After much speculation.. looks like it's official

taken from the Globe and Mail:

Canada will refuse any further participation in the controversial missile defence shield the United States is building.

Foreign Affairs Minister Pierre Pettigrew made the decision public Thursday after months of equivocating by the Liberal government.

The announcement came only days after Frank McKenna, the next ambassador to the United States, set off a political storm by saying that Canada is already participating in the missile shield. He said that an amendment to NORAD, the continental joint air-defence pact, meant that Canada's de facto participation had begun.

In response, Defence Minister Bill Graham insisted that nothing had changed and that a decision was forthcoming.

A number of senior government sources have recently told reporters in The Globe's Ottawa bureau that the federal government felt that the deep unpopularity of missile defence among Canadians made further participation a non-starter.

The minority Liberals could have easily lost if missile defence had come to a vote in the House of Commons.

globe and mail article


I personally haven't always been a fan of the liberals in recent years, but I must say I am proud both Chrétien and Martin didn't cave in to American pressure both for Iraq, and now this. Curious to hear any american gov reaction to it. Nothing on CNN presently aside from the fact we were debating the issue.

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BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. Man i was pro missile defence

i don't understand what ppl are against here.

Al the americans wants, if for us to let the put patriot missiles and early warning systems in our territory.

they pay. not us

what the hell is wrong with a free security system
especially when it draws american favor in our direction and helps our trade in the long run. IE. Soft lumber and cattle.

Someone explain to me why is it that Canada is so against this freeby

I think the failure of our goverment to properly educate ppl on this subject, and our media's complete dispize of anything american played and part in this.

To me this makes us no better then american's
where letting the media control what we do.

Im not exactly a pro USA person here. I fact i down right dislike the United State(primairly for their current goverment and southern hick, the rest is ok). But to boycot a project which cost us nothing but gives us benifist in return just to says to our neibourgh, we are independed. that's just childish

quote:

Originally posted by Mike_B I think the failure of our goverment to properly educate ppl on this subject

I agree with you on this. I think there needs to be a national discussion on exactly what and how we are going to be involved. It's not over by any means.. I don't think this no is a definite no, just 'not now'.
But I also don't believe the Americans ever do anything for *FREE*, and there is a price Canada will pay whether we are 'officially' involved or not.

I would probably warm up to the idea a little more though if they can actually test it successfully! 75 million US a pop gets a bit pricey for a project that has already cost more than 50 BILLION to date.

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Bravo Mike!
Enfin quelqu'un qui réfléchit, ici!

Le bouclier était là pour nous!
Rien à payer!

Les conservateurs... on rêve à ça...

First, its because the defense system is fundamentally uncessary and unuseful.

Second, it would cost nothing to Canada, but they (USA) would have increased their leverage on us

"We gave you a free defense system few years ago, its payback now. Join the invasion coalition against Iran and North Korea."

How a muppet like Martin will say no in such conditions ?

non mais on s'en fou anyway
même si ils nous demandent de les aider en Iran ou en Corée du Nord, notre armé est tellement minable que dans le fond notre appui y sen foutent juste royalement.

On a perdu l'occasion de refaire les liens avec notre meilleurs allier...
Je suis déçu

quote:

Originally posted by RazerYokes First, its because the defense system is fundamentally uncessary and unuseful. Second, it would cost nothing to Canada, but they (USA) would have increased their leverage on us "We gave you a free defense system few years ago, its payback now. Join the invasion coalition against Iran and North Korea." How a muppet like Martin will say no in such conditions ?

i understand that we don't really need it. but that is not the point

what you're saying the american are gonna say once again is completly off. no the americans will not say that. Because
A. they are not giving us anything, they are just putting their systems and their men on our soil. B. we are giving them something, a place the put their men and defense system to complete their sheilf.

so in fact the rolls would be quite reverse. they would owe us something.

therefore we could ask to take off bans on things like lumber etc.

Missiles defence is good for our leverage on the americans

its us doing a favor for them, not the other way around

Ouais, c'est pas un dossier facile à comprendre.

Faut dire aussi que le Canada est reconnu à travers le monde pour être un pays pacifiste et en paix.

Il n'a pas réellement de pays qui n'aiment pas le Canada. Beaucoup de gens à travers le monde veulent déménager au Canada.

Pourquoi le pays devrait se bâtir un système de défence??

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sure we need something to leverage against them, because even when intl courts rule that the softwood ban is illegal, the US wont pay attention.

but to bargain with ideals like this isnt right. Well maybe if it is you want to be closed minded, but them doing this will be a needed step in the weaponizatino of space, something nobody wants.

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bah when it comes to warfare missile defense is useless. honestly nobody on the planet uses cross-continentle missiles. all the supper powers that have access to these would never use them and north korea that may have nuke sure doesn't have to cabability to deliver them accross the ocean.

regardless of that. almost all power on the nation these days no longer fight with simple man power and weapons, the greatest war on this planet right now is an economic stuggle. Only little defenceless country like afganistan get crushed.

So using the american urge for a missile defence to our advantage is in no way wrong. Its just an economic strategy

let them build it
and lets reap the benefits

koreans are said to have missiles that can reach the west coast of the USA. Not know if those missiles are the same ones that can carry a nuclear warhead.

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