [Environment Secretary of Puebla], to sit down with the affected towns to resolve this conflict.”

Periódico Central reported: “During the morning of this Thursday, March 21, inhabitants of different indigenous peoples of Cholula blocked the Cholula-Calpan federal highway with tires and vehicles to demand the closure of the sanitary landfill. …Residents denounce that the aquifers and crops in the area are being severely contaminated, so they decided to close the federal highway to Calpan.”

Video: PBI-Mexico takes notes as State Police arrive (El Heraldo de Puebla).

La Jornada de Oriente notes: “The mobilization began with the participation of organizations such as the Guardians of the Metlapanapa River, the February 8 Movement, the Defense of Cholulteca Water, the People’s Front in Defense of Land and Water of Tlaxcala, Puebla and Morelos, as well as the Rubén Jaramillo Center for Studies on Poverty.”

And El Sol de Puebla adds:

“Shouting ‘Out with the garbage dump’, a group of residents of the municipalities of San Pedro Cholula, Juan Crisóstomo Bonilla and Calpan, protested outside the Cholula dry landfill to demand its definitive closure, for being a ‘source of contamination’.

To reinforce the demand, the protesters have blocked the Cholula-Calpan state highway, in both directions, and have also hung banners and placed a blanket at the main entrance of the site, to prevent garbage collection trucks from entering or leaving the place.

Photo: Bus blocks the highway.

Photo: A banner is hung on the front gate of the garbage dump.

‘No to the garbage dump, no to the garbage dump’ is the only demand chanted by the inhabitants, who since last month, activated protests against this precinct, inaugurated in July 2015 by authorities from the three levels of government.

They also threaten to extend the protest indefinitely and maintain the sit-in, until the Ministry of the Environment, Sustainable Development and Territorial Planning of Puebla closes the place.

It is important to say that after two hours of these mobilizations, no government representative has approached the conflict zone to engage in dialogue.

Faced with the scenario, the Indigenous Peoples reported that they will not withdraw from the facilities of this urban solid waste processing plant, since they will not allow the discharge of more garbage.

Photo: The blockade at the gate of the garbage dump is reinforced. Photo by Luisa Tirzo.

Antonio Zaca Manjarrez, a resident of San Pedro Cholula, for the umpteenth time, asked for the definitive closure of the open ground landfill, as well as for the authorities to demand that the private company that operates it apply an abandonment program, that is, that with the closure, the mountains of garbage already generated are also taken away.

‘The authorities just drag our feet, they say that they are operating under official standards, but that is not possible, because here there is a lot of water in the Cholula region and the water mirrors are 27 meters away and the unfortunate thing is that they are burying the garbage at that same depth and they are contaminating the water and the land. And we want closure’, he added.

He added that they are willing to maintain the sit-in throughout this day and as long as it takes to achieve the definitive closure.

It should be noted that in the presence of the protesters, the entry and exit of collection trucks from some municipalities is suspended at the landfill in question, as they wait their turn to carry out maneuvers.

Outside, there are two units of the City Council of San Nicolás de los Ranchos, as well as three trailers, where the latter, according to the complainants, come from the State of Mexico and Oaxaca to unload their waste.

While inside the landfill, it is heard that the staff is working normally, although the employees try to convince the demonstrators to allow the exit of a dump truck and another heavy load unit.”

PBI-Mexico has accompanied the Peoples’ Front in Defence of Land and Water – Morelos, Puebla and Tlaxcala since early 2020. In August 2022, that accompaniment was extended for another three years.

Further reading: PBI-Mexico to observe protest demanding closure of Cholula Landfill given concerns about air and water pollution (PBI-Canada, March 21, 2024)

Update: MTP Noticias reports that the blockade was still in place more than 12 hours later (at 12:45 am on March 22).

Trans Mountain pipeline to be operational by Canada Day; cost should include RCMP repression of Indigenous resistance to the megaproject

By
Brent Patterson
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Photo: On March 19, 2018, Dan Wallace, of the Kwakwaka’wakw First Nation was tackled by RCMP officers at a protest against the Kinder Morgan pipeline in Burnaby on the lands of the Musqueam, Squamish, Tsleil-Waututh and Kwikwetlem peoples. By May 2018, the Canadian government had bought the pipeline.

The CBC reports: “The odyssey of developing and building the Trans Mountain expansion project in Western Canada is finally nearing the finishing line as sections of the pipeline begin filling with oil. The first export shipment will happen before Canada Day [July 1], the federal Crown corporation said, although Alberta’s premier [Danielle Smith] expects it could become operational as soon as May.”

The pipeline

The Trans Mountain pipeline expansion (TMX) is an 890,000 barrel per day, 1,147-kilometre pipeline that crosses Indigenous territories from Alberta to the British Columbia coast. Almost half the length of the pipeline – 518 kilometres of it – crosses Secwepemc territory in British Columbia without their free, prior and informed consent.

The Canadian government under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau bought the existing 300,000 barrel per day Trans Mountain pipeline for $4.5 billion in May 2018. It is now estimated that the final cost of the pipeline expansion will be more than $30.9 billion.

RCMP repression of resistance

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Community-Industry Response Group (C-IRG) spent at least $3,535,542.00 on their activities to ensure the pipeline would be completed despite the resistance of Indigenous peoples and allies.

Even before the formation of the C-IRG in 2017, the RCMP was actively stopping Indigenous resistance to the construction of the pipeline.

Photo: In November 2014, Sundance Chief Rueben George looked on as his mother, 71-year-old Tsleil-Waututh Elder Amy George, was arrested for protesting against the Kinder Morgan drill site on Burnaby Mountain.

UN Committee calls on Canada to withdraw RCMP

In December 2019, the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination called on Canada “to immediately cease construction of the Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion project and cancel all permits, until free, prior and informed consent is obtained from all the Secwepemc people, following the full and adequate discharge of the duty to consult.” Notably, the UN Committee also called on Canada to withdraw the RCMP from the traditional lands of the Secwepemc and Wet’suwet’en peoples.

UN Special Rapporteur concerned about “militarization of Indigenous lands”

In March 2023, UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous Peoples José Francisco Calí Tzay visited Canada. In his preliminary findings, he noted:

“During my visit, I was informed that a large number of megaprojects in Indigenous territories proceed without good faith consultation and in the absence of obtaining Indigenous Peoples’ free, prior and informed consent as, in the case of Trans Mountain Pipeline. I am also concerned about the ongoing militarization of Indigenous lands and the criminalization of Indigenous human rights defenders resisting the Trans Mountain and Coastal GasLink pipelines in British Columbia. I urge the Government of Canada to end these violations and to adopt adequate measures to guarantee Indigenous Peoples’ right to consultation and free, prior and informed consent, and their rights to lands, territories and resources.”

We continue to follow this.

PBI-Mexico to observe protest demanding closure of Cholula Landfill given concerns about air and water pollution

By
Brent Patterson
-

Photo: “Demonstration. Out landfill! We demand total cancellation and abandonment plan.”

PBI-Mexico has posted on Facebook:

“In the framework of our accompaniment of the Peoples’ Front in Defence of Land and Water – Puebla, Tlaxcala, Morelos, brigadistas of PBI Mexico will be present in San Pedro Cholula as international observers this Thursday, March 21. The FPDTA – PTM will protest against the sanitary filling [landfill or garbage dump] that endangers the aquifer covers and pollutes the area.”

La Jornada de Oriente further explains:

“The Union of Peoples and Subdivisions Against the Cholula Landfill will mobilize tomorrow to protest because despite the fact that there is evidence that the San Pedro intermunicipal landfill contaminates the region, nothing has been done to remedy the situation by the authorities.

The organizers have called for 10 a.m. on Thursday to hold a protest against the confinement, which is located just 300 meters from the Casas Garza housing complex and 600 meters from the Polytechnic University of Puebla (UPP).

In San Pedro Cholula, Puebla, a conflict has erupted over the region’s landfill, triggering tensions between municipal authorities and affected residents.

The main point of contention centers on the expansion of the solid waste landfill, a proposal that has generated resistance and protests from local residents and environmental groups. It is argued by the villages that the expansion of the landfill could have significant negative impacts on the natural environment and the quality of life of nearby inhabitants.

Among the concerns raised by opponents of expansion are increased air and water pollution, as well as the potential risk of diseases associated with waste accumulation. In addition, it is pointed out that the expansion of the landfill could involve the expropriation of land and negatively affect the biodiversity of the area.

On the other hand, the authorities defend the need to expand the landfill to respond to the growing generation of waste in the region and ensure proper waste management. They argue that the existing infrastructure is not sufficient to cope with current and future solid waste disposal demands.

Environmental engineers who participated in a forum held at the Polytechnic University of Puebla on March 4 said that the San Pedro Cholula landfill violates federal restrictions and puts the health of thousands of residents at risk, because it was built near a populated area and on groundwater.

During her presentation, Erika Ramos, an environmental engineer, stressed that the landfill is violating the restrictions on the matter established by federal laws.

For her part, Nayeli Carreón Carmona, a specialist in sanitary landfills, said that at first glance the Cholula landfill does not comply with environmental standards, so it represents a ‘time bomb’ for the region.”

A previous article in La Jornada de Oriente also highlights:

“It should be noted that according to public information gathered by those affected, the landfill located between the limits of Calpan, Huejotzingo, Juan C. Bonilla and San Pedro Cholula began operations in 2006 and had a useful life of eight years.

It had a projected capacity to receive 200 tons of garbage per day that would only come from San Pedro Cholula, however it currently receives waste from 22 municipalities and the states of Mexico and Oaxaca.

Since 2019 there have been attempts to close; However, it currently receives up to 350 tons and its ‘useful life’ has been extended until 2026.”

And this article in Imagen Poblana specifically focuses on the opposition of Indigenous peoples to this garbage dump/landfill now operated by the company Pro Faj Hidro Limpieza S.A. de C. V.

We will be following this today.

Further reading: “Although this landfill is projected for, it seems to me 30 years, it has already exceeded its capacity and puts the aquifers of the Cholulteca area at risk.” – Juan Carlos Flores

Video: “#Puebla Activists from Movimiento 8 de Febrero and the Comité en Defensa del Agua Cholulteca denounce water looting in the municipality of #SanPedroCholula and the creation of a sanitary landfill that -they say- affects the health of the inhabitants.”

 

PBI-Colombia expresses its indignation over the murder of two members of the Peace Community of San José de Apartadó

By
Brent Patterson
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UPDATE (March 22): “From our Peace Community we accompany our brothers and companions murdering by the criminal hands of the paramilitaries, clearly tolerated by the institutions. Goodbye Nallely and Edinson. They will forever be in our memory.”

—

PBI-Colombia has posted: “We express our deep pain, rejection and indignation at the murder of Nallely and Edinson, two beloved people of the @cdpsanjose [the Peace Community of San José de Apartadó] with whom we shared in solidarity only days before.”

This follows the Peace Community posting: “Nallely Sepúlveda, wife and child Edinson David, brother of the humanitarian coordinator of our Peace Community, were massacred with gunshots in the village of La Esperanza, while he was caring for his father in the Apartadó hospital.”

The bodies of the wife and brother of the coordinator were found on the Las Delicias farm, which is part of the Peace Community, in the village of La Esperanza, in the municipality of Apartadó, Antioquia.

El Tiempo further explains: “An absolute sadness overwhelms the Peace Community of San José de Apartadó today after learning of the murder of two of its members, a woman of approximately 30 years old and her brother-in-law, 14 years old.”

That article adds: “A spokesperson for the community reported that the woman was the mother of three children and was married to a humanitarian coordinator of that community, who at the time of the crime was in Apartadó accompanying her father in a medical emergency.”

El Pais notes: “The first hypothesis suggests that the crime could be linked to an attack perpetrated by an armed group. However, the possibility that this is an act of accomplishment or revenge is also being investigated. Preliminarily, upon inspection of the bodies, wounds caused by a sharp weapon were observed.”

That said, El Heraldo reports: “The woman and the child were killed with firearms, apparently by members of a criminal group from which the Community has reported threats.”

Infobae adds: “The region where this crime was perpetrated is mainly operated by the paramilitary Gaitanista Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AGC), also known as Clan del Golfo, the country’s largest criminal gang.”

The Peace Community

For Peace Presence explains: “In the middle of the 1990s, as violence escalated and peasant farmers suffered from extrajudicial deaths at the hands of armed actors as well as forced displacements, the people began to organize themselves in order to return to their land and to escape from the spiral of violence.”

It adds: “Conscientiously objecting to the war and demanding their rights as civilians not to be involved in a conflict, the community denounced the use of arms within their territories and committed to a variety of principles in the process (including cooperative communal work, prohibition of alcohol, the non-use of illicit drugs, the no-entry of armed actors, non-use of weapons and the refusal to provide information to armed actors).”

Accompaniment

The Peace Brigades International-Colombia Project has accompanied the Peace Community of San José de Apartadó since 1999.

Tweet: President Gustavo Petro comments on the double-killing in the Peace Community: “400 members of the Peace community of San José de Apartadó [have been] murdered. Two days ago, the entire government was there in Apartadó and we met with members of the community at the Popular Assembly. Upon our return, two more members of the community were murdered. Dark forces want to revive paramilitarism in the northwest of the country.”

Canada helps 50+ countries access Elbit’s “battle-tested” weapons at CANSEC arms show in Ottawa

By
Brent Patterson
-

Photo: Elbit Systems at CANSEC in 2019. On May 29-30 they will be at Booth 1421/M10 in the EY Centre in Ottawa.

The Guardian reports: “Canada will halt future arms sales to Israel following a non-binding vote in the house of commons. The foreign affairs minister, Mélanie Joly, told the Toronto Star her government would halt future arms shipments. ‘It is a real thing,’ she said on Tuesday [March 19]. …Canada previously said that while it had paused issuing military export permits to Israel, it was still assessing applications on ‘on a case-by-case basis’.”

Reuters also reports: “Canada has not approved new arms exports permits to Israel since Jan. 8 and this freeze will continue until Ottawa can ensure the weapons are used properly, Joly said on Thursday [March 20]. Export permits that were approved before Jan. 8 remain in effect, she said in an emailed statement.”

Those permits are still in effect because, according to NDP MP Heather McPherson, “[Joly] didn’t want the liability of cancelling arms contracts.”

The motion passed by the House of Commons on the evening of Monday March 18, calls on the government to “cease the further authorization and transfer of arms exports to Israel to ensure compliance with Canada’s arms export regime and increase efforts to stop the illegal trade of arms, including to Hamas.”

The motion that passed 204-118 can be read in full here.

Video: Joly rises in the House of Commons to vote in favour of the motion.

What we do know about sales/purchases

Canada exported $21,329,783.93 of “military goods” to Israel in 2022 and the Trudeau government authorized $28.5 million of new exports in October-December 2023. We also know that in December 2023 (and confirmed in March 2024) that Canada plans to buy $43 million of Spike LR2 missiles manufactured and sold by Israeli state-owned arms dealer Rafael Advanced Defense Systems.

It also appears from media reports that Canada has delayed the approval of the sale of about 30 armoured vehicles made by Brampton, Ontario-based Roshel and other “military goods”, including night-vision goggles, since mid-January 2024.

We should also know more about the overall 2023 total when Global Affairs Canada tables its next annual report on the export of “military goods” by May 31 (a legal requirement since September 2019).

World Beyond War analysis of what needs to be done.

CANSEC, May 29-30

While Joly says “it is a real thing” that Canada will halt future arms shipments to Israel, there are questions and concerns about the upcoming CANSEC arms show (on Wednesday May 29 and Thursday May 30 at the EY Centre in Ottawa) organized by the Global Affairs Canada-funded Canadian Association of Defence and Security Industries (CADSI).

Is the Israeli Ministry of Defence at CANSEC?

The list of exhibitors for CANSEC “Israel representatives” (Booth M7).

Tweet from Israel’s then-Ambassador to Canada referencing the International Defense Cooperation Directorate of the Israel Ministry of Defense (SIBAT).

Elbit’s “battle-tested” weapons marketed at CANSEC

The list of CANSEC exhibitors also still includes Elbit Systems Ltd. (Booth 1421/M10).

As the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) Action Center for Corporate Accountability have highlighted: “Israel’s largest weapons manufacturer, Elbit Systems is one of the primary suppliers of weapons and surveillance systems to the Israeli military, including Skylark and Hermes military UAV drones, which form the majority of Israel’s fleet of large drones and have been used extensively in Gaza.”

Elbit has been criticized for advertising their weapons as “battle-tested” or “field-tested”.

Image by Visualizing Palestine.

Weapons companies at CANSEC

Among the 330 or so exhibitors at CANSEC this year, there will also be BAE Systems, Bell Textron, Boeing, Colt, Elbit, General Dynamics, L3 Harris, Leonardo, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, and Rheinmetall. The AFSC Action Center has noted that these same companies are profiting from Israel’s 2023-2024 attacks on Gaza.

Canada facilitates arms sales at CANSEC

CADSI continues to note that “50+ international delegations” will be present at CANSEC.

The CANSEC website also highlights for those international delegations: “Each year, the Government of Canada and CADSI work together to engage a diverse global community at CANSEC. Contact your Canadian in-country trade commissioner to learn how you can attend the event in partnership with the Government of Canada, as well as any rules and regulations that may apply.”

CANSEC further notes that 74% of the 12,000 attendees “have purchasing power”.

This suggests that Canada could be involved in platforming Elbit’s “battle-tested” weapons to international customers, a move contrary to the calls from numerous international human rights organizations for a two-way arms embargo.

Canada at CANSEC

CADSI also promotes the strong presence of the Government of Canada at CANSEC in its “prospectus” for international delegations.

While Minister Joly may now not intend to approve the future sale of more arms to Israel, it does seem contradictory for the Government of Canada to fund, “work together” and actively participate (even at the Ministerial-level) in an arms show that could include the Israeli Ministry of Defence, the top weapons companies selling weapons to Israel, and that enables/helps to facilitate the sale of Elbit weapons to 50+ countries.

We continue to follow this.

Further reading from The Breach.

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