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February 2002 David Morgan N. Vancouver
Dear Serb Friends: I have sent this comment widely to the media, to Canadian peace groups and to all Liberal and NDP MPs. I will send it to the Bloc Quebcois MPs when I get a French translation. Warmes regards, David Morgan, National President Veterans Against Nuclear Arms (VANA) Why
is Canada following America’s reckless march to war? It is no big secret that President George W.
Bush is eager to attack Iraq. by David Morgan National President, Veterans Against Nuclear Arms 20 February 2002 (703 words) It also does not take a crystal ball to predict that Canada will be “on side” if this attack goes ahead. In fact Canada, with four warships in the Gulf - Arabian Sea area, and its record of supporting the sanctions on Iraq (described as “genocidal” by a high UN official who quit his UN career because of them) and also of supporting the past three years relentless U.S./U.K. air strikes on Iraq, is already securely on side. Canada’s media have been far too polite to enquire why our four warships were needed to deal with Afghanistan’s non-existent navy, or to hint that they may be part of the preps for Desert Storm II. Canada’s media are securely “on side” too. But why is Canada following America’s reckless march to war? This is a question we should have been asking about four years ago, because this march did not begin with the presidency of George Bush. It began during Bill Clinton’s term, first with the cruise missile attacks on Khartoum and Afghanistan and then with the bombing of Iraq that began, heavily, on 16 December 1998 (Operation Desert Fox), and has continued, less heavily but relentlessly, to the present day. All of these attacks were made without a shred of coverage by international law or the U.N. Charter; all were promptly supported by Canada. But it was the U.S. contrived and led NATO bombing of Yugoslavia that began on 24 March 1999 (a pivotal date in history) that fully exposed the reckless march to war by the United States. Canada’s eager and shameful participation in this bombing, which continued for 78 days, also marked this as a pivotal date in Canadian history. For it was on this date that Canada, together with the U.S. and NATO, broke the UN Charter of 1945, the Nuremberg principles of 1946, NATO’s founding document of 1949, which subordinates itself to the UN Charter, NATO’s Founding Act of, 27 May 1997, on Mutual Relations Cooperation & Security between NATO and the Russian Federation, and even Canada’s own National Defence Act, by waging an aggressive war against Yugoslavia. This pivotal change was confirmed by Defence Minister Art Eggleton "If the cause is 'just' and allies are willing, Canada is ready to go to war again for humanitarian reasons, even if the action defies international law and the United Nations Charter." (G&M 2 Oct’99,A14). Canada’s long and proud tradition of peace-keeping and support for the UN came to an end. Jean Chretien’s government turned Canada’s back on the U.N. and started to march to Washington’s drum. The Presidency of George Bush and the terrorist disasters of 11 September did not “change everything;” they just speeded everything up. Suddenly Canada is expected to be “on side” in an endless war. Fifty potential enemies have been lined up, the first of which are Iraq, Iran and North Korea. No wonder PM Jean Chretien is flustered when pressed about Canada’s willingness to join the U.S. in an attack on Iraq. He is in in the position of a foolish man who turns his back on law and order, joins a gang and suddenly finds out with dismay that he is expected to follow the violent whims of the gang leader. It is high time for Canadians to think very hard about where this prime minister and his government are leading us. In 1945, at the end of the bloodiest war in history, the United Nations Organization was set up, in the words of its charter, to:"...save succeeding generations from the scourge of war...." With its Security Council to maintain peace and security, its Economic and Social Council to promote worldwide progress in economic, social, cultural, educational and health fields and its promotion of a growing body of international agreements and law, the UN was a brilliantly designed peace-promoting and war-preventing machine. For all its faults, it is still our best hope. Neither George Bush nor Jean Chretien have come up with anything better. Canadians must now demand that our government stops following America’s reckless march to war, and returns to a respect for international law and the UN Charter. /// David Morgan is National President of Veterans Against Nuclear Arms * David Morgan, National President, * * Veterans Against Nuclear Arms (VANA) * * 240 Holyrood Road, North Vancouver, BC * * V7N 2R5, Canada Tel:(604)985-7147 * * Fax: (604)985-1260 <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> * |
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