Sorry folks but old Jean tends to shame us...ship's and folks are over there but we are only allowed to fart at the infidels...that might work as long as we feed the boys/gals lobster and garlic..
So, war it is. Well, for some but not for others -- like Canada. But that''s not entirely accurate either. I dare say the 700 Canadian Forces personnel in the Iraqi theatre of operations, the majority of whom are on board our three frigates in the Persian Gulf, are taking small consolation from the statements of the Prime Minister that we are only at war with the terrorists and not with Saddam. If one were jaded one might ask if Canada has convinced the Iraqis and al-Qaeda to colour-code their weapons and munitions so our folks will know which bombs, boats and missiles they must legally ignore if they are displaying Iraqi colours. How, in God''s name, did we get ourselves in this position?
It''s one thing to make a bad decision in the long-term interests of the country, but to compound it with inaccurate, and in some cases outrageous, justifications is downright hypocritical.
During the past few months, on a daily basis, the Prime Minister assured the media and the public that Canada''s position on any possible war with Iraq was clear and unchanged. Unfortunately, and presumably intentionally, he clouded the issue by stating that Canada would only participate under the authority of a UN resolution while at the same time acknowledging, on a number of occasions, that the UN''s Resolution 1441, dated Nov. 7, 2002, would legitimize the use of force if need be. As speculation grew over the United States, Britain and Spain seeking the Security Council''s approval of a second resolution authorizing (for the second time in a row), the use of force in response to Iraq''s non-compliance, the Prime Minister detected a way to preclude Canada''s participation in any "coalition of the willing." Committed to participate in any war under the provisions of 1441 because of his own public pronouncements of support, he decided that the U.S./British/Spanish second resolution would trump 1441. The problem was that the second resolution was never presented to the Council for a vote and therefore never took effect. That "minor" procedural detail did not deter the PM from declaring, with surprising sincerity, that the Security Council had not authorized the use of force and therefore as loyal supporters of multilateral decision-making, Canada could not participate in any war. It is relevant to recall paragraph 13 of Resolution 1441 which states, "[The Security Council] Recalls, in that context, that the Council has repeatedly warned Iraq that it will face serious consequences as a result of its continued violations of its obligations." Resolution 1441 still stands and Canada, in accordance with the previous utterances by its leadership, is morally obliged to participate no matter how modest our actual contribution might be. For the PM to suggest, ad nauseam, that the Security Council has not authorized the use of force is to conveniently ignore reality.
Yet another major chink in the PM''s argument for hiding behind the UN''s skirt was his decision to ignore the wishes of the Security Council when it came to NATO''s bombing of Serbia/Kosovo in 1999. Faced with the distinct possibility of a veto precluding the passage of any Security Council resolution authorizing the use of force, Canada joined the "coalition of the willing" and proceeded to bomb a sovereign nation anyway. Did the former Yugoslavia pose more of a threat to international peace and security in 1999 than Iraq does today? Hardly. Mind you, in this regard the has some company -- questionable as it might be. Robin Cook, the government house leader in British Prime Minister Tony Blair''s government has announced his resignation indicating that war with Iraq, without UN authorization, is illegal. This comment comes from the same individual who was one of, if not the major, cheerleader during the aforementioned non-UN authorized bombing of Serbia.
At times of crisis political leadership should not qualify as an oxymoron. It''s not good enough to check which way the political wind is blowing and compliantly bend in that direction. If we are going to fabricate and adjust the facts to justify polls-driven foreign policy, perhaps its time to finally admit that our modest yet important Canadian influence on the international stage is now fading to a fond memory of times past.
Maj-Gen. Lewis MacKenzie, now retired,commanded UN troops during the Bosnian civil war of 1992.
