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Canada's decision not to join Iraq war vindicated: Chretien

G

ganjavih

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If there's one thing I respect Chretien for, it is for staying out of this colonial adventure.

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Chretien suggests Canada's decision not to join Iraq war vindicated

LOUISE ELLIOTT
Canadian Press

Thursday, May 22, 2003
OTTAWA (CP) - Canada's decision not to join the war in Iraq has been vindicated by the U.S. failure to uncover weapons of mass destruction, Prime Minister Jean Chretien suggested Thursday.

"They didn't find (weapons of mass destruction in Iraq) so far, and we did not participate either, so it is for the people to pass a judgment, it is not for me," he said at a news conference.

He quickly added, "I was of the view that there was a need for more time."

Chretien, who said Canada would consider going to war only if a United Nations mandate was drafted and another deadline set, said other countries tipped the balance.

He said Americans and others in the coalition - which included Britain - were not "flexible" enough to allow a peaceful resolution.

"Perhaps if there had been a bit more flexibility not only on the part of Americans, but others, we might have succeeded, but we have done our best," he said.

U.S. President George W. Bush repeatedly argued that it was necessary to go to war without a UN mandate, charging Saddam Hussein's regime was hiding chemical and biological weapons and a nuclear arms program from UN weapons inspectors.

Chretien maintained the conflict and the resulting occupation of Iraq weren't Canada's normal way of doing business.

"Of course, the departure of Saddam Hussein, we are not unhappy about it, but it was not the normal way to change a regime there, and that was the position of the Canadian government and it's still the same."

Earlier this week, U.S. weapons teams began inspecting the dormant Tuwaitha plant, once considered the heart of Iraq's nuclear program, which has not been operational for years.

The Americans claim Iraqis had been using it to store declared nuclear materials that were prohibited and sealed by the UN nuclear agency.

By the time weapons teams showed up to inspect the facility, so much had been destroyed that it was impossible to know what was missing.

Approval to lift sanctions imposed on Iraq since Saddam Hussein's regime invaded Kuwait in 1990 was granted Thursday in a UN Security Council vote.

The punitive trade measures were technically not allowed to be lifted until weapons inspectors declared Iraq free of weapons of mass destruction.

But the U.S. has refused to let UN teams return to Iraq, deploying its own inspectors instead. No evidence has been uncovered so far.

The resolution lifts economic sanctions without certification from UN inspectors, but it reaffirms "that Iraq must meet its disarmament obligations" and says the council will discuss the mandates of the UN inspectors later.

© Copyright 2003 The Canadian Press
 
Re: Canada's decision not to join Iraq war vindicated: Chret

Bogtrotter, I would like to hear what you mean when you say you are a die hard capitalist. What do you support, specifically?

As for the war, I didn't support it with WMD used as the predicate. I did support the removal of Houssein. Ultimately, Iraq will be better for it. I can only hope that democracy manages to survive there.
 
Re: Canada's decision not to join Iraq war vindicated: Chret

I'm very much an investor of capital, having a major financial and personal investment in free enterprise. Personally I think there are a lot of people who place their pocketbooks first. I won't support a governemt that has to lie in order to bring about a desired conclusion. The people of the wordld decide whether its right or not. There are peple dying there that is for sure, and the majority of Iraqis don't want the west there-that is a fact. It is is also a fact that tens of thousands of iraqis have died (including women and children) because of direct american invasion. Ultimately- whether Iraq itself is better off now than before is not really known.
 
Re: Canada's decision not to join Iraq war vindicated: Chret

'vindicated' :lol We were never in the wrong- it was the right decision then and its the right one now.
 
Re: Canada's decision not to join Iraq war vindicated: Chret

Well you wouldn't think that if you asked the Conservatives or the Americans...
 
Re: Canada's decision not to join Iraq war vindicated: Chret

Dude- i have voted conservative in the past. I'm a die-hard capitalist to the core. But I will NEVER subscribe to a war that did not provide acceptable proof for such massive destruction and death. I have three university degrees, my father is a british historian on US-Lion relations. Its a ****ed up region to be sure and Saddam was a brutal moron that did indeed kill thousands- but that was never on the table for a western invasion of the country. The US supported his actions inthe past (knowing full well he was an animal) The sole issue here is WMD- and as all sensible people suspected (as did most britons, aussies, canucks for that matter) these weapons never existed. The agenda here is doing what is right morally-not what is best for your country-and most people one would hope. You don't invade and kill thousands of people on a false pretense. If the conservatives in canada (Harper and other Bush apologists per eg) and the right wing faction of US society wanted a legit reason for invading- er here's a hint..tell the truth. The world will decide whether its right. I vote both ways dude- but this stuff the Bush admin gave on iraq is complete and total crap.
 
Re: Canada's decision not to join Iraq war vindicated: Chret

Being a capitalist doesn't mean being right wing...
 
Re: Canada's decision not to join Iraq war vindicated: Chret

ok- thanks for clarifying that.
 
Re: Canada's decision not to join Iraq war vindicated: Chret

Sorry, I wasn't trying to be pedantic.

I get annoyed when people call themselves or others capitalists as if it were synonymous with being right-wing.
 
Re: Canada's decision not to join Iraq war vindicated: Chret

Good 2 see that no one here will vote Harper into power ;)
 
Re: Canada's decision not to join Iraq war vindicated: Chret

Indeed the use of the term was not accurate- point taken :cheers:
 
Re: Canada's decision not to join Iraq war vindicated: Chret

Speaking of right wing, I took a look at that new Ezra Levant magazine, the Western Standard... the new voice for neo-con Western Canadians. What a piece of shit... flip through it some time, it's actually quite offensive to normal people. I never had any intention of voting Conservative but after seeing how closely related the party is with this "antidote to the CBC" rag, there's no doubt anymore.
 
Re: Canada's decision not to join Iraq war vindicated: Chret

yeah, they are interesting bunch. a bunch of religious fanatics hiding behind the tag of 'conservatism'.

harper guy says his party is libertarian. quite the opposite. a bunch of farmers who believe in supremacy of their beliefs is far from libertarianism. check this out, emails between a real libertarian vs. the wanna be religious fanatics:

"We also ignore the rights of children, who are entitled to the best we can offer – a mother and father. I’m skeptical about the state but serious about marriage." :rollin THINK OF THE CHILDREN!

www.westernstandard.ca/we...ticle_id=3
 
Never say never with this government, looks like we're going into Iraq after all.

http://www.thestar.com/news/world/2014/09/05/canada_joins_battle_against_islamic_state.html

Canada’s initial deployment will be small and limited in scope — some 50 to 100 elite soldiers tasked to provide “critical advice to forces in northern Iraq as they continue to hold back the terrorist advance,” Prime Minister Stephen Harper told reporters.
Canadian troops will not engage in direct combat and the mission will be reviewed after 30 days, Harper said. But as other coalition partners announced their involvement, laying out a longer timeline of as much as three years aimed at eradicating the fledgling Islamic State, Harper hinted Canadian troops could become more involved.
 

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