T
the patriot
Guest
February 23, 2001
PM backpedals on missile plan
British ‘baffled‘ by Chrétien‘s suggestion NATO, Russia, China could veto U.S. shield
Justine Hunter
National Post
OTTAWA - Jean Chrétien yesterday played down earlier remarks made to Parliament that the U.S. President had told him his administration would not proceed on its controversial missile defence plan if there is significant opposition within NATO and from Russia and China.
Officials travelling with Tony Blair, the British Prime Minister, who was making a short stop in Ottawa before travelling on to Washington, said they were "baffled" at comments made by Mr. Chrétien in the House of Commons on Wednesday in response to questions on the missile defence shield by Alexa McDonough, the leader of the New Democrats.
Mr. Chrétien told Parliament: "We have discussed [missile defence] with the Americans who have decided they will not proceed if it will cause a lot of problems for NATO and they cannot find an arrangement with the Chinese and the Russians."
The missile defence plan is expected to be a key issue under discussion when Mr. Blair meets George W. Bush in Washington today.
Speaking yesterday at a news conference with Mr. Blair, Mr. Chrétien told reporters he was not suggesting key opponents of the plan -- Russia and China -- would hold what amounted to a veto on deployment of the controversial defence plan, which critics have argued will violate existing treaties on nuclear missile limitation.
Mr. Chrétien said that what he was insisting on is that the United States hold intense consultations with NATO members. The compliance of those members is important, he asserted.
Referring to his comments in the Commons, Mr. Chrétien said: "What I said is that they have promised they will engage in meaningful negotiations and discussions with us ... and the Russians and the Chinese. Of course it will be eventually a decision of the American administration.
"But we are insisting that they have a discussion with us because we don‘t want this situation to develop into a situation that could cause many big problems within NATO."
Mr. Chrétien discussed the matter two weeks ago in his first face-to-face meeting with the new U.S. President and appeared to disclose a new stance by Mr. Bush.
"It is our position that they have to discuss with everybody and if they want to discuss with everybody, we will not say no before a discussion. In a discussion we have to listen first."
Last December, Mr. Chrétien met with Vladimir Putin, the Russian President, who attempted to enlist the Prime Minister as a mediator to help persuade Mr. Bush to abandon plans for the defence shield, warning it would "damage significantly the established system of international security."
Speaking to a special joint session of Parliament yesterday, Mr. Blair made no reference to the missile defence plan, but rather urged Canada to help him "break the log-jam" that is impeding better trading relations between the European Union and North America.
Mr. Blair called on proponents of free trade to take on "misguided" critics who have dominated the agenda with their protests at world trade meetings.
"It‘s time we started to argue vigorously and clearly as to why free trade is right. It‘s the key to jobs for our people, prosperity and to development in the poorest parts of the world," Mr. Blair said.
"The case against it is misguided and, worse, unfair. However sincere the protests, they cannot be allowed to stand in the way of rational argument."
The Labour Party leader‘s comments were poorly received on the NDP benches -- the New Democrats are trying to align themselves with anti-globalization protests -- and brought a swift response from the Canadian Labour Congress.
Ken Georgetti, president of the CLC, who watched the speech from the spectator‘s gallery, said he was stunned by Mr. Blair‘s remarks.
"Prime Minister Blair fails to understand that people protest because they do not receive any benefits from these trade agreements, quite the contrary very often," he stated in a news release.
Mr. Blair, who was in Canada for a 24-hour visit before travelling to Washington to meet Mr. Bush, told the House trade relations between the EU and North America are "not as they should be."
After chronicling past failed initiatives to establish a transAtlantic free trade zone, he urged the Canadian parliament to help him secure a political declaration of intent on trade linking the EU with the North American Free Trade Agreement. "Ninety-eight per cent of our trade is trouble-free. We cannot allow the remaining two per cent to sour trading relations in the way it has."
He vowed to pursue an opportunity to break the log-jam at the next meeting of the EU, to be held in Sweden in June.
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-the patriot-
PM backpedals on missile plan
British ‘baffled‘ by Chrétien‘s suggestion NATO, Russia, China could veto U.S. shield
Justine Hunter
National Post
OTTAWA - Jean Chrétien yesterday played down earlier remarks made to Parliament that the U.S. President had told him his administration would not proceed on its controversial missile defence plan if there is significant opposition within NATO and from Russia and China.
Officials travelling with Tony Blair, the British Prime Minister, who was making a short stop in Ottawa before travelling on to Washington, said they were "baffled" at comments made by Mr. Chrétien in the House of Commons on Wednesday in response to questions on the missile defence shield by Alexa McDonough, the leader of the New Democrats.
Mr. Chrétien told Parliament: "We have discussed [missile defence] with the Americans who have decided they will not proceed if it will cause a lot of problems for NATO and they cannot find an arrangement with the Chinese and the Russians."
The missile defence plan is expected to be a key issue under discussion when Mr. Blair meets George W. Bush in Washington today.
Speaking yesterday at a news conference with Mr. Blair, Mr. Chrétien told reporters he was not suggesting key opponents of the plan -- Russia and China -- would hold what amounted to a veto on deployment of the controversial defence plan, which critics have argued will violate existing treaties on nuclear missile limitation.
Mr. Chrétien said that what he was insisting on is that the United States hold intense consultations with NATO members. The compliance of those members is important, he asserted.
Referring to his comments in the Commons, Mr. Chrétien said: "What I said is that they have promised they will engage in meaningful negotiations and discussions with us ... and the Russians and the Chinese. Of course it will be eventually a decision of the American administration.
"But we are insisting that they have a discussion with us because we don‘t want this situation to develop into a situation that could cause many big problems within NATO."
Mr. Chrétien discussed the matter two weeks ago in his first face-to-face meeting with the new U.S. President and appeared to disclose a new stance by Mr. Bush.
"It is our position that they have to discuss with everybody and if they want to discuss with everybody, we will not say no before a discussion. In a discussion we have to listen first."
Last December, Mr. Chrétien met with Vladimir Putin, the Russian President, who attempted to enlist the Prime Minister as a mediator to help persuade Mr. Bush to abandon plans for the defence shield, warning it would "damage significantly the established system of international security."
Speaking to a special joint session of Parliament yesterday, Mr. Blair made no reference to the missile defence plan, but rather urged Canada to help him "break the log-jam" that is impeding better trading relations between the European Union and North America.
Mr. Blair called on proponents of free trade to take on "misguided" critics who have dominated the agenda with their protests at world trade meetings.
"It‘s time we started to argue vigorously and clearly as to why free trade is right. It‘s the key to jobs for our people, prosperity and to development in the poorest parts of the world," Mr. Blair said.
"The case against it is misguided and, worse, unfair. However sincere the protests, they cannot be allowed to stand in the way of rational argument."
The Labour Party leader‘s comments were poorly received on the NDP benches -- the New Democrats are trying to align themselves with anti-globalization protests -- and brought a swift response from the Canadian Labour Congress.
Ken Georgetti, president of the CLC, who watched the speech from the spectator‘s gallery, said he was stunned by Mr. Blair‘s remarks.
"Prime Minister Blair fails to understand that people protest because they do not receive any benefits from these trade agreements, quite the contrary very often," he stated in a news release.
Mr. Blair, who was in Canada for a 24-hour visit before travelling to Washington to meet Mr. Bush, told the House trade relations between the EU and North America are "not as they should be."
After chronicling past failed initiatives to establish a transAtlantic free trade zone, he urged the Canadian parliament to help him secure a political declaration of intent on trade linking the EU with the North American Free Trade Agreement. "Ninety-eight per cent of our trade is trouble-free. We cannot allow the remaining two per cent to sour trading relations in the way it has."
He vowed to pursue an opportunity to break the log-jam at the next meeting of the EU, to be held in Sweden in June.
***********************************
-the patriot-
That might work! We need new equipment/machines!
