...when the chief executive says Boo!
Nut graf: "Bush "waved his hands and remarked: 'I don't understand this. Are you saying that if you got up and said this is necessary for the defence of Canada, it wouldn't be accepted?'"
[It sure works like that here.]
URL: http://www.commondreams.org/headlines05/0124-03.htm
Published on Monday, January 24, 2005 by the Canadian Press
Bush Sparred With Canadians on Missile Defence in Tense Meeting, Says
Report
WASHINGTON ) - President George W. Bush tried to bully Canadian
officials on missile defence during his visit last month by linking
Canada's participation to future protection from the U.S., the
Washington Post reported Sunday.
The newspaper quoted an unidentified Canadian official who was in the
room as saying Bush waved off their attempts to explain how
contentious the issue is for Prime Minister Paul Martin's minority
government.
"(Bush) leaned across the table and said: 'I'm not taking this
position, but some future president is going to say, Why are we paying
to defend Canada?' " the official was quoted as saying.
"Most of our side was trying to explain the politics, how it was
difficult to do," he said.
But Bush "waved his hands and remarked: 'I don't understand this. Are
you saying that if you got up and said this is necessary for the
defence of Canada, it wouldn't be accepted?' "
The White House refused comment on the surprisingly pointed remarks.
"I'm not going to comment on an unnamed source in a newspaper,"
spokesman Ken Lisaius said Sunday. "The president has been quite clear
about the strong relationship with Canada."
Amy Butcher, a spokeswoman for the Prime Minister's Office, said she
couldn't talk about the particulars of the missile defence discussion.
"Our position is clear. We'll make a decision based on Canadian
interests," said Butcher, adding that the House of Commons will
participate in the debate.
Martin has told reporters that Bush's position at the meeting was one
of incredulity that anyone would oppose the system, aimed at knocking
out supersonic missiles launched by terrorists or rogue states.
But the Post report suggests the meeting was far more tense than that.
U.S. diplomats had assured their Canadian counterparts that the
prickly issue wouldn't be raised during Bush's visit.
But it came up at the private meeting with Martin and the president
unexpectedly raised it during a major foreign policy speech in Halifax
the next day.
Paul Cellucci, America's ambassador to Canada, said earlier this month
that the U.S. is optimistic Canada will sign on to the missile defence
plan before the end of March.
The system will rely on interceptors based in underground silos at
Fort Greely, Alaska, and Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.
Pentagon officials blamed an unsuccessful test launch last month on a
"minor glitch" in computer software. They say they may never publicly
declare when the shield is fully ready.
Copyright © 2005 the Canadian Press