Canada and the U.S.- Vows of Military Integration

[chlamor]

Is it possible that Canada and the U.S. would merge militarily? I would be interested in hearing some Canadian viewpoints and wonder if this is receiving ant press coverage in Canada. Is it a concern of the Canadian people? Here are a few excerpts from Michel Chossudovsky's recent article on this matter and the link below:


Prime Minister Paul Martin says "no" to Star Wars.  

Canada will not participate in the controversial Missile Defense Shield.   

" were told we will not participate."  "It is a firm 'no.'" This statement communicated to news agency was apparently made at the NATO Brussels meeting on the 22nd of February. 

Martin is to confirm the government's stance in a House of Commons session on the 24th.

Meanwhile, his ambassador designate to the US, Frank McKenna, in a contradictory statement, has  "spilled the beans".

According to Frank McKenna, Canada's participation in the controversial BMD is a "done deal".  It's de facto. It was part of a negotiation process initiated two years ago. 

"We're part of it now and the question is what more do we need?" said McKenna.

"There's no doubt, in looking back, ... that the NORAD amendment has given, has created part, in fact a great deal, of what the United States means in terms of being able to get the input for defensive weaponry."
<snip>
If Canada accepts to join NORTHCOM and integrate US command structures, it not only  "promises to cherish" Star Wars, it also becomes an official member of the Anglo-American military axis, integrated by Israel (unofficially) and Australia.
Canada thereby becomes a pro-active partner in America's ongoing military adventure, including Iraq, Afghanistan, Palestine, Iran, North Korea and beyond, not to mention the preemptive use of nuclear weapons in conventional war theaters directed "against rogue enemies and terrorists".
<snip>
In an article published last November entitled Is The annexation of Canada part of the US military Agenda , we reviewed in detail, the substance of this bi-national military integration and its implications for Canada. (http://www.globalresearch.ca/articles/CHO411C.html )

Ottawa has been quietly negotiating a far-reaching military cooperation agreement, which allows the US Military to cross the border and deploy troops anywhere in Canada, in our provinces, as well station American warships in Canadian territorial waters.

This redesign of Canada's defense system is being discussed behind closed doors, not in Canada, but at the Peterson Air Force base in Colorado, at the headquarters of US Northern Command (NORTHCOM).

The creation of NORTHCOM announced in April 2002, constitutes a blatant violation of both Canadian and Mexican territorial sovereignty. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld announced unilaterally that US Northern Command would have jurisdiction over the entire North American region. Canada and Mexico were presented with a fait accompli. US Northern Command's jurisdiction as outlined by the US DoD includes, in addition to the continental US, all of Canada, Mexico, as well as portions of the Caribbean, contiguous waters in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans up to 500 miles off the Mexican, US and Canadian coastlines as well as the Canadian Arctic.
<snip>
In Canada's February 2005 budget, released on the day following PM Paul Martin's categorical "No" to the Missile Defense Program, an additional 12.8 billion dollars (Cn) (over the next five years), has added to Canada's spiraling defense budget. The stated objective is to "burnish the country's credibility as a global peacekeeping partner".
http://globalresearch.ca/articles/CHO502B.html

[getmeouttahere]

1. For the sake of the Canadian people, I hope. this is NOT true

Aside from the potentially catastrophic costs of such a mission, why on earth would Canadians want American troops deploying in their country at will? Come on, people, does anyone believe that Canada would ever be attacked by anyone, except maybe the U.S.? There are a hundred countries that would intervene if Canada were attacked. Speaking as an American who loves Canada and its peace-loving, community-oriented people, Canadians must do as much as they can to separate themselves from our government's ultra-conservative bent. The world community is solidly against the phony democracy the Bush administration is attempting to force down the globe's collective throat. They don't care about democracy - only un-fettered capitalism. Just ask Chile - and more recently Venezuela. The point is, why cooperate militarily with the world's pariah?

[newyawker99]

5. Hi getmeouttahere!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Blue Wally]

2. Much a do about nothing

The whole world is divided into areas of resposnibility for the various US joint commands. EUCOM covers Europe. PACOM covers the Pacific Rim and Southeast Asia. CENTCOM covers south Asia, the middle east, and north Africa. STRICOM covers Africa south of the Sahara. SOUTHCOM covers cental and south America. They have a variety of contingency plans in case US involvement becomes necessary. Don't read into it more than is there.

[applegrove]

3. I'm crying. I thought we were going to spend money of education!!

:cry:

You know if you had been there on the days when thousands of Americans were stranded at Canadian airports you do understand a need for more integration. I mean you can live in many cities in Canada and see container after container unload. There does have to be some integration. How much? Don't know. I don't quite understand where McKenna was coming from. Especially when Martin said an outright no to 'star wars'. No the 'star wars' means to me a big fat NO to spending on magic space programs etc. For sure there will be army upgrades. Every aspect of the economy got something out of the budget. One would expect that after being in so many 'righteous' wars in the last few years we really need some investment. You do not want to hear about the helicopters our poor rescue people have been using for the last 20 years. Things were bad.

And as to Canada joining in Iraq - many of us see that as the UN and Europe does - we better clean it up as good as possible because the last thing we need is a humiliated and 'even deeper into denial' USA in 5 years when globalism will really hit their economy. Nothing like an angry bull with nutron bomb loosing all of its power. A soft landing is what you do if you are human and a tradgedy (Bush/Rove/neocons)took place (and we have strong feelings for the people of America). This soft landing all depends on Bush & the Neocons being put on ice in the next 4 years. Already the Europeans have shut him out of Iran negotiations and many other things. If we can just get through this crisis - we may end up with a few good things out of it. Mostly that has to do with Yasser Arafat being dead and right wing Israelis no longer funding Hamas (who they started as a way to erode Arafat's base(now doesn't that sound familiar somehow - A neocon move if ever there was one). And it blew up in their faces and put any peace on hold for a decade.

So I do not see one Canadian soldier in Iraq for anything other than a last ditch effort to turn this insanity around. Remember there were supposed to be smart wars that would be perpetual and all about Rumsfield directing smart bombs and one country after another where peace would immediately break out. That was the neocon ideal, plan, project for the 21 Century. With one kick at the can at the weakest enemy sitting on the most oil - it is over.

Rumsfield can sit in a room with his generals and send the message out through the boards of directors in Canada that we already participate in 'Star Wars'. But if you don't have the money in your hot little hands - it is just more smoke and mirrors. That Frank McKenna is riding into town looking like one of 'them' is actually good news. Sounds like he may be doing a little 'mirroring'of his own though in diplomatic circles the mirrors are a little less smoke & more rococo.

As to privacy - yes it has been obvious for a while and the sudden disappearance of the odd Islamist teenager that Canada & Canadian authorities have participated in the zero tolerance for terrorism program like the Patriot Act. I do not know what it is called here. Like anything very quick - the truth will come out when the courts take the cases brought against the government. This was a risk our government was willing to take to protect us - until we get a handle on a sticky situation. And once you in America get your country back from extremists & they stop with the propaganda that serves the oil industry & a few others - we will all be able to move ahead and build something safe and fair. But having been a victim of a crime I applaud video surveillance cameras and anything else. (That is also easier to do when we often see the civil libertarians running around and protecting predators from DNA testing and such.

We may look passive. Trust me. We are all holding our noses.

[Spazito]

4. Canada is not integrating their military with the US...

no matter what the US government may wish. Any government that tried to do that in Canada would be turfed out. The key part of this article is "If Canada accepts to join NORTHCOM".

The increase in the military budget has been debated and supported by Canadians for years now. Our military needs better pay, better equipment and a better ability to deploy to PEACEKEEPING and disaster relief duties.

Canada said NO to Iraq, No to MDS. I would say Canada is going in the opposite direction to what this article is saying.