National Missile Defense in Canada
From Biocrawler, the free encyclopedia.
In Canada, there is a heated debate over participation in the U.S. missile defense program. Many Canadians feel that the program will do great damage to international peace and security by creating a new arms race among great powers. This viewpoint is shared by many who fear the increasingly aggressive U.S. foreign policy under George W. Bush, and who resent the suggestion that Canada may not have an independent foreign policy. In his visit to Canada shortly after his victory in the U.S. election, President Bush surprised Prime Minister Paul Martin by making a speech calling on Canada to join the program (and invoking the memory of W.L. Mackenzie King's response to Nazi Germany).
For several years, the Canadian Department of National Defence has been quietly favourable to participation in the program, largely because it wishes to retain the current level of Canadian involvement in North American Air Defense. Indeed, there is a widespread feeling in Canada that failure to participate in the program will mean being shut out of American defense planning, something that would not be in the Canadian national interest. Others fear that rejection of the plan will lead to a cooling of Canada-U.S. relations, and might even lead to reprisals of some sort. Thus, while some people in the country are unsure about the viability of the system, many support joining for diplomatic reasons. Staunch opponents reply that Canada must have the courage to oppose actions of its ally even if this decision has some negative consequences. They contend that it is important for Canada to reestablish its voice in the international arena by pushing for global disarmament and a revitalization of the United Nations.
On 24 February, 2005, Foreign Affairs Minister Pierre Pettigrew announced Canada would not be joining the United States' missile defence program. Pettigrew cited Canadian independence from Washington and sound policy principles as principle factors for rejecting the program.
External Links
- Feb. 24 2005 Announcement (http://www.canada.com/national/story.html?id=0a6c1117-8b03-472a-bf2a-1a1728b12ca6)
- National Missile Defense and Canada (http://www.geocities.com/afonseca/BMD.htm) An archive of excerpted documents pertaining to NMD with a strong focus on Canada.
