Readers here won’t exactly be sitting on the edge of seat to find out what I think about the quivering, stammering display of Prime Ministerial followship in cowing to anti-Americanism in Ontario and Quebec by turning down Canada’s participation in ballistic missile defense.
The Toronto Sun’s Greg Weston explains nicely why the decision may really be in everyone’s best interests;
IF AVERAGE Americans had been following Paul Martin’s stand on U.S. missile defence, they would surely be relieved by yesterday’s announcement that Canada will not be part of it. An Armageddon warhead incoming at 4 km per second is no time to be sharing command and control of North American air defence with a dithering prime minister.
Exactly – and consider, if you will, a future prime minister in the persona of a Jack Layton, Sheila Copps or similar creation of the far left.
| So, I do not condemn his decision. Instead, I thank Paul Martin for his foresight. I’ll sleep more soundly knowing that the political authority overseeing Canadian defense has finally been turned over to saner heads and surer hands. |  |
update: Paul Martin’s timing, as usual, is impeccable.
PACIFIC MISSILE RANGE FACILITY, KAUAI, Hawaii, Feb. 24, 2005 /PRNewswire/ — The Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) Weapon System and Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) destroyed a ballistic missile outside the earth’s atmosphere during an Aegis BMD Program flight test over the Pacific Ocean. Raytheon Company develops the SM-3. Lockheed Martin develops the Aegis BMD Weapon System.
The Feb. 24 mission — the fifth successful intercept for SM-3 — was the first firing of the Aegis BMD “Emergency Deployment” capability using operational versions of the SM-3 Block I missile and Aegis BMD Weapon System.
This was also the first test to exercise SM-3’s third stage rocket motor (TSRM) single- pulse mode. The TSRM has two pulses, which can be ignited independently, providing expansion of the ballistic missile engagement battlespace.
The SM-3 was launched from the Aegis BMD cruiser USS Lake Erie (CG 70) and hit a target missile that had been launched from the U.S. Navy’s Pacific Missile Range Facility on Kauai, Hawaii.
via Drudge.
One of David Frum’s readers responds to Paul Martin’s assertion that “”We would expect to be consulted”prior to a BMD deployment.
In other words, Canada wants no part of missile defense right up until the time of incoming. At that point we can count them in.”
Ouch. True, but – Ouch!
Canadian participation would appear to amount to hosting american-controlled missiles on Canadian soil; ie, giving up sovereignty of our land… The choice appears to be you’re with us, and you give up sovereignty or you’re against us and you give up your sovereignty.
Saner heads? I think that’s up for debate, even with Martin in command…
Given that the U.S. has defended our flank (at their expense) for 60 years it might seem unreasonable for Canada not to participate in missile defence.
This argument, however, overlooks the fact that any attack on Canada ( from Korea or others) would be a breach of international law.
Surely, rather than going alone (with the United States)our safety is best secured by seeking Security Council Resolutions which declare that any ballistic missile attack on Canada is forbidden and will be result in serious consequences (including sanctions)to any nation that offends such resolution.
The Prime Minister should second Jack Layton to lead a delegation to the U.N. to obtain the aforementioned resolution- after which, we will all sleep much better.
That was tongue in cheek, I hope…
Tery and Richard are a load of laughs. Gonna be funny them going to the UN as ghosts. Kinda late to tell Korea not to attack if your already dead.
I agree with letting the US run it, at least they have a hell of a lot more common sense, and can actually see the reality of the situation.
“Hello?”
“Yes, Mr. President, this is Prime Minister Martin. Martin. M-A-R-T-I-N. What’s that? Incoming missiles? Let me run that by The CBC and The Toronto Star to see what the polling numbers are – I’ll get right back to you …”
“Click!”
Kate, apropos of nothing, do you think there is any way we can blame MWW for this?
http://michellemalkin.com/archives/001596.htm
Canada has become the 18 year old living at home. You all know him – chances are you were one yourself. Despite Mom and Dad paying for the roof over his head, paying the bills, doing the cooking and laundry, the 18 year old will insist that he’s an adult, independent, and can make his own decisions.
And we all know the outcome – responsible parents get fed up and show him the door.
The U.S. just got one more reason to show Canada the door.
y’know, if you contract the USN or perhaps the USCG to do the fisheries patrolling and enforcement just think of all the money that could be redirected to the sick man of the north (that’d be Quebec, sorry). Sovereignty? We don’t need no steenkeeng sovereignty…
Is it coincidence that the most annoying character on Stargate: Atlantis is a Canadian? Although of late he seems to have lost the maple leaf flag that was on his sleeve…
Paul Celluci summed it up best.Canada just gave up its sovereignty, and those dopey lefties can’t even figure it out.We have an extraordinary leadership vacuum in Ottawa right now at a time when the national stakes are too high for this pissing about.
Kate,
I’m disappointed that your readers don’t appreciate the benefits of international law vis a vis dat missile thing. I forgot to mention that we can also use the domestic law to thwart a missile attack. Some might ask, how would an injunction work? Well, very easy, those in breach of an injunction would face severe penalties, including fines. But, you might ask, could we be certain that an injunction could be obtained? Allow me to clarify.
In order to obtain an injunction one must normally show three things:
Firstly, that there is a triable issue;
Secondly, that the Plaintiff will suffer irreparable harm if the injunction is not granted; and,
Thirdly, that the balance of convenience favours the granting of the injunction.
I have no doubt that were Korea, for example, to launch a missle at Canada we would have no difficulty obtaining an injunction enjoining the missile from landing in Canada. And need I point out that a missile attack would be contrary to the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which- as may be know- is the supreme law of the land.
All of which is respectfully submitted.
Yea, were gonna put traffic cops up in space to direct the missile somewhere else… hey that could be a new Liberal foundation…
“Surely, rather than going alone (with the United States)our safety is best secured by seeking Security Council Resolutions”.
Could Canada afford the amount of UN bribes that would take?
Another option might just be to significantly increase the fines for littering. If the N Koreans nuked Canada, you guys would make a fortune.
Cool… great idea for a new business… recycled radiation. Wonder if I need Health Canada’s approval…. nah … they’ll all be dead anyways.
Based on the Frum link, Matin’s quote is even worse than you made it sound. He said we would need to be consulted on any missile “passing over” Canada. So presumably if a missile were heading over Canada towards NYC or Washington, the President would be expected to give Paul a call and ask if they could shoot it down now, or do they need to wait until it passes into US airspace to take a shot.
A statement like that is just all kinds of stupid.
Note from the head hackers…
Thanks for that Candu reactor technology.
Here’s a little thank you bomb.
Oh yeah and we are still not going to pay you for it,…suckerrrrrssss!!!!
Kablooomb!!!!
Musings of W shotly after
Now that there are no more stuck up “we’re smarter than you Toronto Star reading Carolyn perishers” taking up all that primo cottage country we can finally get some GOOD fishin holes without all the fuss.
It’s win win for everybody but us Canadians, liberally exploded.
“we can finally get some GOOD fishin holes without all the fuss”
Including some brand new ones that are great for night fishing because of the glow (tho I don;t imagine you’d really want to eat those three-eyed Simpsonfish).
Careful now, the Liberals are going to declare those fishing holes a national park, and your going to need a license. There also going to leave the lights on so you can’t see the fish…. minority rights and all that…
As long as they don’t declare those three eyed Simpsonfish an endangered species . . .
The big problem from the Liberal point of view is that, if we are attacked, there won’t be time to produce, rush to air, and pay astronomical fees for a commercial starring Rick Mercer urging us, “Come on, Canada! Take the one-megaton challenge!”
Well, there goes another 2 billion, one for a fishing rod registry, and another for a second megaton commercial… 🙁
I’m really learning to hate this country…
I’m so bloody choked at this Government I’ve hung up the Stars and Stripes until further notice.
Hidden in the budget documents is funding for a Canadian anti-anti-missile system that would shoot down any US interceptor missiles making an unauthorised entry into Canadian airspace.
Foreign Affairs, it can be revealed, is already at work on an information package and application form to be filled in by regimes and entities, such as North Korea, China, and Al-Quaeda, wishing to receive pre-clearance for any missiles they intend to launch through our sovereign airspace at the US.
A Missile Transit Registration Agency is to be set up in Trois Rivieres, Quebec. The initial budget of $1 billion will be for staff recruitment, human resources and equity officers training, and developing brochures and other public relations documents. Fact-finding visits by Liberal MPs to the Carribean and Hawaii will form part of the Agencies early work.
The RCMP is beginning development of large net to be deployed in Inuvik to catch unauthorised missiles. These will be impounded and held until ownership can be established. A series of fines for violators, rising for second and subsequent offences, is to be reffered to the Supreme Court for an opinion before it is sent to Parliament for approval.
Patrick,
I see you’ve caught the spirit. Highlarious. Well, you know, as for me -I’ve not had so much fun at the keyboard since Chretien was forced to retire.
what a fucking crock. canadian participation in missile defense was going to be political window dressing at best and whatever imputs the government would have had would be subservient to american national interests. in the event that they actually get this defense industry makework project off the ground the missiles are still going to be shot down over canada regardless of whether we participate or not. but that assumes it will actually work some day. what are they now? a perfect .000% batting average after 20 years? don’t hold your breath.
Eh… Angus. If you had taken the time to read the post, you’d learn they had a successful intercept two days ago and that they’re 5 for 6.
Patrick – marvellous scenario. Exactly like ‘it is’. You are forgetting one thing. The documents and brochures for both clearance for missiles, which must be filled in by N. Korea, Al Qaeda etc, and for anti-missile clearance by the US – all have to be bilingual. French first – as we see in all our federal documents – and followed by English.
kate
i did read the post and, please correct me if i’m wrong, that ageis system is not the same the same breed of cat as the one they are planning to install over north america, for which they are 0 for ??. it has something to do with recognizing the threat, tracking and intercepting it over the distance of thousands of kilometers rather than the 150k of laboratory conditions that you linked.
Without missile defence, some alliance of nations, through the use of submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBM’s), might try to trigger a “mutual assured destruction” nuclear war between North America and another nation.
Missile defence success???
It was a naval system (no need to put it on Canadian soil), and it was a typical test with a preplanned flight path.
For a more detailed review of the land bassed “sucesses” try this link.
http://www.defensetech.org/archives/001327.html
Josh
Kate,
With that picture and quote,are you suggesting that Don Rumsfeld, or the US government is the one with “saner heads and surer hands.”?
Do you know that he is partially responsible for the biological and chemical weapons that Saddam Hussein was using in the 1980s?
Josh
Sure, all these guys come back when were all gone.
So let’s assume we opt in to your left wing Liberal save the planet views, and we all live in utopia for a while. The US stops it’s missile defence, note that I didn’t say weaponization of space, and we all live like one big left wing happy family.
Not so fast, we have a super heated up and coming communist economy called China, who has interests in space. Even Iran, and North Korea can join in a partnership. First move would be to weapanize space….oh..oh now what. We all go over there and say “Please don’t do that.” Ain’t gonna work, get your heads out of the sand and look at the big picture on a global scale, instead of just in your own back yard.
Sticking your head in the sand isn’t going to protect you when your already a target, as per Osoma.
Typical response to success – whether it be the successful invasion of Iraq, the succesful elections in Afghanistan, the successful test of a missile intercept – move the goal posts.
No point in debating. Just let them vent.