the attacks in yemen are aerial. so, it's probably true that the vehicles haven't been used for any atrocities....yet.

if i were dictator of canada, i would have quashed the deal. but, we have to deal with the liberals being rational again, here.

first, the deal was already agreed upon. the tradition in canada - and, indeed, in most parliamentary democracies - is that the incoming government doesn't undo what the previous government did. otherwise, we'd just be spinning around in circles. it may not have been entirely unprecedented, but it would have gone against our own democratic norms and traditions.

second, it is no doubt true that they would have just bought the same thing from somebody else. so, not selling them the weapons wouldn't have spared any lives. this is broadly true across the spectrum of weapons sales - and what it means is that these protests are more about our own egos than they are about the lives of foreign peoples, yemenis or otherwise.

third, it then follows that, if we want to actually influence saudi opinion, we need to sit down and talk to them - not threaten them by demanding they buy weapons from somebody else. and, this is indeed the crux of historical canadian policy: engagement. it's another question if they actually engaged or not...

like i say - i wouldn't have done it.

but, it's harder to come up with a reasonable criticism of this than first appears obvious, unless you're approaching it solely from a position of indignant self-righteousness - which a rational mind would reject.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/saudi-lav-deal-1.4585035