If you thought the federal government’s newly revealed mission against the Islamic State (ISIL) was incoherent, you won’t like its policy on selling military equipment to Saudi Arabia. During the election campaign, the Liberals promised that, if elected, they would have Canada sign the Arms Trade Treaty, an international agreement achieved in 2014, which restricts weapons sales to countries that violate human rights. Article 7 of the ATT requires Canada to “assess the potential that convention arms … could be used to commit a serious violation of international human-rights law,” and if an “overriding risk of any of the negative consequences,” presents itself, Ottawa “shall not authorize the export.”…
Read the full text in the National Post here