Ottawa says 'no' to missile defence

OTTAWA - Canada's announcement that it won't join the U.S. missile shield provoked an immediate warning that it has relinquished sovereignty over its airspace.

From now on, the U.S. government will control any decision to fire at incoming missiles over Canadian territory, declared the top U.S. envoy to Canada.

"We will deploy. We will defend North America," said Paul Cellucci, the U.S. ambassador to Canada.

"We simply cannot understand why Canada would in effect give up its sovereignty - its seat at the table - to decide what to do about a missile that might be coming towards Canada."

The response came just moments after Prime Minister Paul Martin ended months of ambiguity today by announcing that he would not sign on to the controversial missile-defence program.

The warning was no slip of the tongue: Cellucci repeated several times that Canada's decision had in effect handed over some of its sovereignty to the United States.

"I personally don't think it's in Canada's sovereign interest to be outside of the room when a decision is made about a missile that might be incoming towards Canada."

Cellucci said he understood the political "challenge" that made it difficult for Martin's minority government to accept missile defence - and agreed it was Canada's right to make a decision.

The formal announcement completed a lengthy retreat for Martin, who expressed support for the project last year in his early days in office, then qualified his support, and finally fell almost silent on the issue.

Martin said he would expect to be consulted on what to do about any missile passing over Canada.

Foreign Affairs Minister Pierre Pettigrew, however, seemed to indicate the ultimate decision lies in U.S. hands - whether or not Canada ever joins the missile shield.

"Would it have been otherwise?" he replied when asked whether Canada's refusal to join means the country now officially relies on the United States for protection.

"Canada . . . must act in its own interests and must determine where its priorities lie," Pettigrew said as he made the formal announcement in the House of Commons. "After careful consideration of the issue, we have decided that Canada will not participate in the U.S. ballistic missile defence system."

"Canada and the United States remain one another's staunchest allies and closest friends . . . and we will continue to ensure that our overall relationship grows stronger and that our people enjoy increased security and prosperity."

He said though Canada remains deeply committed to security, ``ballistic missile defence is not where we will concentrate our efforts."

Instead, Canada will work on border security, reinforcing coastal and Arctic sovereignty and expanding the military.

Martin noted that the $13 billion in new military funding announced in Wednesday's federal budget is "a tangible indication that Canada intends to carry its full share of that responsibility."

Pettigrew said he told his U.S. counterpart of the decision Tuesday at the NATO summit in Belgium attended by both Martin and U.S. President George W. Bush.

"Of course the U.S. is disappointed, but they recognize our decision," Pettigrew said.

Neither Martin nor Pettigrew explained precisely why they oppose missile defence, but opponents, including the NDP, argue it may trigger a new arms race.

Critics also question why the elaborate plan is necessary in a post-Cold War climate where the U.S. government is fighting low-budget terrorist operations, not state-run communism.

Supporters of the scheme contend Canada will sit on the sidelines without any say over how the system is used, without any access to billions in related research contracts, and without any political credit from Washington.

Any plans to join the project were buried under a wave of political resistance - from the NDP, the Bloc Quebecois and many Liberals - that Martin's minority government did not risk trying to overcome.

Polls have suggested most Canadians oppose the project and Martin might even have faced a revolt within his own Liberal caucus.

Coming on the heels of Canada's refusal to join the U.S.-led war in Iraq, today's announcement marked a second major break with the United States over a military project.

Martin had promised a new era of Canada-U.S. relations after bitter divisions over the war in Iraq. But U.S. officials had warned it would be an inauspicious start to any new era if Canada refused to join the missile plan.

They privately expressed befuddlement, frustration and even mild amusement at how long it took for Martin to make an announcement.

Bush raised the issue repeatedly during a trip to Canada late last year and, against all expectations, publicly requested Martin's support with the prime minister sitting by his side.

The Conservatives had not budged from their silence on the issue in an attempt to isolate the Liberals, who also faced a bruising battle over missile defence at its March convention.

The final straw came this week when Frank McKenna, Ottawa's ambassador-designate to Washington, triggered a flood of attacks on the government by saying Canada was already effectively part of missile defence.

Canadian soldiers are part of the Colorado-based Norad program that monitors the skies for incoming missiles.

But the Canadian government has repeatedly insisted their agreement last August to amend the longstanding Norad pact so that Canada will pass information along to U.S. officials didn't mean Canada had joined the project.

Missile defence supporters said the program wouldn't have cost Canada a dime, nor would it have placed missiles on Canadian soil.

U.S. officials have indicated they didn't really need Canada's help, but would have appreciated political support from their neighbour as they attempted to sell the plan abroad.

I apologize to any Canadian Freepers here,

No apology necessary. It's an embarassing day to be Canadian. I posted this on an earlier thread:

What you see when you gaze north in my direction, My Friends, is the continual emasculation of a once proud and dynamic nation and its’ people. I honestly wonder what the future holds for Canada, but at this point I can think of little more than an economically hobbled backwater completely bereft of any identity and willingness to stand up for itself; a slow decline into regionalism and eventually a national implosion. Years ago, up until the late 1950’s, Canada was a nation that believed it could do anything despite its’ small population. Our aerospace industry was the envy of the world. Avro built and flew a multi-engine passenger jet years before Boeing launched the 707 generating interest from airlines worldwide and keen attention from the U.S. Military, not to mention building the Arrow, a fighter jet far better than anything in the sky at the time. All of that came to naught. Our telecommunications expertise was second to none, we patrolled the skies over Europe and had a seat at the international table far in excess of what one would expect from a nation of our size. A nation that sends soldiers far beyond proportion to its’ population gets that kind of respect (1 million troops in WWI from a nation of only 10 million). No more. I could go on but I’ll spare the bytes. Now we don’t even know who or what we are, if anything.

It’s tempting to lay the blame for this at the feet of Trudeau, but that’s too simplistic. The truth is far deeper. Socialist, and yes Communist, infiltration of our unions and media in the 60’s and 70’s allowed individuals intent on weakening the country by destroying its’ identity to rise and control these organizations, and the meek “lie back and take it quietly” attitude of many Canadians compounded the problem. Canadians by and large have a “subject” mentality as opposed to feeling like citizens who actually own our own country. An over powerful government took more and more taxes to support more and more socialist programs that employ so many people that they become voting blocs and special interests unto themselves, with the result being politicians too meek to confront them. Ordinary Canadians gradually realized they had no real voice in the halls of power so they took the defensive route and put their heads down and just focused on keeping a roof over their heads in the atmosphere of ever rising tax burdens. Feeling no one in Ottawa would listen the people stopped talking, and gradually the national identity, very similar to the pioneering identity of Americans, was lost. We now have no identity, and when you can’t define yourself what reason is there to protect anything?

Ask most Canadians what defines Canada and you’ll hear the Liberal mantra: Multiculturalism and National Health Care (soon to add National Child care after yesterday’s budget). Think about that for a minute. Our identity is that we don’t really have one and we’re all so afraid of the future that we need the government to look after our needs. Paranoid, self absorbed and bereft of anything of substance we can grasp onto as a nation. In search of anything to define ourselves some (by all means not all or probably not even a true majority) substituted “we’re not Americans” as a way of defining ourselves. How mature. Since that is no definition of anything it led to the knee jerk anti-Americanism found in much of our media and cultural institutions. This decision on missile defense is another example. If we’re not Americans we have to be different from them simply to prove our independence, even if the position flies in the face of the national interest. Martin is sooooo determined to look strong (in fact even Liberal supporters are shocked at how incompetent he has shown himself to be) that he apparently feels the only way to do this is to oppose the U.S. for opposition sake. This isn’t leadership, it’s cowardice.

Canada stood to benefit mightily from open participation in the Missile Defense Program, and at basically no cost. We have technology industries that would have benefited, both from a technical and economic perspective. Forget that now, I suspect. Much of the damage wrought by the fool Chretien would have been put aside, now it will be compounded many times over. Decisions have consequences and there will be big ones here. The destruction of our aerospace industry in the 50’s drove our best and brightest engineers to flee to the U.S. where NASA and defense companies were happy to scoop them up. Our socialized medicine has driven scores of doctors and nurses south of the border to the point that our health care system is in slow collapse. The growing navel gazing and self righteous U.S. bashing will eventually result in more and more freedom loving Canadians who actually see what’s going on in the world to abandon Canada as lost and relocate to the land liberty calls home.

I’ve been furious at our governors many many times, and this Federal Government in particular, but today along with my anger I feel deeply embarrassed to call myself Canadian. We’re a nation that has lost it’s soul, lost it’s way, and it increasingly seems that we’ve lost our collective mind. The future is grim, I’m afraid. It’s a shame, we held out such promise once, but that I suppose was a long time ago in a very different Canada. Pity.

You know what? I said I was sick and tired of the Canadians and that they're just like the French, I didn't insult anyone. Maybe you just assumed that or replied to the wrong person. If I wanted to insult them believe me I would not be short on adjectives. Now lets pretend that you asked me why I'm sick and tired so I can babble on for a page or so? I could have told you that they're obstructionists and anti-american. Again, those aren't insults, they're opinion and what many Americans believe to be FACTS. We've been talking to Canada about missile defense for over 1.5 years so I think we've tried to convince them, and we're still trying to convince them. Its not like we're going to invade them...yet;)

In addition to being sick and tired of the Canadians and French I'm sick and tired of my fellow Americans always thinking its the citizens of the US that resorts, "to being bitchy when we don't get our way?". I don't mean that as a personal attack, seriously, a lot of my fellow citizens believe that exact thing. I'm just mystified, I wonder if it ever occurs to people of this opinion that maybe our national interests are in our nation's interest?
Those interests don't coincide with France's and Canada's? Why aren't they the bitchy ones when they disagree with us, why are we the bitchy ones. In other words why do some of our citizens identify with France or Canada, or Germany when they're Americans? Do they think these countries hold themselves to some higher principle? Sometimes I think people assume the word "Ally" equates directly to the word "Friend". Its simply not the case. Sure we can be on friendly terms, sometimes very friendly terms, but other allies are our allies because we share a common enemy, like Communism and fascism. When we aren't fighting a common enemy we aren't necessarily allies. Historically speaking the French have always resented us since we got the bomb and became the only world super power. They resent what they see as the Americanization of the world, they resent English being the language of the world. Prior to 9/11 everyone knew the French looked down their noses at us. Now it seems people want to assume the French are just good people who are more worldly and intelligent than Americans.
Lastly, Why is it okay for the Democrats and the Left to whine, and cry, and say the most disgusting things possible, but when someone in this country questions or comments on the motives of another country or the actions of the left, we're "bitchy"?
The world is not a group of friends, Canada and France do not take our interests and our wellbeing into consideration when forming their policies, and they shouldn't. We shouldn't be taking their interests into consideration when figuring out how to defend ourselves either. Frankly I think France cozies up to the Arabs because they don't have the Atlantic Ocean to protect them. It doesn't make it right, it just makes it understandable. Canada has no excuse for their anti-american sentiment. They have gotten nothing but rewards for just being lucky enough to be on the same continent and hemisphere.

Canada has enjoyed a very nice existence with the United States to their south. They don't have to maintain a large defense, they don't have to research their own prescription drugs, and NAFTA just to name a few I can think of. Tell me, what has Canada ever done for us? I'm serious too, what have they ever done to make this relationship good for us? Right now I can't think of a single thing, they're simply in the right place at the right time...and they know it and show no appreciation. Almost like a spoiled child.
We simply want to make a missile shield to cover our ass AND THEIRS as a byproduct. Whats wrong with that? I hear this line about being afraid of another arms race and I have to laugh. Just because we don't enter the race doesn't mean there is no race. Do Canadians seriously think that if they obstruct the US from making this missile shield that other countries like China or Russia from making their own, or making missiles that a shield might stop? Its just stupid nonsensical crap. The worst is that its obviously not even thought through, its thinking in the shallow end of the pool. I leave you with my best attempt at paraphrasing something I heard from the guy covering for Rush. He basically said that the people who love peace the most need to be the most armed because its those people who have to defend peace. Poland loved peace, and they go invaded by Hitler. Kuwait was peaceful, they got invaded by Iraq. China was peaceful and they got invaded by Imperial Japan. Basically, you may want peace but you still have to be able to defend yourself, and it that means you need to update your defense because others are updating their offense than so be it.

Peace has NEVER begot Peace

"The truth is far deeper. Socialist, and yes Communist, infiltration of our unions and media in the 60’s and 70’s allowed individuals intent on weakening the country by destroying its’ identity to rise and control these organizations, and the meek “lie back and take it quietly” attitude of many Canadians compounded the problem."

One infiltrator would be my first cousin. Oldest son of a career US Army officer, he majored and graduated with a BA in Art.

Rather than risk the draft, he and his wife moved north into Canada, where they've resided since the late 60s.

Now citizens, he is truly the essence of leftover 60s idealism, full one-world socialism.

Both of our fathers served in WWII. I was drafted and served, during Vietnam/Cold War. My cousin fled for Canada.

I claim that Canada's opposition to Vietnam marked the fork in the road, as to the future of these two neighbors.

Canada used to always be there, alongside Britain, the US, Australia, New Zealand, often South Africa, etc.

We will protect Canada. We may even send you Ward Churchill. He'll fit right in, what with him being all so devoted to North American Issues, etc.

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