RIYADH – Canada is looking into ways to cancel a giant 2014 weapons dealwith Saudi Arabia, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Sunday, as criticismmounts over the kingdom’s role in the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggiand the Riyadh-led war in Yemen.
Trudeau had earlier said that it would be “extremely difficult” to withdrawfrom the contract, signed by the previous conservative administration,”without Canadians paying exorbitant penalties.” But as evidence emerged ofdirect Saudi involvement in Khashoggi’s murder on October 2, Canada in lateNovember announced sanctions against 17 Saudi nationals linked to killing.
“The murder of a journalist is absolutely unacceptable and that’s whyCanada from the very beginning had been demanding answers and solutions onthat,” Trudeau said Sunday in an interview with CTV.
“We inherited actually a (Can) dollars 15 billion contract signed by(former prime minister) Stephen Harper to export light-armoured vehicles toSaudi Arabia,” he said.
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“We are engaged with the export permits to try and see if there is a way ofno longer exporting these vehicles to Saudi Arabia,” he added.
The penalty for breaking the contract could exceed Canadian dollars 1billion, Trudeau said in an interview with CBC Radio in October.
