Canada Sells 12th Most Weapons in World

... and not just to our allies, but basically to anyone – Libya, Zimbabwe, you name it – who's got the money.

Canada is now the 12th biggest arms exporter in the world, with the bulk of our weapons and vehicles headed for NATO allies like Britain and Norway and a portion to the fine folk in countries such as Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, Zimbabwe, China, and Libya. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute finds that Canada has jumped up from 15th in recent years, largely due to the sale of high-tech guidance systems and aircraft. Recently, the federal government released a report examining the arms industry from the years 2006-09, when some $1.4 billion in Bombardier planes, General Dynamics Light Armoured Vehicles, and other military products were sold around the world. That number doesn't account for sales to the U.S., which some estimates put at about $2 billion a year.