Arms deals outweigh morality

Re Turkey has audio of Saudi writer’s slaying, newspaper says, Oct. 14

For those who have ever wondered what the price of press freedom is, we now have some answers.

According to U.S. President Donald Trump, cancelling the $110 billion (U.S.) in arms deals with Saudi Arabia over the apparent Saudi assassination of the journalist Jamal Khashoggi just isn’t worth the job losses.

In Canada, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he will not reconsider the $15-billion sale of armoured personnel carriers to Saudi Arabia.

The political pressure each leader feels to halt pending sales simply underscores the long-standing unsuitability of the Saudis as an arms client of Western governments.

The Saudis represent the opposite of our values — especially those relating to press freedom — and better governments want our goods. Arm them instead. Brian Alexander, Mississauga Canada and the United States are complicit in the alleged murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi, other investigative journalists and political dissidents.

Trump and Trudeau are hypocrites! Both refuse to denounce or sanction Saudi Arabia, including its criminal crown princes.

As usual, war is peace. Orwell was right. Don Weitz, Toronto