Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

2003: Year Canada-U.S. Relations Turned Sour (From Iraq to mad cow, Canada turns on its old friend)
The Toronto Sun ^ | December 28, 2003 | Bob MacDonald

Posted on 12/28/2003 11:10:11 AM PST by quidnunc

click here to read article


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-28 next last

1 posted on 12/28/2003 11:10:11 AM PST by quidnunc
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

Comment #2 Removed by Moderator

To: quidnunc
Meanwhile, how about this: Close to 300 mass graves have already been located throughout Iraq. Packed in them are anywhere from 300,000 to 600,000 of Saddam's victims -- Iraqi men, women and children who were jailed, tortured, raped, gassed and slaughtered by Saddam's gang.

He forgot to add "shredded."

3 posted on 12/28/2003 11:20:22 AM PST by hotpotato
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: quidnunc
We don't blame Canadians for the Mad Cow disaster. After all, it's not like some Canadians viciously rounded up all the cattle with Mad Cow disease they could find and then exported them to us........wait......does anyone know where Chreien was that day?
4 posted on 12/28/2003 11:22:22 AM PST by McGavin999
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: McGavin999
Ooops, forgot the "t"
5 posted on 12/28/2003 11:22:55 AM PST by McGavin999
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: JackRyanCIA
Western Canada needs to follow the Texas model for how to secede from a neighboring country and join the United States instead. Instead of "Remember the Alamo!" we could have "Remember the West Edmonton Mall!"
6 posted on 12/28/2003 11:24:09 AM PST by FreedomCalls (It's the "Statue of Liberty," not the "Statue of Security.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: quidnunc
Not all Canadians dislike President Bush, however, an awful lot of them liked nasty, bad-boy clinton, not for anything he did, he was just another rock star to them and a Socialist. Socialism is does not mix well with people who aren't entirely on the dole in a free country; they want everyone to be hog-tied by the government.
7 posted on 12/28/2003 11:25:16 AM PST by yoe (Little Tommy Daschle and tantrum throwing little Gen. Clark are like farts in a skittle.....)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: quidnunc
Well, it was a bit much for Canada to close their border against U.S. beef when it was their cow in the first place.

But that was just a screwup. Chretien's decision to side with the treacherous French against the United States was deliberate. And, no doubt, motivated in part because of his connection through his daughter to Total-Fina-Elf. After all, we wouldn't want to stop taking Saddam's dirty money, would we?
8 posted on 12/28/2003 11:27:59 AM PST by Cicero (Marcus Tullius)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

Comment #9 Removed by Moderator

To: quidnunc
Hopefully, Canada is having the same problem we had here in the US: the silent majority, having no voice, has no idea that it might be a majority after all. Mostly only the lefties are allowed to be heard. It's even harder in Canada with so many extra controls over all media and so many huge areas with few people and little internet access.
10 posted on 12/28/2003 11:48:26 AM PST by cake_crumb (UN Resolutions = Very Expensive, Very SCRATCHY Toilet Paper)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: All
As always Quid, thx for these Canadian posts. 2003 was not the beginning of US-Canadian problems; they have existed since Trudeau in '68. Canada has no true identity, and since they eventually signed their "independence" in 1982, (LOL, proving Americans had the right idea, ALL ALONG), they REALLY have had identity problems. Their identity is obtained by constant divergence on policy with the US. They want to be consulted on everything we do, and the US President does not even consult all 50 US Governors when he fashions US policy. So Canada chafes when the US moves without it, when it moves with it they accuse us of treating them as the 51st state. Remarkable.....
11 posted on 12/28/2003 12:11:18 PM PST by Malcolm (not on the bandwagon, but not contrary for contrary's sake either)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: quidnunc
Listen up Canada; who you gonna turn to the French? They'll stab you in the back faster the a New York Central Park Mugger. It's the US, Australia, Great Britain and sheesh I hate to say this New Zealand and that's it so wise up. Start being nice to your cousins to the south, we're the relatives living closestto you all the rest are far away.
12 posted on 12/28/2003 12:14:34 PM PST by SandRat (Duty, Honor, Country. What else needs to be said?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: All
2003: Year Canada-U.S. relations turned sour

From Iraq to mad cow, Canada turns on its old friend

By BOB MACDONALD -- Toronto Sun

This past year of 2003 will go down as one in which Canada's relations with its nearest neighbour and longtime ally -- the United States -- took a real nosedive.

In fact, it's even ending with one more nasty blow. It was the news yesterday that a U.S. investigation has found that a cow infected with mad cow disease was imported into the U.S. from Canada.

In other words, not only did the mad cow disease that hit Canada earlier in the year result in months of embargoes against Canadian beef by other nations, but it now appears Canada was the source of the infected cow that's placing a blockade by many nations, including Canada, against importing U.S. beef.

Ah well, this increasingly nasty reputation of Canada with Americans merely follows on what happened during the year.

Probably the low point was when Liberal Prime Minister Jean Chretien dithered for weeks about whether Canada would join a U.S.-British led coalition of "the willing" to go after sadistic Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein.

At one point, Chretien indicated to U.S. President George W. Bush that Canada might join the coalition even without the United Nations' endorsement. The argument was that Saddam was a growing threat in supporting world terrorism -- such as handing out financial rewards to the families of Muslim suicide bombers. Also, he had a longstanding record of obstruction and not co-operating in the UN's search for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.

Then, at the last moment, Chretien turned tail and threw Canada's lot in with Chretien's pal, French President Jacques Chirac. The latter had been the leader at the UN against going after Saddam, along with German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Coalition

Canada's Liberal regime suddenly announced it would not join the coalition -- it was not at all willing.

In contrast, Bush said he was "disappointed", but in a diplomatic gesture, did not lambaste Chretien or Canada. Perhaps he was reluctant because, although Chretien had dithered once before -- he finally committed Canadian forces to going after Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida Muslim terrorist network that carried out the sneak 9/11 attacks. Those attacks killed more than 3,000 people, including 24 Canadians.

Bush's low-key reaction to Canada's refusal regarding Iraq was in sharp contrast to the anti-Bush, anti-American attitude of some of Chretien's Liberals. His own chief spokesman called Bush "a moron" and one of his Ontario Liberal MPs, Carolyn Parrish, declared:

"Damn Americans -- I hate those bastards."

However, it probably didn't help the U.S. attitude over other contentious issues such as the U.S. embargo against Canadian softwood lumber, Canada's mad cow disease outbreak, and the mainly Toronto-centered SARS outbreak, etc.

Of course, the anti-U.S. drivel of such Canadian media as the taxpayer-financed CBC, the Toronto Star and Globe didn't help. They and others kept harping on the theme that no weapons of mass destruction had been found in Iraq.

Well, that hunt is not over yet -- and perhaps now that Saddam has been captured by the Americans, new evidence may finally come forth.

Mass graves

Meanwhile, how about this: Close to 300 mass graves have already been located throughout Iraq. Packed in them are anywhere from 300,000 to 600,000 of Saddam's victims -- Iraqi men, women and children who were jailed, tortured, raped, gassed and slaughtered by Saddam's gang.

Isn't that mass destruction -- the real thing?

Well, now that Chretien is finally gone and his old finance minister, 65-year-old Paul Martin, is his replacement, will relations with President Bush and the U.S. improve?

Martin says they will and Bush seems open to being convinced.

However, we should remember one thing: Martin was a key member of Chretien's cabinet for three long terms. Never once did we hear of Martin disagreeing or protesting Chretien's anti-U.S. statements and actions.

In fact, although he was no longer in his cabinet last spring, Martin voted for Chretien's resolution against joining the coalition in the fight against Saddam.

Ah well, time will tell -- beginning with this new year of 2004. But with this latest case of infected Canadian cattle threatening to inflict costly damage to the American beef industry, we may have a tough row to hoe. Damn tough.
13 posted on 12/28/2003 12:32:51 PM PST by Brian Allen ( Rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God - Thomas Jefferson)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Canadian Outrage
Pinging to # 6.
14 posted on 12/28/2003 1:17:13 PM PST by Lucy Lake
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: JackRyanCIA
You nailed it Jack. Western Canada DOES hate the Liberal Government that runs this country. The decades of Liberals has damaged and split this Country severely. I, as a born and raised Westerner wish the West would just "have at it" and separate.!!
15 posted on 12/28/2003 1:52:01 PM PST by Canadian Outrage (All us Western Canuks belong South!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: yoe
Well you can count me OUT of that description!! I have a hemopheliac son infected with Hepatitis C thanks to Clintons end run around the law. It was him that so freely sent blood from Arkansas prisoners to infect kids and adults alike. In my opinion, Chretien and Clinton came from the same cabbage patch!
16 posted on 12/28/2003 1:55:11 PM PST by Canadian Outrage (All us Western Canuks belong South!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: cake_crumb
That is the way it is in the West for sure. But in the West we aren't so silent. There are some good Conservatives in Ontario but they don't appear to be very aggressive or vocal.
17 posted on 12/28/2003 1:57:12 PM PST by Canadian Outrage (All us Western Canuks belong South!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: SandRat
The only thing that might wake up Central Canada is if somebody dropped a f---ing bomb on Ottawa!!
18 posted on 12/28/2003 1:59:00 PM PST by Canadian Outrage (All us Western Canuks belong South!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: grizzfan
Thanks grizz!! Hi Brian - no end of Canadian screw ups to discuss is there?
19 posted on 12/28/2003 2:00:15 PM PST by Canadian Outrage (All us Western Canuks belong South!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: Canadian Outrage
How about if the next time Parti Quebecquis tries to declare itself independent if the rest of the provinces immediately file for US annexation and statehood.
20 posted on 12/28/2003 2:04:50 PM PST by SandRat (Duty, Honor, Country. What else needs to be said?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-28 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson