Canada to Bid on Next Round of Iraq Deals

Mexico (AP) - President Bush, seeking to mend relations with America's northern neighbor, said Tuesday that Canada will be eligible for a second round of U.S.-financed reconstruction contracts in Iraq.

In a breakfast meeting with new Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin, Bush said he had told Martin of the shift in policy. Martin "understands the stakes" in rebuilding a free and peaceful Iraq, Bush said. He offered no details of what the contracts would be worth.

Martin is eager to patch up the cross-border relationship after his predecessor, Jean Chretien, abstained from the Iraq war, angering Bush.

Why reward this? It makes Bush look weak and irresolute.

I disagree. It's a statesmanlike gesture not just to Canada but it will shut up the critics and lefties who say Bush can't work together with anyone. I think Martin is or should be pragmatic enough to keep this in mind the next time the US wants some co-operation from Canada in matters of border security. Canada (France, Germany, etc) are still not eligible for the prime contracts,as is the way it should be.

Bush Lets Canadian Appeasers Profit From Iraq War

Mexico – President Bush, seeking to mend relations with America's northern neighbor, said Tuesday that Canada would be eligible for a second round of U.S.-financed reconstruction contracts in Iraq.

Martin is eager to patch up the cross-border relationship after his predecessor, Jean Chretien, abstained from the Iraq war, angering Bush.

Martin said he was pleased by the new U.S. stance toward Canada, and the lucrative contracts that could come Canada's way. U.S. policy in the first round was to shut out Canada and other countries that opposed the war.

"It does show that working together, we can arrive at a reasonable solution," Martin told reporters after the breakfast.

The two leaders also pledged cooperation on another issue that has irritated U.S.-Canada relations, the discovery of mad cow disease in America from a cow that apparently came from Canada.

"This is an issue that's going to require close coordination between our two countries," Bush said. "The best way to make sure we're able to satisfy consumers ... is for there to be [coordination] on regulation, on information and on the science."

Bush said he was confident in the safety of the beef supply, and was still himself eating beef.

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