In response to the bombing of Gaza and the deaths of hundreds of innocent children and other civilians, the Coalition to Oppose the Arms Trade (COAT) -- an Ottawa-based, Canadian anti-war network -- has produced this research report on Canadian military companies that have direct or indirect export links to Israel.
Included below are links to ten tables of data providing detailed information about over 200 Canadian military exporters.
CADSI and CANSEC 2009
CADSI: About half of the companies listed in these tables are members of an Ottawa-based business association/lobby group called the Canadian Association of Defence and Security Industries (CADSI). CADSI supports its 540 members by highlighting their capabilities on its website and sponsoring events to assist their domestic sales and international exports. In 2004, CADSI organised a "Canada / Israel Industry Partnering Mission" to "advance industrial partnerships between Canadian and Israeli companies." Speakers at the event included Canada's Minister of National Defence, Israel's Ambassador to Canada, a representative from Israel's Ministry of Defense, and top bureaucrats from Canadian government departments. Canadian military companies heard presentations from Israel's top weapons industries and then held 20-minute, face-to-face "Company One-on-Ones" with Elbit, Elisra, Israeli Aircraft Industries, Israeli Military Industries, Rafael, Simigon and Soltam. (Source)
Since 2006, when Canada's Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade began proactively disclosing "grants and and contributions over $25,000," CADSI has received three government donations totaling $192,000 for "generic international business development activities." These government "contributions" come from the "International Trade" division of DFAIT.
CANSEC 2009: CADSI's primary function is to organise Canada's top military industry trade show, known as CANSEC. This international arms bazaar is now scheduled for May 2009 at the City of Ottawa's largest municipal facility, Lansdowne Park. This is the first time in 20 years that the City of Ottawa has hosted such an weapons trade show. COAT, which launched the 1989 campaign that led Council to ban the leasing of City property for international arms shows, is calling on City Council to honour its historic motion. (Click here for details on this campaign, upcoming events and how you can get involved.)
Data Tables on Canada's Exports to Israel
| Table 1: Master Table: CADSI | This master table for all of the CADSI-linked companies in COAT's report, lists 105 Canadian military companies, some general facts about each company (including figures on sales, exports and number of employees), their city location(s), links to their websites, summaries of their main military products and/or services, their status as current or former members of CADSI, whether they exhibited at CADSI's most recent military trade show (CANSEC 2008) and whether they report having "export experience" with Israel or are now "actively pursuing" such exports. |
| CADSI members, |
Canadian Complicity in the production of Major US Weapons Systems used by Israel
COAT's report lists more than 50 Canadian military exporters that have supplied a wide range of essential components and/or services for three major US weapons systems that are used by the Israeli Air Force: the F-15, F-16 and AH-64. These fighter/bomber aircraft and helicopter attack gunships were the main varieties of weapons systems employed by Israel during the recent aerial bombardments of Gaza. In an effort to document Canadian contracts that have supplied these US weapons systems, COAT's report provides hundreds of links to corporate and government sources:
 | Table 2a: | This table compiles data on 31 Canadian military exporters and provides internet links to about 100 sources detailing their complicity in the production of the F-15 weapons system. More than half of these companies are now members of CADSI, while 16% are former members. Almost 40% of these military companies exhibited their products at CANSEC 2008. |
| Canadian War Industries | ||
 | Table 2b: | This table compiles data on 39 Canadian military exporters and provides internet links to about 100 sources detailing their complicity in the production of the F-16 weapons system. About 40% of these companies are now members of CADSI, while over 20% are former members. One third of these military companies exhibited their products at Ottawa's CANSEC arms show in 2008. |
| Canadian War Industries | ||
 | Table 2c: | This table compiles data on 18 Canadian military exporters and provides internet links to about 100 sources detailing their complicity in the production of the AH-64 weapons system. Over 60% of these companies are now members of CADSI, while 17% are former members. More than two thirds of these military companies exhibited their products at the CANSEC arms show in 2008. |
| Canadian War Industries | ||
| Table 2d: F-15, F-16 and AH-64 | This table compiles the data from the three preceding tables and lists 53 Canadian military exporters. The table includes detailed contact information for all of the companies and indicates that 40% are current members of CADSI while an additional 21% are former members. Among the current CADSI members in this group, 73% exhibited their wares at the CANSEC arms show in 2008. | |
| Canadian War Industries Supplying Parts and/or Services | ||
 | Table 3: Canada Pension Plan (CPP) | This table contains annual details on CPP investments since 2003 in Boeing and Lockheed Martin, the US weapons makers that manufacture the AH-64, F-15 and F-16 weapons systems. CPP investments in these prime contractors increased from about $14 million (between 2003-2005) to about $100 million (between 2006-2008). This more than seven-fold increase occurred suddenly in 2006, the year that Israel bombed Lebanon and killed about 1300 people, mostly innocent civilians. The table also shows that these war manufacturers and/or their Canadian subsidiaries are members of CADSI and exhibited at CANSEC 2008. |
| Canada Pension Plan Investments (2003-2008) | ||
Direct Exports to Israel by Canadian Military Companies
There are more than 140 Canadian military industries now reporting that they have exported their products directly to Israel. COAT's report divides the data on these companies into two tables based on whether they are known to have ever been members of CADSI. More than one third of these Canadian military companies have known links to CADSI.
  Table 4a:Direct Exports: CADSI | This table listing 53 Canadian companies includes summaries describing their main military products and/or services, provides links to their websites, notes their status as current or former members of CADSI and whether they exhibited their wares at CADSI's most recent military trade show, CANSEC 2008. |
| Canadian Exports to Israel | |
| Table 4b: Direct Exports: non-CADSI | This table listing 89 Canadian companies includes summaries describing their main military products and/or services, some general facts about each company (including figures on sales, exports and number employees), links to their websites, and detailed contact information. |
| Canadian Exports to Israel by |
Canadian Military Companies "Actively Pursuing" Direct Exports to Israel
There are 45 other Canadian military exporters now reporting that they are "actively pursuing" direct exports to Israel. In COAT's report, the data on these companies is divided into two tables based on whether the companies are known to have membership links to CADSI. Almost two thirds of these companies are known to be current or former members of CADSI.
| Table 5a: Actively Pursuing Exports: CADSI | This table lists 28 Canadian companies, provides links to their websites, data on the location of their operations, and summaries describing their main military products and/or services and gives their status as current or former members of CADSI and whether they exhibited their wares at CADSI's most recent military trade show, CANSEC 2008. |
| Current and/or past members of the | |
| Table 5b: Actively Pursuing Exports: non-CADSI | This table lists 17 Canadian companies includes summaries describing their main military products and/or services, some general facts about each company (including figures on sales, exports and number employees), links to their websites, and detailed contact information. |
| Canadian Military Companies |
Some Goals of this Research
During the recent bombardment of Gaza, Canada's mainstream corporate media did not ask any questions, let alone investigate, Canada's role in supplying military hardware to Israel. In fact, very little has ever been published examining Canadian military exports to Israel. It is therefore hoped that the data compiled in this report will provide:
(1) a useful initial resource for those concerned about Canadian military exports and their impact on peace and human rights in the occupied territories,
(2) a starting point for further research into Canadian corporate and government complicity in supplying Israel's military forces, and
(3) an impetus for peace and human rights activists and organisations to focus on particular companies, the CADSI military exporters association, the CANSEC arms bazaar, as well as municipal, provincial and federal government institutions and programs that facilitate the international arms trade.
Take Action!
Please join COAT's "Stop Ottawa Arms Shows" campaign
(Click here for an even more detailed and comprehensive list of things that you can do to help)
PETITION
* Sign our ONLINE PETITION now!
* Circulate paper petitions (print a copy)
Contact City Hall
* Click here to Contact Ottawa's Council and Mayor
* Read a SAMPLE LETTER
(from the Ottawa Presbytery of the United Church of Canada, the regional umbrella group for 65 congregations in Ottawa!)
Attend upcoming events:
Information and Strategy Session to Oppose CANSEC
Tuesday, March 24, 7 pm
Southminster United Church,
15 Aylmer Ave at Bank Street.
(Just south of the Rideau Canal. Enter from the Galt St. entrance at the back of the complex.)
Speakers, Music and Candlelight Vigil
Wednesday, May 27 (time to be announced)
Southminster United Church,
(Speakers and Music in the Sanctuary followed by a Candlelight procession just across the bridge to Lansdowne Park. )
Related event (Film Documentary - OTTAWA PREMIERE)
MYTH FOR PROFIT: CANADA'S ROLE IN INDUSTRIES OF WAR AND PEACE
Hintonburg Community Centre
1064 Wellington Street (3 blocks west of Somerset)
Wednesday, March 18, 2009, 7:00 pm
More info and a trailer at: http://www.wideopenexposure.com/M4P.php
The film will be followed by a discussion with the film makers, Amy Miller and Boban Chaldovich.
* Spread the word:
Spreading the word about this campaign online and off.
Post a link to this page on listserves, blogs and relevant websites.
Raise the issue at meetings and public events.
* Media: Encourage the media to cover Canada's war exports, not cover them up.
* Divest: Promote divestment from military industries
* Endorsements: Get group endorsements for the campaign against CANSEC 2009
* The Feds: Insist that the Canadian government immediately stop permitting, facilitating, financing and otherwise encouraging and promoting Canadian military exports, especially to those governments that are either currently at war, preparing for war and/or violating the human rights of those inside or outside of their boundaries.
* Volunteer: Volunteer some time to help promote this campaign
* Support COAT: Donate to COAT and subscribe to COAT's magazine, Press for Conversion!
This web page is part of an online report called:
Canadian Military Exports to Israel: Aiding and Abetting War Crimes in Gaza (2008-2009).
The report includes 10 detailed tables filled with data detailing about 200 Canadian military companies that have direct or indirect export links to Israel.
Prepared by the Ottawa-based Coalition to Oppose the Arms Trade (COAT) -- this report is part of a campaign to expose and oppose CANSEC 2009, Canada's largest military industry trade show. CANSEC 2009 will be hosted by the City of Ottawa at Lansdowne Park, May 27-28, 2009. Please join us in exposing and opposing CANSEC! Click here to read more about our CAMPAIGN.
Here is an article that ties together the issues in this report and the campaign against CANSEC:Canadian Military Exports, War Crimes in Gaza and Ottawa's Arms Bazaar
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