Posted on 02/24/2005 11:01:28 AM PST by Unam Sanctam
TORONTO - Prime Minister Paul Martin said Thursday that Canada would opt out of the contentious U.S. missile defense program, a move that will further strain brittle relations between the neighbors but please Canadians who fear it could lead to an international arms race.
Martin, ending nearly two years of debate over whether Canada should participate in the development or operation of the multibillion-dollar program, said Ottawa would remain a close ally of Washington in the fight against global terrorism and continental security.
He said he intended to talk to President Bush (news - web sites) later Thursday and that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice (news - web sites) had been informed of the decision earlier this week.
A State Department official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the United States had been informed beforehand of the decision, adding that Washington expects that cooperation with Canada will continue on a wide variety of issues.
Talking to reporters several minutes after his foreign minister first announced the move in the House of Commons, Martin said Canada would instead focus on strengthening its own military and defense in proposals laid out Wednesday in the federal budget.
"Canada recognizes the enormous burden that the United States shoulders, when it comes to international peace and security," Martin said. "The substantial increases made yesterday to our defense budget are a tangible indication that Canada intends to carry its full share of that responsibility."
The federal budget presented to the House of Commons calls for $10.5 billion in the next five years to increase the country's beleaguered armed forces including an additional 5,000 soldiers and 3,000 reservists the largest commitment to defense in two decades. It also called for another $807,950 to improve Canada's anti-terrorism efforts and security along the unarmed, 4,000-mile border with the United States.
When Bush visited Canada in December, he surprised Ottawa by making several unsolicited pitches for support of the defense shield, which is in the midst of testing interceptors capable of destroying incoming missiles targeted at North America.
Martin, who leads a tenuous minority government, has said Ottawa would not support what he called the "weaponization of space." Though he initially supported joining the program when he was a candidate for the Liberal leadership, Martin has retreated, since polls indicate that a majority of Canadians oppose it. Many believe that the umbrella, when fully implemented, could lead to an international arms race.
The Bush administration has tried to make a public show of understanding that Martin heads up a minority government that could fall over such a contentious debate.
But U.S. Ambassador Paul Cellucci told reporters Wednesday that he was perplexed over Canada's apparent decision to allow Washington to make the decision if a missile was headed toward its territory.
"Why would you want to give up sovereignty?" he said. "We don't get it. We think Canada would want to be in the room deciding what to do about an incoming missile that might be heading toward Canada."
You have to follow their logic, its our fault no matter what.
1. Nothing happens: US wasted money on program
2. We don't build/get attacked: We provoked our enemies/were negligent in defense
3. We build/get attacked:If you didn't build you wouldn't be attacked.
and so on.
our northern neighbors are self-distructing - not because of this particular issue, but because they will do anything to be "Not-American" even if it is against their own self interest.,P>talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face......
They know they will benefit from SDI through proximity to the US. Their defense is a shell of its once former self through the same reasoning.
A mere pittance.
Socialist countries can't survive without the umbrella of the US military. They divert any money that would have been spent on their military into their bloated social programs.
Great job of summing up how our neighbors up north think.
.....Hmmmmmmmm.....
NORAD to close down?
Why would Canada opt in? Seriously. They can get a 100% free ride on this as they know that if an ICBM comes their way, the US will shoot it down regardless.
OK
Bye
FMCDH(BITS)
It was Ronald Reagan's insistence on building a defensive missile shield that sucked the Soviet Union into a defensive arms race that their economy could not support, resulting in the fall of Soviet Communism.
The Canucks will never forgive us for that.
Canada probably thinks it can 'opt in' at any time.
Paul Martin, "Rebel Without a Clue"
He's desperately searching for some controversy to take folks minds off what a crummy job he's doing.
No sweat, we just fight the war (battle?) on Canadian soil rather than try to protect Canada.
Canada might as well let Saddam run it like he did in South Park.
Does this mean that we can let a missle through if it is going to land in Canada and not the U.S.?
I guess the Cannucks won't mind if a terrorist nuke shot down by a US based defense sheild falls on Canada.
Canada is not pulling out of NORAD, and the government signed onto having NORAD manage the monitoring very quietly last fall...we are involved despite what Martin says now. Same deal with Iraq...all Canadian troops that were exercising or training with U.S. and British troops stayed with those untis when they deployed and our ships managed (and still do) security in the Gulf waters off Iraq (they were already there). Idiots in Ottawa just want to play to their base and in doing so run the very real risk of totally messing up all other aspects of our relationship with America.
I hate our government, have never voted for this bozo party as long as I've been voting, and this absolutely guarantees I never will, regardless of the quality of their candidates or lack thereof of a Conservative candidate. I'm so mad over this I could spit.
You're quite right. They continue to thumb their nose at the US, don't have to pay a dime for anything, plus freeload on the US missile shield. They'll rush south over the border, though, if Canada's targeted and the US shield is successful.
What do they care? There's nothing there worth blowing up....
The reason is we need to make use of some of what are presently their Northernmost territories to place radar sites.
They can do whatever they wish regarding any other nation, but they are on our border and what they do or don't do is always our business.
It's long overdue to set those people straight on the matter.
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