HUMOUR:
MILITARISM:
The following is especially appropraite in view of the CANSEC Arms Fair in Ottawa.

CANADIAN POLITICS-OTTAWA:

CANSEC IS COMING-OPPOSE IT:

The following call to oppose the upcoming 'Cansec' arms fair in Ottawa comes from the Coalition to Oppose the Arms Trade (COAT). Those who profit by selling the mechanisms of deaths, the arms traders, may qualify as the lowest examples of human life on Earth. Look to following to see how you can help oppose them.

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Oppose the CANSEC War Machine!‏

Learn more about CANSEC and join the campaign to oppose it.
CANSEC is Canada's largest and most important War-Industry Trade Show. It's coming to Ottawa next week. Wherever you may be, please join the Coalition to Oppose the Arms Trade (COAT) in opposing this blatant symbol of Canada's role in the burgeoning international arms trade.

For more info., see the list of weblinks at the end of this email to learn more about CANSEC and how you can help COAT to expose and oppose it!

Here is a media advisory that COAT released yesterday.

Rally for Peace – Oppose the CANSEC War Machine
http://coat.ncf.ca/CANSEC2010/MediaAdvisory.htm

Ottawa – Peace advocates, human rights groups and environmentalists, are gathering to denounce CANSEC 2010, our nation’s largest weapons trade show. CANSEC is a symbol of Canada’s commitment to the business of war and our role in the profitable, international arms trade.

Richard Sanders of the Coalition to Oppose the Arms Trade says, “CANSEC is a blatant manifestation of our country's part in fuelling major global conflicts through the sale and export of weapons systems and their components.”

This year's effort against CANSEC is the latest chapter in a struggle that began over two decades ago when the Coalition to Oppose the Arms Trade (COAT) campaigned against ARMX, a now-defunct arms bazaar. COAT's work against ARMX led the City of Ottawa to ban arms exhibitions on municipal property. CANSEC is returning to Lansdowne June 2 and 3, because last year City Council overturned this municipality's historic 20-year ban on weapons shows.

“This trade show is a symbol of Canadian government subsidization of an industry involved in producing and promoting weapons of destruction,” added City Councillor Alex Cullen, candidate for Mayor in the 2010 municipal election. “It graphically illustrates the part we play in aiding and abetting wars and human rights abuses.”

CANSEC exhibitors supply parts and services for many of the world’s deadliest weapons systems used in Iraq, Afghanistan, Gaza and elsewhere around the world. Research by COAT names 60 CANSEC exhibitors supplying parts for weapons systems in Iraq. That war alone has killed 1.3 million since 2003. Diane Holmes, City of Ottawa Councillor says, “These weapons and weapons systems have caused destruction around the world. They have taken an immeasurable toll on the lives and livelihoods of innumerable innocent people, their families and their children.”

Peace groups, human rights and environmental groups, will hold a RALLY for PEACE on June 2, 2010 at Lansdowne Park on Bank Street, 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Politicians, citizens, poets and musicians will speak against profiting from war weapons, and for peace in the world.

For more information, media contact :
Richard Sanders, Coordinator, Coalition to Oppose the Arms Trade (COAT) and Editor, Press for Conversion! magazine;
Tel: (613) 231-3076

Renseignements médias:
Hélène Lebrun, les Soeurs du Sacre-coeur de Jesus;
Tel: (613) 237-6607

Inquiries:
website: http://coat.ncf.ca
email: overcoat@rogers.com

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Learn more about CANSEC and COAT's campaign

CANSEC is Canada's largest and most important War-Industry Trade Show.
Please join the Coalition to Oppose the Arms Trade (COAT) in opposing it.

Here is an annotated list of weblinks about CANSEC and how you can help expose and oppose it:

Summary Article: What is CANSEC, and why do we oppose it?
http://coat.ncf.ca/CANSEC2010/CANSEC2010article.htm

"CANSEC: War is Business" (50-page COAT publication. Get the nitty gritty)
http://coat.ncf.ca/our_magazine/links/64/64.htm

"Rally for Peace," June 2, 5-7 pm, Ottawa
Includes a list of speakers, poets and musicians, and links to their websites.
http://coat.ncf.ca/CANSEC2010/Rally.htm

Spread the word about COAT's "Rally for Peace"
Fliers: http://coat.ncf.ca/CANSEC2010/fliers/fliers.htm
Posters: http://coat.ncf.ca/CANSEC2010/Posters.htm

Other antiCANSEC events: What to do in Ottawa on June 2, 2010
http://coat.ncf.ca/CANSEC2010/June2events.htm

Decorate CANSEC's Fence: Submit graphics/statements online, or bring them yourself.
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=116566681687834&v=wall&ref=ts

How you can help: Join the opposition to CANSEC, wherever you are!
http://coat.ncf.ca/CANSEC2010/OpposeCANSEC.htm

CANSEC 2010 Exhibitors: Links to info about 275 exhibitors and their websites.
http://coat.ncf.ca/CANSEC2010/CANSEC2010Exhibitors.htm

"Peace Bus" from Toronto to Ottawa, June 2: All aboard for the antiCANSEC rally
http://coat.ncf.ca/CANSEC2010/TOPeaceBus.htm

Coalition to Oppose the Arms Trade website (for CANSEC updates and more)
http://coat.ncf.ca

Support COAT: Donate, subscribe, order "CANSEC: War is Business"
http://coat.ncf.ca/support_us/support_us.htm

CANADIAN POLITICS/ANTI-MILITARISM:

MAYORS AND OTHER VULTURES:

Most Canadian mayors are corrupt in the penny ante way of underhanded real estate deals. Ottawa's Mayor O'Brien, however, seems to play in the big leagues, a 'merchant of death', an arms dealer no less. Not that being a tall tree in the multi-million dollar forest inhibits such a person from the more petty forms of corruption, as the following article from the Ottawa Coalition to Oppose the Arms Trade (COAT) lays out. The point of the article, however, is that there are greater crimes than influence peddling. Read on...

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The online version of this article includes many images.

Ottawa's Mayor O'Brien, Calian Technologies and the CANSEC War-Industry Bazaar: Democracy under Attack at Home and Abroad:

By Richard Sanders, coordinator, Coalition to Oppose the Arms Trade (COAT)

For weeks now, while peace activists have been busy campaigning to oppose the use of Ottawa's publicly-funded municipal facilities for private military arms exhibitions, like CANSEC 2009, the City’s mayor -- Larry O'Brien -- was on trial.

The mayor of Canada’s capital city (and founder of Calian Technologies -- a prominent local war industry exhibiting at CANSEC) is one of those colourful corporate-class executives who enters the political arena by threatening to run the government as if it were his own private business enterprise.

While this apparently is no crime, attempted bribery and purported influence peddling, are. These charges became public when a fellow right-wing mayoral candidate, Terry Kilrea, asserted that O'Brien had offered him $30,000 and a plum federal job on the National Parole Board in exchange for withdrawing from the mayoral race in 2006. Kilrea bolstered his claim by signing a legal affidavit that was initiated and paid for by the Ottawa Citizen newspaper.

These much-discussed accusations, revealing O'Brien's apparent disdain for the basic principals of local democracy, have featured prominently in mainstream media accounts of this story. However, there is a far more insidious and largely unspoken dimension to this chronicle of O’Brien’s perceived willingness to undermine democracy.

This hidden aspect of the O'Brien narrative, which the corporate news has not deigned to report, has to do with how Canadian military industries -- like O'Brien's very own Calian Technologies -- supply scores of high-tech products and services for wars that undermine democracy at a global, international level. Like the unseen subsurface mass of an iceberg, this is the much larger yet invisible saga of how Canadian military industries profit from the big business of equipping those whose professional occupation is to wage war.

In practical terms, for Canadian war industries, this means supplying what some indiscreetly call the "US war machine." That's because about about three quarters of all Made-in-Canada military hardware is exported and 80% of those exports are sold, without any federal restrictions, to the United States. Once south of the border, Canadian technology -- much of it in the form of high-tech components -- is assembled into complete, American weapons systems.

Although some of these major weapons are then sold to other governments, they are -- for the most part -- used in whatever war, or wars, the US is then waging. For those who haven't noticed, this usually means either some "regime change" (to physically topple an unwanted foreign government) or "regime maintenance" (to help business-friendly governments retain their iron grip on political power).

Calian, which O'Brien founded in 1982, is one of these lucrative Canadian military industries and, financially, it seems to be doing very well indeed. Calian supplies software, training, personnel and high-technology components and support services to the world's biggest institutions of war. Calian has several subsidiaries and each one is deeply ensconced in the business of war.

Let's take a brief look at a few examples of Calian contracts that have aided and abetted the planning and waging of large-scale armed conflicts.

SED Systems

SED Systems is a wholly-owned division of Calian Technologies, based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. It provides ground services for various satellites including those used by US intelligence and military institutions. For instance, SED has been under contract since 1995 to "control and monitor the RADARSAT-1" satellite. SED also provides "flight operations services to the RADARSAT-2 mission."

Although these two publicly-funded Canadian satellites cost taxpayers over a billion dollars, the Liberal government was quick to privatise RADARSAT. Its state-of-the-art earth-monitoring services have been used for weapons-targeting roles in various US-led wars, most notably in Iraq, Afghanistan and Yugoslavia.

A six-month study of RADARSAT's many military functions led to a 52-page COAT report called: "Canada’s Role in the Militarisation of Space: RADARSAT - The Warfighters’ Eye in the Sky and its links to Missile Defense."

SED also supplies "various systems and components" for the so-called " Manportable Surveillance and Target Acquisition Radar" (MSTAR). This US system "locates moving targets and uniquely classifies them as personnel, tracked or wheeled vehicles." MSTAR is said to have "performed admirably in service with U.S. and Allied Forces in Afghanistan, Iraq, the Balkans and other locations." Users of this military targeting system include the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Army. There are now "more than 500 MSTAR radars...in service throughout the world."

As during previous years, SED Systems was an exhibitor at the CANSEC 2009 military trade show in Ottawa this May 27 and 28. This landed Mayor O'Brien in hot water. After commenting publicly that CANSEC should be held on City of Ottawa property, despite a 20-year ban imposed by a 1989 Council resolution, O'Brien was accused of conflict of interest.

Because he still sits on Calian Technologies' Board of Directors, O'Brien stood to personally benefit from the CANSEC trade show because of SED's position as an exhibitor. (Ottawa Citizen, March 29, March 30, March 31.)

Calian Technology (US) Ltd

This branch of Calian Technologies prides itself on helping to facilitate the export of US military equipment to foreign governments around the world. It does this through contracts which provide "Foreign Military Sales management training in support of the International Programs Office of the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA)."

The DLA is the " logistics combat support agency whose primary role is to provide supplies and services to America's military forces worldwide."

But Calian does more than assist the US government agency responsible for getting war technologies into the hands of a million or more US warfighters strategically based around the world. Calian's "management support" is specifically targeted to help the " international purchasers of US weapons systems." Calian contracts include, for example, teaching the DLA's " Foreign Military Sales management course." Could there be any more significant evidence of Calian's support for the international arms trade than this?

F/A-18 "Hornet"

Calain Technology (US) Ltd., has been supporting the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) F/A-18 program since 1988. It provides "professional, technical, and administrative support services" to the RAAF's Technical Liaison Office that " include financial and administrative support, logistical analysis and systems engineering support" for Australia's fleet of F/A-18s. Australia uses American F/A-18 fighter/attack warplanes to fulfill various combat roles including the escort of bomber warplanes during bombing sorties, the suppression of enemy air defences, reconnaissance, forward air control, close and deep air support, and day and night strike missions. Australia has used their F/A-18s in the Afghan and Iraq wars since 2001 and 2003 respectively.

Calian Content Management Services (CMS)

Calian CMS provides high-technology software products and services for numerous major US weapons systems, particularly war planes and drones, used in the Iraq War. These weapons systems have also been used in Afghanistan and elsewhere. For more details on Calian's contracts for these weapons systems, click on the links below.

F-117 "Night Hawk"

The F-117 is a wedge-shaped, ground-attack fighter aircraft with stealth features that make it virtually undetectable to radar. First used by the US Air Force in the bombing of Panama in 1989, it was heavily used in 1991 Gulf War and against Iraqi targets through the 1990s. In 1999, F-117s were used during the NATO bombardment of Yugoslavia. Then, beginning in 2001, it was used in bombing Afghanistan to assist and empower the Northern Alliance warlords who have since been encouraged to take political power in that country. F-117s were also used during the most recent Iraq War that began in 2003.

RQ-4 "Global Hawk"

This high-altitude surveillance and reconnaissance drone -- the size of a large business jet -- carries one ton of imaging technology and can photograph targets with one foot of resolution from 200 kilometres away. It uses Synthetic Aperture Radar and Electro-Optical/Infrared imagery to provide data for weapons targeting. America's RQ-4s have been used in the following wars and military operations: Afghanistan (2001-present), Pakistan (2002-present), Philippines (2003) and Iraq (2003-present).

U-2 "Dragon Lady"

This variety of US spy plane was originally operated by the CIA. It has conducted high-altitude surveillance and tactical reconnaissance missions since 1956 and has been used in a great many wars and military operations. For instance, the U-2 is known to have provided data for use in military operations over the following countries: Egypt, Lebanon, USSR, Cuba, Vietnam, Iraq, Yugoslavia and Afghanistan.

C-130 "Hercules"

This cargo plane is the primary means for transporting troops, weapons, tanks and other vehicles into battle zones. Having accumulated over 20 million flight hours, it is probably the most versatile, tactical transport aircraft ever built. Some variants refuel fighter and bomber aircraft, while others have sprayed Agent Orange and dropped the world's largest conventional weapons (the BLU-82) in Vietnam and Iraq. C-130s have been used in countless wars, bombing missions invasions and regime changes including Lebanon (1958), Congo (1960-1961, 1964-1965), Dominican Republic (1965), Vietnam (1962-1975), Korea (1968-1969), Cambodia (1970), Israel (1973), Korea (1976), Zaire (1978), Iran (1980), Grenada (1983), Panama (1989), Iraq (1991), Somalia (1991-1992), Angola (1992), Sierra Leone (1992), Somalia (1992-1994), Haiti (1994-1995), Rwanda (1994-1996), Yugoslavia (1992-1996, 1999), Liberia (1996), Afghanistan (2001-present) and Iraq (2003-present).

F-16 "Fighting Falcon"

This multi-role, high-performance fighter/bomber warplane is used in air-to-air combat and for attacking ground targets. American F-16s have been used many wars and bombing missions including: Lebanon (1982-1983), Iraq (1991, 1992-2003), Yugoslavia (1994, 1995-1996, 1999), Afghanistan (2001-2003) and Iraq (2003-present).

C-5 "Galaxy"

This large, military transport aircraft provides strategic intercontinental cargo services for the US Air Force. In use since 1969, it is one of the world's largest warplanes and was deployed in Vietnam (1970-1972), Israel (1973), Iraq (1991), Yugoslavia (1999), Afghanistan (2001-present) and Iraq (2003-present).

MQ-8B "Fire Scout"

This aerial drone is nearing operational testing for launch from US warships to conduct reconnaissance, surveillance and target acquisition operations in Iraq. It is also able to fire "Hellfire" missiles, "Viper Strike" weapons and the "Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System." As such, the MQ-8B will be on the cutting edge of advanced killer robots.

Business and Technology Services (BTS) Division

Calian BTS Division recently received major contract to provide advanced military training services for Canadian warfighters in Afghanistan. The Department of National Defence (DND) has just signed a contract with Calian that may bring in close to $200 million for Mayor O'Brien's company. Calian's role is to create and use high-tech computer-simulated synthetic environments to train soldiers. The use of artificial, electronically-created environments allows them soldiers to practice and rehearse the tactics they will use on the battlefield. This Calian contract is for the continued provision of Training and Capability Development Support Services with DND's Directorate of Land Synthetic Environments (DLSE). The DLSE is responsible " to assist in the development and validation of combat development solutions for the Army in operations throughout the spectrum of conflict."

More information, Coalition to Oppose the Arms Trade (COAT)

ANTI-MILITARISM:

CANCEL CANSEC:

The merchants of death, those who profit by the arms trade, have a long and inglorious history. As in ancient days such ghouls are still entertained by the powers that be who, after all, depend on them in the end in royal and lavish style. This is true in Canada's capital Ottawa where the City has agreed to host Cansec, the countries largest bazaar of human suffering. This is, however, not without opposition. COAT, The Coalition to Oppose the Arms Trade, continues to fight against this atrocity. Here's their most recent update.

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[COAT] Making a Killing on War! Cancel CANSEC, Canada's top arms show‏:
Join the opposition to Canada's largest weapons exhibition, CANSEC 2009.Please sign the ONLINE PETITION to "Stop Ottawa's Arms Bazaars" and encourage others to do likewise.

Thanks for spreading this email/article around.

The URL for this article is: http://coat.ncf.ca/ARMX/MakingKilling.htm

Stop Making a Killing on War! Cancel CANSEC 2009, Canada's top arms bazaar:

By Richard Sanders, coordinator, Coalition to Oppose the Arms Trade (COAT)

The City of Ottawa has now agreed to host the international CANSEC weapons show at the municipality's prime publically-funded facility, Lansdowne Park, between May 27 and 28, 2009.

Among the more than 200 military firms flogging their wares inside the Ottawa Congress Centre at CANSEC 2008, were some of the world's biggest and most profitable war industries: BAE Systems, Boeing, Honeywell, L-3, Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman.

These six firms are prime contractors for many of the deadliest weapons systems ever made, including dozens of different bombers, fighter jets, bombs and missiles. Remarkably, these six corporate giants sold about US$100 billion worth of military equipment to the Pentagon in 2007, and their combined revenue from global military sales was $130 billion in 2006. (See details in table, "Top Six Global War Industries at CANSEC 2008.")

The profits made by these leading war industries have come at a disastrous price. The horrendous wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere -- where their deadly products are used daily -- have taken an inestimable toll on the lives and livelihoods of millions of innocent people, and their ecosystems.

Also exhibiting their wares at CANSEC 2008 were many of Canada's foremost arms industries including CAE, CMC Electronics, General Dynamics Canada, Magellan Aerospace, Pratt & Whitney Canada and SNC-Lavalin. These companies -- which consistently rank within Canada's top ten military contractors -- are largely reliant on exports to the US.

But CANSEC does much more than just facilitate the growth of top war industries. Hundreds of smaller players in the bustling world of weaponry are also eager to join the action. The 500 booth spaces at CANSEC 2009 will be bristling not only with displays showcasing war technologies but also an array of products used by police and paramilitary "security" forces to "maintain order" around the world.

We stopped them before! We can do it again!

In 1989, during a campaign against an arms show called ARMX, the City of Ottawa banned all such exhibitions from municipal property. However, in 2008 -- for the first time in almost 20 years -- City Staff leased Lansdowne Park to a military trade show called "Secure Canada."

Due to a legal technicality, City Staff claims that Council's historic 1989 ban no longer applies to Lansdowne Park saying there is "no true impediment to hosting these types of events, while recognizing the degree of sensitivity regarding activities that focus primarily on armaments and various weapons."

"Secure Canada 2008" was eventually cancelled due to federal restrictions on government participation in controversial events during the election. Its organizers also blamed heightened security costs caused by potential protests.

CANSEC is probably the most blatant manifestation of the rapacious, corporate system of global economic exploitation and destruction that will reveal its presence within our local community this year.

As a potent symbol of the international arms trade, CANSEC graphically represents some of the persistent underlying issues faced by peace, human rights and environment activists. As such, CANSEC presents an opportunity to raise awareness about many complex, inter-related issues.

As a starter, please sign COAT's online petition urging City Council to respect Ottawa's ban on hosting arms exhibitions.

Please join our efforts and encourage other individuals and groups to do likewise!

Richard Sanders, is coordinator of the Coalition to Oppose the Arms Trade, and editor of its magazine, Press for Conversion!

COAT was initiated 20 years ago to organize opposition to ARMX '89, which was the last arms show held at a City of Ottawa facility.

To learn more, and to get involved, see COAT's website: http://coat.ncf.ca