Canada's LAV 111
Let's start with a recent statement by former NATO Supreme Allied Commander Gen. Wesley Clark which explains that the existence of the Islamic State helps Sunni countries Turkey and Saudi Arabia geostrategically, by countering the Shi'ite powers: Iran, Iraq and Syria. Clark's statement is only news because it's being said by him, in fact it's generally [sic] accepted that Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Turkey and Qatar - three of the United States' biggest allies in the region - are bankrolling ISIS terrorists.
As the Wall St. Journal said: “Turkey, Qatar and Saudi Arabia have delivered arms and funds to rebel groups in Syria". According to the Journal, increased weapons shipments to anti-Assad elements aim to “challenge the intervention of Russia and Iran on behalf of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, US officials and their counterparts (from Saudi Arabia, Qatar and other Gulf States) in the region. Then there's the New York Times who reported that "The American-made TOW antitank missiles began arriving in the region in 2013, through a covert program run by the United States, Saudi Arabia and other allies to help certain CIA -vetted insurgent groups battle the Syrian government.
Also, a former senior security policy analyst in the office of the US Secretary of Defense Michael Maloof said: “In the case of Syria [TOW anti tank missiles-ed.] have been supplied clandestinely under CIA operation through Turkey to various fighters that they have identified as being moderate,” Maloof added. “But these moderates are generally with the Free Syrian Army, and most of them have gone to join the Islamic fighters of either Al-Nusra or Daesh [ISIS].” This is backed up by security analyst and former counter-terrorism intelligence officer Charles Shoebridge who says: “And of course Saudi Arabia has been in the forefront supplying Syrian rebel groups, including to what in the West should really be called extremist rebels groups, with these fairly sophisticated and certainly powerful weapons...last year a very large consignment of these weapons in the thousands were shipped to Saudi Arabia by the US as part of the arms supply.”
These CIA shipments included automatic rifles, rocket-propelled grenades, ammunition, anti-tank weapons, and roadside bombs. This deadly delivery service continues to this day. The chief role of the Saudis and Qataris has been to bankroll the weapons shipments. Turkey’s chief role in this aspect of the deception has been to transmit the weapons through its border with Syria. Turkey also acts as a safe haven for training the anti-Shia forces. As a captured ISIS fighter trained in Turkey explains, "ISIS thinks it’s safer here than Syria" But Turkey's greatest contribution to ISIS and Al Nusra is Turkey's role in ISIS illegal oil trade which Russia has presented ample proof of and has been corroborated in an independent Norwegian report which concluded: "Exports happen in a well-established black market via Turkey...Many of the smugglers and corrupt border guards, who helped Saddam Hussein avoid international sanctions, are now helping ISIS export oil and import cash.”
Toyota Hilux vehicles - part of the ISIS' persona
So here we are, the CBC reported two days ago that Justin Trudeau had been advised in a briefing book to deepen Canada's ties with Saudi Arabia and said that was why the Liberals are standing by $15B arms deal with the Saudis. The briefing was from the defense department not the dept of finance. Consequently my advice is for Canadians to be un-surprised to see another installment of ISIS' parade videos featuring their black flags waving out of their shiny LAV 111s with perhaps a couple of the Saudis mowing down Yemeni Shia, or anybody else that opposes their sadistic rule, as an opening act.
