Yves Engler

While remembering their past has not prevented history from repeating itself, it is not possible for the descendants of the world’s first successful large-scale slave revolt to forget the trauma inflicted by their northern neighbors. One hundred and five years ago today a brutal US occupation of Haiti began. To commemorate an intervention that continues … Continue reading “The US Occupation of Haiti”

Among the basic principles of reporting, as taught in every journalism school, are: Constantly strive for the truth; Give voice to all sides of a story; When new information comes to light about a story you reported, a correction must be issued or a follow-up produced. But the Canadian media has ignored explosives revelations from … Continue reading “Canada Follows US Lead By Ignoring OPCW Scandal”

Most Canadians would be surprised to learn that the sun never sets on the military their taxes pay for. This country is not formally at war yet more than 2,100 Canadian troops are sprinkled across the globe. According to the Armed Forces, these soldiers are involved in 28 international missions. There are 850 Canadian troops … Continue reading “The Sun Never Sets on the Canadian Military”

Justin Trudeau presents himself as "progressive" on foreign affairs. The Liberals claim to have brought Canada "back" after the disastrous Harper Conservatives. But their nuclear weapons policy demonstrates the emptiness of this rhetoric. Reducing the chance nuclear weapons are used again should be a priority for any "progressive" government. But, powerful Canadian allies oppose nuclear … Continue reading “Canada’s Trudeau Ignores Threat of Nuclear Annihilation”

Last Friday members of Mouvement Québécois pour la Paix interrupted a $135-a-plate luncheon to confront defence minister Harjit Sajjan. At an event sponsored by SNC Lavalin, Bombardier, Rio Tinto, etc., we called for cutting military spending, for Canada to withdraw from NATO and an end to weapons sales to Saudi Arabia. While Sajjan’s responsibility for … Continue reading “Canada’s Minister of Defence Is an Arms Pusher?”

Canadian troops may have recently been deployed to Haiti, even though the government has not asked Parliament or consulted the public for approval to send soldiers to that country. Last week the Haiti Information Project photographed heavily-armed Canadian troops patrolling the Port-au-Prince airport. According to a knowledgeable source I emailed the photos to, they were … Continue reading “Why Are Canadian Special Forces in Haiti?”

Will they cancel the contract or won’t they? In order to understand Ottawa’s decision making process regarding General Dynamics’ massive arms deal with Saudi Arabia one must look closely at industry lobbyists. While the Trudeau government is under substantial public pressure to rescind the $15 billion Light Armored Vehicle sale, to do so would challenge … Continue reading “Saudi Arabia and the Canadian Arms Lobby”

Many progressives call for Canada to "do more" around the world. The assumption is that this country is a force for good, a healer of humankind. But if we claim to be the "doctors without borders" of international relations, shouldn’t Canada swear to "first do no harm" like MDs before beginning practice? At a minimum … Continue reading “On Libya: First, Do No Harm”

Last week students at L’Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) disrupted a board meeting after learning administrators planned to sign a $50 million, seven-year, contract with security giant GardaWorld. Protesters are angry the administration has sought to expel student leaders and ramp up security at the politically active campus as they cut programs. The world’s … Continue reading “Canada’s Blackwater”

Since the start of the Canadian election campaign a series of posts have detailed the Harper Conservatives repeated abuse of power. The Tyee published "Harper, Serial Abuser of Power", which listed "70 Harper government assaults on democracy and the law." But the widely disseminated list omitted what may be the Conservatives’ most flagrant – and … Continue reading “Canada’s Violation of International Law in Libya”