In September Project Ploughshares revealed that laser target acquisition technology manufactured by Burlington, Ont.鱿鱼视频app L3Harris Wescam was likely being fitted onto Turkish drones which have been sold to Turkey鱿鱼视频app ally Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan appears to have been using the drones to pick out schools, hospitals and other civilian targets for laser bombing runs.
鈥淪o if Canada continues to export these systems, it would be obviously in breach of its obligations under both the Arms Trade Treaty, which is international law, but also domestic law under Canada鱿鱼视频app own domestic arms controls,鈥� Project Ploughshares researcher Kelsey Gallagher told The Catholic Register . 鈥淐anada is legally obligated to halt further exports. It鱿鱼视频app pretty much as simple as that.鈥�
Canada acceded to the 2014 Arms Trade Treaty June 19, 2019.
Project Ploughshares is an ecumenical project of the Canadian Council of Churches operating on the campus of the University of Waterloo. It is partially funded by the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops.
When Global Affairs did announce Oct. 5 it was suspending L3Harris Wescam鱿鱼视频app export licenses while it investigates, Turkey鱿鱼视频app foreign ministry accused Canada of a double standard.
鈥淭here is no explanation of blocking defence equipment exports to a NATO ally while 鈥� Canada does not see any harm in exporting arms to countries that have military involvement in the crisis in Yemen,鈥� said the Turkish foreign ministry.
鈥淲hen Turkey comes around and says this is a double standard, you block weapons to us but you are willing to continue exporting weapons to Saudi Arabia, I would agree with them,鈥� said Gallagher. 鈥淲e should halt exports to both countries.鈥�
The example of Saudi Arabia also raises questions about how well Global Affairs can investigate its own decision back in May to grant L3Harris Wescam export permits to Turkey, despite a 2019 arms embargo in response to Turkey鱿鱼视频app invasion of northern Syria. Twice, in 2017 and 2018, Global Affairs investigated Canadian exports of light armoured vehicles to Saudia Arabia in response to video evidence the small, mobile tanks were being used in the war in Yemen. Both times Global Affairs decided the exports were onside.
鈥淚t鱿鱼视频app quite clear that these weapons pose a substantial risk of being misused, being diverted, killing civilians 鈥� quite clearly,鈥� Gallagher said. 鈥淥ther investigations have ended with Global Affairs essentially saying, 鈥極ur hands are clean; the substantial risk is not evident to us and we will continue selling billions and billions and billions of dollars worth of armoured vehicles to one of the most autocratic regimes on the face of the Earth鈥�. Global Affairs鈥� track record of coming to a positive conclusion in these investigations in the last few years doesn鈥檛 exist.鈥�
鈥淚t seems to me about the most fundamental principle of morality is that you can鈥檛 murder people. By murder, I mean killing innocent people,鈥� said Regis College moral theology professor John Berkman. 鈥淔or Canada to sell the weapons to a nation which intends to kill innocent people, then you are an accomplice to murder.鈥�
Pope Francis has often excoriated the international arms trade and what he calls 鈥渢he merchants of death.鈥�
鈥淚t鱿鱼视频app an absurd contradiction to speak of peace, to negotiate peace, and at the same time, to promote or allow the arms trade,鈥� Francis said in a 2017 video.
He again lashed out at arms dealers in his most recent encyclical, Fratelli Tutti . 鈥淲e see outbreaks of tension and a buildup of arms and ammunition in a global context dominated by uncertainty, disillusionment, fear of the future and controlled by narrow economic interests,鈥� he wrote.
Gallagher would urge Global Affairs to seek the help of outside experts in policing arms exports.
鈥淢ore interplay with civil society does have better outcomes when it comes to things like arms control. Civil society can, in a certain way, serve as a kind of second, sober thought,鈥� he said.