PM says Canada will not fight in Iraq

CBC News ^ | 3/17/03

[areafiftyone]

OTTAWA -

Prime Minister Jean Chrétien said Monday that Canada will not go to war against Iraq.

He said the government would only support military action if there were a United Nations Security Council resolution, and the Council backers of an attack decided Monday to withdraw their resolution.

Without a resolution, "Canada will not participate," Chrétien said to cheers in Parliament.

The U.S. and Britain, which has been seeking suport for the resolution, withdrew it when it became clear that it did not have enough backing to pass.

[laconic]

What will we do without Sgt. Preston, Dudley Do-right and Robert Charlebois? Hey?

[Timesink]

No offense, but I can't think of anything that would possibly qualify less for Breaking News than the Canadians making reference to their decades-long doctrine of "hide-behind-America's-back."

[jriemer]

Here's another analogy:

If you want to go to the hockey finals but you don't have the tickets and someone didn't purchase them for you, you'll have to watch the game on TV like everyone else.

[DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet]

But if Canada wins, Saddam will have his team's goalie arrested and beaten to death with a bucket of pucks.

[FreeCanuckistan]

"I wonder if Canada were attacked if he'd still wait for UN approval?"

Nope

He'd come and grovel at your feet for help....because we are near defense-less, with an underfunded army of 60,000 troops.

That's right! 60,000 GI's.....they'd be hard-pressed to fight their way out of a drunk and disorderly 'Rose Bowl' crowd.

[The Wizard]

french ain't he???

[Praxeologue]

I thought Chretien had some smarts for a second when he mulled re-assigning three destroyers already in the Gulf on the anti-terrorism detail. He had the opportunity to be even more duplicitous than the French.

Mais non!

He's a dolt. He can only read which way today's wind is blowing.

Blair's instincts tell him he will prevail politically in the end, when the operation is successful. Chretien is short-sighted with a deep anti-American streak.

After Iraq is cleaned up, Canada will go into sustained suck-up mode to the U.S., their natural posture. It will see some results, but nothing to what they could have had.

For two English-speaking nations, it will have been a tale of two leaders: Blair will have represented his people well; Chretien will have done permanent damage to his nation through short-sightedness and his irrational dislike of Americans learned at the knee of his mentor Pierre Trudeau.

[MississippiMan]

MegaBarf Alert!!!

[Doug Loss]

You know, I generally like Canadians. They're usually quiet, polite ciphers who are more concerned about not giving offense than anything else. And you have to admit, it's kind of cute when they screw up their faces and throw these little tantrums...

[midwestmidnight]

It was announced today that Canada is willing to support the
United States in its war against terrorism. They have agreed
to send 2 of their largest battleships, 6000 of their finest
troops and 60 fighter jets.

However, after the exchange rate, it comes out to a canoe,
2 Mounties and a flying squirrel.

Just trying to save their assets!

[BlueLancer]

"What will we do without Sgt. Preston, Dudley Do-right and Robert Charlebois? Hey?"

Not to mention Blacque Jacques Shellacque!

[Brian Allen]

<< I wonder if Canada were attacked if he'd still wait for un approval? >>

No.

But when it is, we will.

[rs79bm]

Without a resolution, "Canada will not participate," Chrétien said to cheers in Parliament.

Good grief they've got nothing to participate anyway, so what's the big deal. That's not necessarily a knock to the Canadiens, but let's face it, they spend more money on hockey rinks than they do on the military.

[Cuttnhorse]

Canada has reduced itself to the sweetheart standing on the platform waving her hanky as the troop train pulls out of the station.

[onehipdad]

I say let the boycott of Quebec begin -

but please don't punish the good people and businesses of BC and Alberta - both are marvelously wonderful vacation destinations!

[gridlock]

I can hear them in the Pentagon War Room now: "Oh No! The Canadian's aren't going to send troops! The campaign is doomed! Better pull out now, rather than risk going forward without the Canadians on board!"

[AxelPaulsenJr]

They only have one man in their army, and he is away on medical marijuana leave.

[Fury]

Canada has reduced itself to the sweetheart standing on the platform waving her hanky as the troop train pulls out of the station.

A far cry from the Canadians in WWI. They were incredible troops. Read "Generals Die in Bed" by Harrison for a description of an enlisted man's life in WWI.

[Centurion2000]

Prime Minister Jean Chrétien said Monday that Canada will not go to war against Iraq.

Oops .... there goes NAFTA

[b4its2late]

Good. They're usually in the way anyways.