Posted on 03/25/2003 4:58:43 PM PST by albertabound
U.S. criticism intensifies debate over Canada's refusal to join Iraq war
By TOM COHEN The Associated Press 3/25/03 5:17 PM
TORONTO (AP) -- Canada is letting down its best friend and economic mainstay by opposing the war on Iraq, causing possible repercussions in Washington, the U.S. ambassador said Tuesday.
Paul Cellucci's comments intensified a national debate over the refusal by Prime Minister Jean Chretien's government to support the coalition fighting to topple Saddam Hussein.
Opinion polls show a majority of Canadians support their government's stance against the war. But critics from parliament foes to hockey heroes have called the policy disgraceful and insulting to their North American neighbor and crucial ally.
Cellucci, in unusually blunt language, characterized the issue as a "bump" in Canada-U.S. relations and said it showed Chretien's government was less concerned about security threats than the United States.
Raising his voice during a speech to business leaders, he pointed out that the United States would respond immediately to any security threat in Canada.
"There would be no debate. There would be no hesitation. We would be there for Canada, part of the family," Cellucci said. "That is why so many in the United States are disappointed and upset that Canada is not there for us now."
Prior to the war, Chretien consistently said Canada would support only a U.N.-backed campaign against Iraq. In declining to join the coalition, he said U.N. weapons inspectors should have been given more time.
On Tuesday, Chretien said the dispute represents a difference of opinion among friends and shows Canada's independence from its more powerful neighbor.
"Of course he's disappointed," Chretien said of Cellucci's comments. "We're all disappointed somewhat because we couldn't agree."
Canada has been a major participant in the U.S.-led war on terrorism and will send more than 1,000 troops to Afghanistan later this year, the prime minister noted. He said Canada and the United States "have maintained normal relations."
Many disagree, though.
"Frankly sir, you are embarrassing us," opposition leader Stephen Harper of the Canadian Alliance told Chretien in parliament, echoing comments by former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and even announcer Don Cherry on the nationally televised "Hockey Night in Canada."
"All they needed was to say `We back you.' They didn't want any troops. Just say, 'We back you,"' Cherry insisted Saturday during his Coach's Corner commentary with Ron MacLean, perhaps the most-watched segment in Canada each week. "When the chips were down we turned our back on them."
Cellucci noted that as part of its role in the war on terrorism, Canada has warships in the Persian Gulf and military planners working with U.S. and British forces in the gulf region.
"Ironically, the Canadians indirectly provide more support for us in Iraq than most of those" 46 countries in the coalition fighting against Saddam's regime, he said.
The ambassador warned there could be repercussions against Canada in U.S. policy, but he refused to elaborate. However, Cellucci said several times that security would be the top U.S. priority, more important than trade and economic issues, as Canada and the United States negotiate border issues.
At the same time, Cellucci stressed the importance of Canada to the United States, noting the two share the world's largest trade partnership and similar values.
"Our ties are deep and long-standing," he said. "We are dependent on each other."
Copyright 2003 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Sometimes it seems like the Canadians must have elected Shemp or Curly as Prime Minister.
Don Cherry would make a better PM than Chretien. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Cherry, he is the absolute god of ice hockey in Canada, kinda like John Madden is to the NFL (although Cherry is devoid of Madden's maddening habits). He tells it like it is and he isn't afraid to piss anyone off.
After Cherry's statements, be ready to see Canadian poll numbers turn around with regard to the war. Yes, he has that much influence.
You are literally not too far from the truth.
I saw a documentary where whole towns in the Maritime provinces open their homes to accommodate stranded Americans.
And western Canadians even took time off from work to drive home stranded Americans in Vancouver, especially older Americans who did not have the stamina to drive home.
You mean they're like Joe ... the last stooge? ("not so haaard")
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This article was located using a Web search....The Prime Minister of Canada, is protecting the French oil company, TotalFinaELF, because the Power Corp. is a big player with TotalFiniELF in Iraq http://www.totalfinaelf.com/ho/en/petroleum_company.htm.....
Posted by r bacon (209.162.162.171) on June 12, 2002 at 19:18:44:
In Reply to: Kyoto is also about reducing oil dependency.... posted by AF on June 12, 2002 at 15:24:54:
: The main reason I would argue for Kyoto is because it would help our economy become less dependent on oil and thus reduce the impact of the inevitably sharp rise in oil prices after oil production peaks around the year 2010.
I would like any Kyoto Zealot to explain this little fact of history to me. One thousand years ago Greenland got its name from the Vikings who landed their and set up extensive farming it was lush and green. Hence the name Greenland. Shortly after the American Revolution about the mid 1800's they were growing oranges as far north as the Caolina's now only in Florida.
One volcanic eruption like Mt. St Helen's spews more greenhouse gas than all of industry since 1900. The real reason these uneducated nitwits want Kyoto is because socialist masters want globalization and Kyoto is part of the exporting of wealth out of socialist Canada to China for who's gain. Read on.
It may pay you to spend a few minutes tracing the connections of Paul Desmarais and Power Corp. to the leading politicians, etc. of Canada. This association explains the Kyoto pact:
JOHN RAE: leading strategist for Prime Minister Chretien's election campaign. Was Executive Vice- President of Power Corp. and Paul Desmarais' right- hand man. His brother is....
BOB RAE: ex-NDP [Socialist] Premier of Ontario, who appointed....
MAURICE STRONG (his god father)to the chairmanship of Ontario Hydro, which he proceeded to dramatically cut in both skilled human resources and generating capacity [to provide a future need for power from James Bay] Past CEO of Desmarais Power corp. Strong received an appointment to the UN as senior environmental advisor to the UN president and chairman of the earth council. He was responsible for the Kyoto accords.
More on Moe Strong: www.afn.org/~govern/strong.html
PAUL MARTIN: current federal Finance Minister. Rose through the ranks at Power Corp., mentored by Paul Desmarais. Bought Canada Steamship Lines from him. Ran against Chretien for Liberal Party leadership.
JEAN CHRETIEN: Prime Minister. Daughter, France, is married to Andre Desmarais, son of Paul Desmarais, chairman of Power Corporation. Chretien's "advisor, counsellor and strategist" for the past 30 years has been¡K¡K
MITCHELL SHARP, who brought Chretien into politics when he was Finance Minister. Sharp has been, since 1981, Vice-Chairman for North America of the corporate globalist TRILATERAL COMMISSION.
DANIEL JOHNSON: Liberal [and Opposition] leader in Quebec. Rose through the ranks of Power Corp. Key in delivering federal spending to Quebec based Power Corp and other corporate welfare cases in the province
BRIAN MULRONEY: ex-Conservative Prime Minister. Now a lawyer and lobbyist for Power Corporation which, together with Ontario Hydro and Hydro Quebec, has just formed the Hong Kong-based ASIA POWER CORP., to help China to develop its energy potential. Power Corp.'s legal interests in Asia will be handled by a Hong Kong branch of Mulroney's Montreal law firm, Olgilvy, Renault.
PIERRE TRUDEAU: past PM and former power corp lawyer. Introduced into the company by his father who had business connections to Desmarais. PET signed over millions to Power corp under federal grant programs. Desmarais funded his election campaign.
So...we have the CONSERVATIVE party [via Mulroney], the LIBERAL party [via Trudeau and Chretien], and the NDP [via Rae] all tightly connected to....Paul Desmarais and Power Corp.
And we have the Prime Minister, the Finance Minister, and the Prime Minister's key aide all tightly connected to....Paul Desmarais and Power Corp.
We now see the Power Corp. key alumnus in the UN Kyoto deal which so coincidentally benefits the (largely unpublicized) business interests of Desmarais alumnus.
Maurice Strong has now joined Brian Mulroney and Paul Desmarais in investing in the Asia Power Group's $100 million venture capital in "small coal-fired power plants being built in the south of China". They are also looking at "larger projects in northern China, as well as in Malaysia, the Philippines and India." The Asian economies are expected to spend $1 trillion [US] on essential infrastructure, of which an estimated $400 billion [US] will be on power generation. Chinese and Asian labour costs are low - as low, in China, as $45 per month - and potential profits are enormous.
The Nov/Dec. 1993 issue of Council on Foreign Relations' publication FOREIGN RELATIONS contains an article, THE RISE OF CHINA, in which we are warned that China will begin to use more energy than the United States within a few decades, massively straining the world's energy supplies.
If you were a power company investment magnet where would you place your future fortunes? In a nation wracked with environmental paranoia or a developing, unregulated energy hungry industrial giant? China is gearing up to be the world¡¦s dominant manufacturing power.
Most of China's energy comes from the burning of soft, high-sulphur, highly- polluting coal. In 1991 alone, 11 trillion cubic meters of waste gases and sixteen million tons of soot were emitted into the atmosphere over China - and it has only just begun its long process of increased energy generation! The sulphur in this coal causes acid rain. The burning of the coal releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, the most efficient "greenhouse gas" in the global warming process.
There are indications that Strong , Desmarais and their crones (under ghost corporate affiliates) are behind the current rash of buying of low grade coal mines in depressed nations to fuel these projects. But this is yet to be fully substantiated.
Who would invest so massively in low grade coal when it was targeted as Kyoto taboo commodity? Maybe someone who knew in advance they would be able to burn it with out regulation in China? Green house fears bottomed out the price of these coal purchases. If it can be used for power generating fuel, you stand to have a very inexpensive fuel source. China continues to burn coal in it¡¦s power production unregulated by Kyoto.
Now the real hook. You remember Maurice Strong? Desmarais familiar and corporate confidante, ex power boss, major investor in 3rd world coal fired energy enterprise?
Well Maurice ended up appointed to the UN as head advisor to the UN president on environmental affairs Is this irony? He was campaigned for that position by Canada¡¦s PMs and diplomats.
As such, he called a little multi national conference called Kyoto! Maurice and his friend Jean Chretien wrote and signed an agreement which effectively will destroy their pal Desmarais¡¦ chef energy competitor (Alberta Nat Gas) and gave Power Corp investment in China coal/energy an enormous competitive advantage. Anyone who thinks this as mere coincidence is unaware of the networking of internatinal corporate elites.
This revelation makes it clear the Kyoto earth summit was a vehicle used by corporate (Strong/Chretien) bag men to create a huge global shift in power generation profits. They were backed by one of the worlds most devious businessmen.
Oh, and Paul Desmarais?
In September, 1993, he joined the Trilateral Commission. He spearheaded the Tri-lat initiative of promoting a Kyoto-like conference over concerns for the planet from carbon emissions produced by the DEVELOPED NATIONS.
And you thought it was all about saving the planet?
For who?
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Follow Ups:
As Chirac speaks, so will Chretian.
Why did the Anglos in Canada lay down and let the French start running things?
really?
Let's see, you get our defense, our economy, our markets, our good weather to visit in the winter, our dollar ......
and we get? Hockey? a closer France? thanks but no thanks! seal the border
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