Cellucci says Canada reneged on missile plan

[Spazito]

Outgoing U.S. Ambassador to Canada Paul Cellucci said American officials were given the direct impression that Canada was going to participate in the U.S.-led ballistic missile-defence plan.

snip

Speaking to reporters from the Liberal policy convention on Sunday, Prime Minister Paul Martin denied that Canada was ever onboard. He suggested that Canadian officials chose to opt out of the plan because they never got answers over what participation would entail.

snip

Appearing on CTV's Question Period, former Newfoundland premier Brian Tobin said: "Obviously as an ambassador who saw as his number-one mission to get Canada to sign on to the missile-defence strategy of the United States, that ambassador in his mind as he leaves, feels he failed in his number-one mission."

"When the prime minister spoke, obviously it wasn't the answer that the ambassador wanted to hear. I think that's closer to the truth than anything else."

more

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1110133892917_105543092/?hub=TopStories

(Tobin is right on point, Cellucci is in a snit because, gasp, we didn't do what he said, what he demanded, what he threatened.)

[Benhurst]

1. Mr. Cellucci:

:nopity:

[0007]

2. Why would Canada want something that doesn't work?

This spinning is just to save face. I can't think of a country in the world that is pissed at Canada. How many counties in the world have a heat score with the United States?

[Liberal Veteran]

3. Didn't anyone teach him to get stuff in writing?

An impression isn't worth the paper it's not written on.

[ooglymoogly]

8. especially if its gleaned from cloud formations

oh there is a ducky...and oh there is a sailship and oh there is an iron clad agreement on missile deployment....get real cellucci..when in canada try drinking the bong water instead of the kool-aid and you might figure things out....jerk

[Canuckistanian]

4. Hey, Cellucci. Pysch!

Anything else we can do for you? Just leave it with the secretary on your way out.

[tuvor]

5. Someone's full of self-serving bullshit. Martin said as much in DECEMBER.

C'mon, Cellucci! Why the fuck is this such a 'surprise' to you? It shouldn't be, and I'll bet you're not really shocked, SHOCKED! Paul Martin went on the record almost THREE MONTHS AGO.(Sorry, the original link doesn't work, so here's the whole article):

Canada won't fund missile shield: PM
Windsor Star

15 December 2004

Prime Minister Paul Martin said Tuesday he does not believe the U.S. ballistic missile shield will succeed in shooting down incoming rockets, as he threw up new roadblocks to counter President George W. Bush's strong appeal for Canada to join his continental defence plan.

Canada will not put any money into building the missile shield and it will not allow Washington to station rockets on Canadian soil as the price of participation in the multibillion-dollar program, Martin told Global National in a year-end interview.

In another issue that could cause friction with Bush, Martin said Canada was prepared to accept U.S. citizens who do not want to serve in the war in Iraq.

"In terms of immigration, we are a country of immigrants and we will take immigrants from around the world. I'm not going to discriminate," said Martin, when reminded that former prime minister Pierre Trudeau opened Canada's doors to draft dodgers and deserters during the Vietnam War.

'AN ILLEGAL WAR'

When asked whether the prime minister was referring to ongoing attempts by Jeremy Hinzman, a 26-year-old U.S. deserter, to gain asylum in Canada after refusing to serve in what he calls "an illegal war," Martin spokesman Scott Reid said the prime minister "was not commenting on any individual case and certainly was not sending a signal to the immigration board."

Martin was emphatic Canada's participation in the missile defence program would depend on a key decision-making role in the U.S. command and control structure that operates the shield.

"The decision as to whether or not we participate in the ballistic missile defence system is going to depend on whether, in fact, Canada can have a voice in the structure," Martin said in the interview, to be broadcast Christmas Day.

"I'm not going to put money into it. I'm going to put money into our priorities ... Having missiles on our territory is not one of those priorities."

The conditions laid out by Martin are the clearest indication to date the Liberal government is increasingly disinterested in the missile defence program despite Bush's public appeal during his visit to Canada on Dec. 1.

Martin has been under heavy pressure from the Liberal caucus and the party's grassroots to reject the defence shield, which he admitted may not even work to knock down incoming missiles from rogue states or global terrorists.

"Do I believe it could work tomorrow? I suspect there are very few people out there who testify that it could. Do I believe eventually technology could bring it to that point, in all likelihood, but I'm not a rocket expert," he said in another TV interview.

Martin said Canada is not even close to negotiating a memorandum of understanding with the U.S. on missile defence, but added any document must include guarantees that it would not lead to the weaponization of space.

Canada would immediately pull out of the defence shield if it were to join and the U.S. subsequently put missile weapon systems in space.

"I don't believe space belongs to any country," Martin said. "We will not engage in the weaponization of space."

Martin acknowledged for the first time that next year's budget will pump money into Canada's hard-pressed military, including funds to allow the Armed Forces to recruit 5,000 more troops over the next five years.

Martin admitted he struggled over his personal belief in the traditional marriage but finally decided same-sex weddings were a right entitled to all citizens regardless of their sexual orientation.

[LynnTheDem]

6. Dear Cellucci; Know what they say about making assumptions???

They be the mother of all fuck-ups.

[Robeson]

10. And no telling what he was reporting back to this administration.....

...Things like, "they're on line with us", "yeah, we've got 'em on Board", etc. Looks like Cellucci has a heap of egg on his face...

[Ms. Clio]

7. Pobrecito

You and your chimp master can suck on it.

[paineinthearse]

9. Outgoing U.S. Ambassador to Canada Paul Cellucci

Paine prediction: Cellucci will return to Massachusetts to run for Governor.

[CHIMO]

11. Transcript of 2004 Year End Interview

On CBC with Peter Mansbridge.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/national/news/martin/

The missile part is about half way down the page. Martin refers to weaponization of space. He will not go along on that point. He hasn't said that he is against BMD. It looks to me that both people were talking in code and Paul C. didn't realize that without a guarantee or a definition for BMD that it might not fly.

[arikara]

12. He's a moran... but we would be the morans

if we agreed with such a stupid plan.

Cellucci expects us Canadians to allow American missiles to sit on our territory in order to shoot down hostile missiles that would be passing over us... to shoot them down over our territory. So he expects us to agree to have the missiles raining down over our cities and people instead of passing over us. That's assuming that the idea even worked in the first place.

I just have a problem with this whole concept, I don't believe that they are stupid enough to continue with this when its proven not to work. I think its smoke and mirrors and that the real plotting is going on up in the HAARP project in Alaska.

[bemildred]

13. Further evidence of Mr. Cellucci's lack of communication skills. nt

[ConcernedCanuk]

14. Hmmm

.
.
.

Let's see if I can piss off a few more Canuks before I'm outta here



It worked, eh??

[Wrinkle_In_Time]

15. Worst.US.Ambassador.to.Canada.Ever...

... Cellucci has always been a dick.

[LibertyorDeath]

16. They can't get this condescending piece of shit out of here

fast enough for my liking deport the shitweasel now.