Canada: Talks about missile defence to start

SIKU CIRCUMPOLAR NEWS SERVICE

Last week, John McCallum, Canada’s defence minister, said negotiations on Canada’s involvement in the U.S. national missile defence program could lead to a decision to join the NMD within months.

McCallum told the House of Commons in Ottawa that cabinet will have the final say on whether Canada joins in.

Several conditions will dictate Canada’s involvement, he said. Canada wants the NORAD, the North American Aerospace Defense Command, whose leadership is shared between the U.S. and Canadian military, to be in charge of the system.

Banning weapons in space is also part of the deal — and Canada would like to see a treaty that prohibits the use of weapons in space.

“We want to participate — hopefully through NORAD — to the defence of North America against missiles. We will not participate in a program if it is to be the weaponization of space,” Prime Minister Jean Chrétien said in a press conference last week.

And Canada doesn’t want to see any missiles deployment sites on its soil.

Chrétien said joining the U.S.-led defence program would not be in the Canadian national interest.

“We are starting discussions because it is the defence of our cities,” Chrétien said.

At stake are also billions of dollars in contracts from NMD construction contracts.