Man Takes Stand In Canada - Beckley Native Questions Sale Of Half Of Company To

"I'm not anti-war. I'm not against engineers in my position working for the military or working for an arms company," Cottle said, pointing out that he was hired at MDA to work on a Canadian military project. "What I am against is working for a company that makes weapons that have been shown to be as to harmful to civilians as to soldiers."

He never expected to get so much attention for quitting his job, he said. A reporter in Halifax found out about his decision. That reporter told someone at the Canadian Broadcasting Company. Since then, he's done about a dozen interviews with Canadian reporters.

"I was especially surprised about how much the media attention was focused on me personally, as opposed to the sale of the company," said the Woodrow Wilson High School graduate.

Now, Cottle and some others in Canada are trying to spread public awareness about the $1.325 billion sale. They want officials to block the transaction, which still must be approved by both Canadian and American regulators.

ATK wants to buy MDA's information systems and geospatial services divisions, Cottle said. The company would then get control of the Radarsat-2, considered the most advanced commercial radar satellite in the world.

In December, the satellite was launched for the Canadian Space Agency. It is used for both military and civilian purposes and was funded by almost $500 million in Canadian tax dollars, Cottle said.

Cottle and other opponents believe ATK's acquisition would be a violation of the Mine Ban Treaty, which bans the development, production and use of landmines. The United States has not signed the treaty.

Allowing the deal to go down "would not be in the best interest of Canada," he said.

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