Canada resuming arms exports to Saudis despite criticism

Canadian authorities say they have found a way around bans on the controversial weapons exports to Saudi Arabia despite growing calls for a full halt to sales of arms to a regime involved in numerous cases of human rights violations.

According to Press TV, Canadian Foreign Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne said in a Thursday statement that his government has renegotiated a contract to sell General Dynamics Corp armored vehicles to Saudi Arabia.

Champagne said that Canada was lifting a freeze imposed in November 2018 that banned new permits for arms sale to the Saudis pending a review.

The renegotiation of the deal on the armored vehicles section of the General Dynamics Corp, a US-based company, is expected to face huge criticism from human rights campaigners and governments who believe the $14 billion contract should be scrapped for good.

Opponents believe the Saudi regime has violated the very basics of the human rights by killing tens of thousands of civilians in its years-long war on Yemen.

SS