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."
Geez, I'm no expert, but just at a common sense level, considering the amount of territory Canada controls near polar missle paths, you'd think that the inability to base missle defense resources in Canada would make it more likely that they'd have to be space based.
Not that leftists ever care about the actual results of their policies. It's always about superficial symbolism and (phony, posturing) intent.
We've got some 'Rats down here headed your way because they'd rather get raped by the taxman than live with Bush as their president. Maybe you could trade places? We'd love to have ya.
you don´t need Northern territories to spy on us - you have a large facility right now in Rhineland-Palatinate, capable to tap electronically all phone talks and scan almost all e-mails for special word combinations.How effective do you suppose those 'facilities' are on terrestrially-located fiber optic cables and the like (T-spans and E-spans as categorized in Europe)?
Geesh ... just come right out and say it: "I believe in the power of fairy dust too."
Actually... I don't usually read long posts. However, yours was excellent and well worth it.
YUP !!!
Add....
If the US wasn't a capitalist/military/industrial complex we wouldn't even be thinking about war and then we wouldn't have any need for weapons cause no one else would get the idea to be militaristic.(again, our fault)
If I were President I would publicly declare that incoming missles to Canada would NOT be shot down and that they are either with us or against us in this regard. What are they going to say then? Enough of this phoney diplomacy crap with Bush groveling around in Europe and now this.
From: http://www.forces.gc.ca/site/focus/canada-us/bg00.010_e.asp
In particular, see the section on "North Warning System" detailing 11 long-range radars in Canada and 36 short-range radars in Canada along the northern edge of North America.
Partial excerpt:
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
NORAD
Background
The North American Aerospace Defence Command (NORAD) is a binational military organization formally established in 1958 by Canada and the United States to monitor and defend North American airspace. NORAD monitors and tracks man-made objects in space and detects, validates and warns of attack against North America by aircraft, missiles or space vehicles. NORAD also provides surveillance and control of the airspace of Canada and the United States.
The NORAD Agreement was first signed by the governments of Canada and the United States on May 12, 1958, and has been renewed for varying periods since that time. Although there have been eight NORAD renewals since 1958, the basic text of the Agreement has been revised substantially only three times -- in 1975, 1981 and 1996.
The Commander-in-Chief of NORAD is appointed by, and is responsible to, both the Prime Minister of Canada and the President of the United States. Headquarters NORAD is located at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado Springs, Colorado. NORAD command and control is exercised through the Cheyenne Mountain Operations Center, located a short distance away. Cheyenne Mountain serves as a central collection and coordination facility for a worldwide system of sensors designed to provide NORAD with an accurate picture of any aerospace threat.
Operations
NORAD uses a network of ground-based radars, sensors and fighter jets to detect, intercept and, if necessary, engage any threats to the continent. These fighters consist of Canadian CF-18s and U.S. F-15s and F-16s. NORAD also receives surveillance data from the U.S. Space Command on potential threats from outer space.
Canadian NORAD Region
NORAD's surveillance and control responsibility for North American airspace is divided among three NORAD Regions -- one in Canada, one in the continental United States and one in Alaska. Data from radars and sensors based in Canada are compiled and analyzed at an underground complex located at Canadian Forces Base North Bay, Ontario, then forwarded to Canadian NORAD Region Headquarters at CFB Winnipeg, and the NORAD command and control centre in Colorado, as necessary.
North Warning System
The North Warning System (NWS) provides surveillance of potential attack routes via Arctic airspace. The NWS consists of 15 long-range radars (11 in Canada, four in Alaska) and 39 short-range radars (36 in Canada, three in Alaska) along the northern edge of North America.
The state-of-the-art radars form a 4,800-Km-long and 320 Km-wide "tripwire" stretching from Alaska to Newfoundland.
"1 million troops in WWI from a nation of only 10 million"
Okay, if I'm going to use the bandwidth, I'll look into it and finish. ------------------------------------------------
Over 600,000 Canadians enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) during the First World War (1914-1918).
Source: http://www.collectionscanada.ca/02/020106_e.html
Sorry 'bout that all :- /
Moscow on the Hudson (bay)
Canada doesn't want to spend any money on their Military or defense because they know the U.S. will defend them no matter what.
I hate it here in Canada. This last decision by Martin has succeeded in nauseating and infuriating me. Of course, the fact that 90% of the population is anti-BMD here in Vancouver doesn't help either.
I gotta move. Maybe to Alberta.
Dude... that was some inspired stuff. Nicely done.
Okay, Canada. Until your citizens come to their senses and change their spokesmen we really don't have much to talk about, eh?
Canada will have a different government sometime soon.
The Canadian budget of a few days ago put substantially more money into the military. Why? Because the Canadian people want to.
Another government will sign on to the missile defence system in short order.
The problem is there is minority government in place right now and a radical left-wing party doesn't want the system. To keep them happy, while not giving them anything else, the government has publicly stated it won't be part of the system, while behind-the-scenes, Canada will fully support it.
Come on over! We'll swap one of my Boston neighbors for ya.
What they've opted out of is helping to pay for it. They will be protected by it whether they pay for it or not.
What are Canadians anyway? Their identity is derived from their proximity to the USA.
1) So, your thery is that Canada has no right to decide what it will do with Canadian territory ?
RE: "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."
Scratch that last part. What the article should read is "...but please Canadians (especially those in the more French-"cultured" regions) who fear that such a shield could lead to having to take a stand on tough matters of national security without relying solely on the U.S. to swoop in and save Canada'a sorry butt in the increasingly likely event that the Islamo-terrorists attack. Polls consistently show over 70% of Canadians are afraid of growing balls and actually want their beloved homecountry to fall under the charge of the growing Islamic population. Evil U.S. imperialists call this Dhimmitude, but what do they know?" -signed the Ottowa Times or whatever.
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