Prominent Canadians protest missile defence

What do singer Susan Aglukark and NDP leader Jack Layton have in common?

They, along with dozens of other Canadians, signed an open letter to Prime Minister Paul Martin, urging him to keep Canada out of U.S. president George Bush’s plans for a defensive missile shield around North America.

Canada is talking with the U.S. about participation in a missile system that would theoretically fend off attacks by hostile countries such as North Korea or Iran by knocking out these missiles with other ballistic missiles over northern Canada.

David Pratt, the minister of national defence, recently said that Canadian participation in the project could mean that Canada’s Arctic could play host U.S. missile shoot-down sites.

“We, the undersigned, are deeply alarmed that our government continues to pursue Canadian involvement in the development of the U.S. missile defence system,” the letter reads.

“While we understand the government’s desire to improve Canada-U.S. relations, we firmly believe that the political and economic benefits of Canadian integration in missile defence would be far outweighed by the long- term negative consequences for global security, and for Canadian sovereignty over future foreign affairs and defence matters.”

The roll of signatories includes winners of the Nobel Prize, the Grammy Award and the Order of Canada, such as Bryan Adams, Pierre Berton, Sarah McLachlan, David Suzuki, Stompin’ Tom Connors, Susan Aglukark and Raffi.

Political figures from all parties signed, including Flora MacDonald, Lloyd Axworthy and Jack Layton.

At a press conference following the release of the public letter in Toronto, pianist Anton Kuerti said the money spent on missile defence “will drain scarce resources that could have made the world safer.”

In Montreal, a similar letter to Martin calling for “le refus de toute participation du Canada au bouclier antimissile” [a refusal of any Canadian participation in the anti-missile defence shield” was signed by prominent Québécois, including Sacha Trudeau, son of the former prime minister Pierre Trudeau, and Bloc Québécois leader Gilles Duceppe.

“Even if the cost of refusing to join is high, our participation in the missile defence program would nevertheless be a mistake,” Trudeau said.

The Canadian Coalition to Oppose Missile Defence created the letter, which the public can sign at www.ceasefire.ca and www.fiiq.qc.ca/echecalaguerre.htm