Canada raises Iraq contracts with Bush, no results

Reuters ^ | 12/15/03

[areafiftyone]

OTTAWA, Dec 15 (Reuters) - New Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin said on Monday he had tried to persuade U.S. President George W. Bush to let Canadian firms bid for lucrative Iraq reconstruction contracts but had not managed to get a firm commitment.

Martin, who took over last week from Jean Chretien, said he would raise the question again with Bush when they hold a bilateral meeting next month on the sidelines of a summit in Monterrey, Mexico.

Canada is unhappy the White House has limited bidding on the contracts to companies from nations that contributed troops to the war on Iraq. Chretien, whose relations with Bush were never better than cool, angered the U.S. leader by refusing to take part.

Martin spoke to Bush for a quarter of an hour on Monday, pointing out that Canada had contributed C$300 million ($230 million) to the rebuilding of Iraq and had also stationed 2,000 troops in Afghanistan as part of a NATO-led force.

"The president was certainly very open to the arguments that I presented to him...I obviously believe that Canadian companies can and should qualify, I made that point to the president and we agreed we would ask our officials to look at it and we would discuss it further in Monterrey," he said.

"But it's still early days in terms of saying there's been any kind of a solution to this," he told reporters.

In Washington, White House spokesman Scott McLellan confirmed that Martin had "raised the Canadian government's concern" over the contracts.

"The president thanked Canada for its contributions to Iraq and indicated that we would keep open the lines of communication," he told a briefing.

Martin said he and Bush had also talked about a protracted dispute over exports of softwood lumber, the aftermath of a single instance of mad cow disease in Canada and the case of a Canadian man who was deported to Syria by U.S. agents.

"The conversation with President Bush went very, very well. The tone was very positive. Right at the start he congratulated me on being named (prime minister)," he said.

McLellan also said Bush had invited Martin to pay an official visit to the United States soon. Chretien rarely met Bush in the United States and Canadian right-wing opposition politicians made much of the fact that the former prime minister was never invited to Bush's Texas ranch.

But with a federal Canadian election expected next May, a visit to the ranch could leave Martin open to accusations from the surging left-wing New Democrats that he was trying to ingratiate himself with Bush.

Officials from both sides say it is most likely that Martin would travel to see Bush in the White House.

[samtheman]

Isn't Martin a much different person than the Cretin? Maybe we should give him a chance.

[TheBigB]

"The president thanked Canada for its contributions to Iraq and indicated that we would keep open the lines of communication,"

Translation: "If we need any hockey pucks or funny round bacon, we'll call you."

[The_Victor]

Canada is unhappy the White House has limited bidding on the contracts to companies from nations that contributed troops to the war on Iraq. Chretien, whose relations with Bush were never better than cool, angered the U.S. leader by refusing to take part.

To spite the fact that this keeps getting reported, it is not true. The contracts are allow for country's who simply offered moral support for (did not actively oppose) the war.

[SB00]

I think any attempt to change the administrations mind on this is futile. Not just Canada but other countries who didn't support the war should have known that there would be consequences of this nature. ...open to accusations from the surging left-wing New Democrats that he was trying to ingratiate himself with Bush.

Last I checked the New Democrats had barely 10% support. That's hardly "surging". After Ontario had experience with these far-left socialists, they will never form a national government.

[george wythe]

The profit margin is much higher in subcontracts than in contracts.

Canadian subcontrators are not barred from the loot; the contract ban was just a political statement from President Bush.

The Canadian prime minister is just politicking.

[Jason Kauppinen]

Not really, no.

[blanknoone]

Has anyone seen the list of exactly which countries are approved? I have heard the criteria described, I have never seen the list itself.

And Canada...its not too late...you could commit troops to help out in Iraq now. What's that? You have no troops left because you have disarmed and are relying on America for your national defence?

[SB00]

Martin is as "different" from Chretien as Clinton was to Gore.

Martin is just as liberal as Chretien except Martin is not outwardly anti-American.

[rs79bm]

Geez....that's quite a phone call...I want this, and this, and this, and this, and this.....and also this. I think he better ease up a bit or probably won't get anything.

[MissAmericanPie]

It would certainly be a slap in the face to our allies that did support us, and to the American taxpayer to give Canada a pass after their tacky attitude and their continued resistance to border security.

This is the same nation that sued us over gasoline additives.

[what's up]

Liberals in Canadian-French clothing are easy to spot.

Liberals in Canadian-Anglo clothing not to easy. They may be more dangerous.

[MAGEE]

I think Paul Martin will have to work his way through to changing Bush's mind and I honestly believe he will be able to do so. Martin has owned a huge steamship business which I believe he has turned over to his sons and is well versed in global diplomacy as well as economics and trade. I am giving the guy a "chance" which is more than the Canadians ever gave George Bush.

I believe Bush is still giving "pay back" for the ballet dancer Chretien, and will have none of it again from Canada and their dilettante parliament members who looked down upon our president as a lesser man, while they worshipped the confabulator Clinton. They don't seem to think beyond the political affiliation into the man behind the job believing what the man "says" not what he "does".

I hope one day George Bush will find a common ground and basis for cooperation with this new man, if anything to put Chretien's long nose out of joint!!!

[randog]

The Canadian prime minister is just politicking.

I'm sure our president is politicking, too. He'll wait 'til all the good contracts are snapped up by Americans and our real allies, then, in a magnanimous gesture to 'bury the hatchet once and for all', open the bidding up for the leftovers and crumbs.

[Wheee The People]

They speak a lot of French in Canada...

[No Blue States]

I bet Bush has studied the guy, read a file all about him already.

He is playing poker and might toss him some crumbs later if he acts right.

[OPS4]

Canada needs to get rid of the French agenda, commonly known as Communism.

Ops4 God BLess America

[MAGEE]

I think Martin is closer to Bush in personality than that jerk wannabe Parisien party animal.

Seems to me Bush and Martin might just hit upon a good solid and respectful friendship which might be excellent in repairing some of the damage Martin's predecessor managed to do in a very short time after 9/11.

[CalKat]

Canada has troops in Afghanistan, and pledged something like $300 million towards Iraq at the Madrid donor conference. Many of countries seen as "supporting" the war in Iraq did not send troops.

[lawnguy]

I just keep thinking about those Canadian debates we all were watching on C-Span before the war. I bet President Bush was watching too.