Canadian oil firm exempt by Harper gov from Syria sanctions

[Moonlight Graham]

Suncor, a Calgary-based Canadian oil/energy company, has been spared from recent Canadian sanctions against Syria by the Harper gov. Baird explains why:

Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird is sticking to his position that Suncor should be exempt from Canadian sanctions on the regime of Syria's Assad.

Mr. Baird told a House of Commons committee that Suncor will continue its natural gas generation operations because it creates much-needed electricity for the Syrian people.

Suncor operates a $1.2-billion natural-gas project, in partnership with a state-owned Syrian company.

Does he expect anyone to really believe that for one second? It must take some kind of person to lie as politicians do, I wonder how these people actually do so day-in, day-out and live with themselves.

Looks like Suncor has friends in high places.

[Wild Bill]

Suncor, a Calgary-based Canadian oil/energy company, has been spared from recent Canadian sanctions against Syria by the Harper gov. Baird explains why:

Does he expect anyone to really believe that for one second? It must take some kind of person to lie as politicians do, I wonder how these people actually do so day-in, day-out and live with themselves.

Looks like Suncor has friends in high places.

It's not that easy, MG. Not even Suncor can take a 1.2 billion dollar hit with no advance warning! It would likely put the company under, losing all the Canadian jobs with it.

At that point, all the Harper haters would be gleefully jumping all over him, for killing such a huge company!

This is the problem with sanctions sometimes. They can hit both ways. Nobody expected this "Arab Spring" phenomenon to spring up so suddenly. No one expected the ruler of Syria to be such a murderous a**hole!

This is the same sort of situation that Russia and China often find themselves in. They sign big business deals with ruthless dictators only once in a while there's a revolution that jeopardizes their money! Usually the sums involved are so large that they have no choice but to support the despot. Not that despots have ever bothered them as much as it bothers western countries but still, they just don't have many options.

[olp1fan]

the west supported the vicious despots up until the arab spring or if they refused to be the wests bitches

bill, don't act like the west is any different than the east in that regard

[eyeball]

the west supported the vicious despots up until the arab spring or if they refused to be the wests bitches

bill, don't act like the west is any different than the east in that regard

Any different...if anything we've set the standard.

In actual fact we're worse than Russia and China - they're like your run of mill molesters where the west is more like a respected priest that diddles. It's just that much more grotesque when we do it.

[dre]

It's not that easy, MG. Not even Suncor can take a 1.2 billion dollar hit with no advance warning! It would likely put the company under, losing all the Canadian jobs with it.

At that point, all the Harper haters would be gleefully jumping all over him, for killing such a huge company!

This is the problem with sanctions sometimes. They can hit both ways. Nobody expected this "Arab Spring" phenomenon to spring up so suddenly. No one expected the ruler of Syria to be such a murderous a**hole!

This is the same sort of situation that Russia and China often find themselves in. They sign big business deals with ruthless dictators only once in a while there's a revolution that jeopardizes their money! Usually the sums involved are so large that they have no choice but to support the despot. Not that despots have ever bothered them as much as it bothers western countries but still, they just don't have many options.

Why single out Russia and China? THe west does the exact same stuff.

[Wild Bill]

the west supported the vicious despots up until the arab spring or if they refused to be the wests bitches

bill, don't act like the west is any different than the east in that regard

Ok, let's say you're absolutely right!

Now, what does that change with my explanation about Harper's action?

Would you rather put Suncor into bankruptcy to soothe your outrage?

[Moonlight Graham]

It's not that easy, MG. Not even Suncor can take a 1.2 billion dollar hit with no advance warning! It would likely put the company under, losing all the Canadian jobs with it.

At that point, all the Harper haters would be gleefully jumping all over him, for killing such a huge company!

That 1.2 billion doesn't necessarily mean 1.2 in profit or revenue for Suncor, it says in partnership with the Syrian gov.

Also, according to wikipedia, Suncor "specializes in production of synthetic crude from oil sands" as well as doing other things like offshore drilling. It owns Sunoco/Petro-Canada gas stations. Also, "Suncor ranks number 159 in the Forbes Global 2000 list". In 2009, revenue was 26 billion, and assets 66 billion. Point: if they lose all Syrian business they almost certainly won't go bankrupt, though some loss of jobs would likely occur.

Even if you'd be right, Baird is still lying.

[Shwa]

Harper and oil. Jean Chretien wasn't interested in oil in 1996, he had other things on his mind.

Canada Trades 'Do-Gooder' Image for Weapons Sales

Yeah, yeah, I know the irony of making an earlier comment about the knee-jerk con reaction to criticism with instant references to Liberals, but this is too much.

But military sales by Canadian companies to countries other than the U.S., including some identified by watchdog organizations as chronic human rights abusers, jumped 48% in 1994, the last year for which figures are available, the Foreign Ministry's export controls division reports. Experts outside the government say the true figures are higher because some equipment sold for civilian use also has military application.

This is horrifying, especially the part about weapons sales to Indonesia as they were heading out to wipe out the East Timorese. Hey, it was only 15 years ago, we haven't forgotten have we?

[Shwa]

double

Edited December 2, 2011 by Shwa

[William Ashley]

It's not that easy, MG. Not even Suncor can take a 1.2 billion dollar hit with no advance warning! It would likely put the company under, losing all the Canadian jobs with it.

At that point, all the Harper haters would be gleefully jumping all over him, for killing such a huge company!

This is the problem with sanctions sometimes. They can hit both ways. Nobody expected this "Arab Spring" phenomenon to spring up so suddenly. No one expected the ruler of Syria to be such a murderous a**hole!

This is the same sort of situation that Russia and China often find themselves in. They sign big business deals with ruthless dictators only once in a while there's a revolution that jeopardizes their money! Usually the sums involved are so large that they have no choice but to support the despot. Not that despots have ever bothered them as much as it bothers western countries but still, they just don't have many options.

yeah cause Harper wouldn't want to see the brainchild of the NEP disolve a bankrupt

[bud]

In actual fact we're worse than Russia and China - they're like your run of mill molesters where the west is more like a respected priest that diddles. It's just that much more grotesque when we do it.

i will have to use that analogy.