Canada's Participation in U.S. Imperialist War Preparations All Out to Make Canada a Zone for Peace!

March 19 marked the 14th anniversary of the criminal U.S. invasion of Iraq, which led to unimaginable destruction and the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people as well as countless other crimes and a situation of insecurity and hardship that still prevails in and around that country today. Canada did not officially join the 2003 war against Iraq, but in fact Canada's military did take part in it and played a supportive role in various significant ways.[1] In Canada as in all countries thousands upon thousands of people voiced their rejection of the war and refused to be embroiled in fraudulent debate about the U.S. pretext of "weapons of mass destruction," which was later shown to be a hoax to justify the war. In a situation where Canada's government says it stands for peace and multilateralism, but is in fact embroiling Canada in the U.S. striving to control Europe and dominate Asia, it is playing a very negative role by promoting NATO's encirclement of Russia and justifying regime change in Syria while supporting Saudi attacks on Yemen and through other crimes it is encouraging against peace. In Latvia, it is sending 450 Canadian soldiers as well as armoured vehicles to be stationed beginning in June as part of a large NATO military buildup on Russia's borders. Officials cynically describe the deployment as a "tripwire." This is defined as a force, "engagement with which will trigger the intervention of stronger forces." Stephen Saideman, NATO academic at Carleton University's Norman Patterson School of International Affairs told Maclean 's that the "tripwire" concept means "the response is now wired in via the dead Americans, Canadians, Brits and Germans..." Canada has extended for two more years the deployment of 200 soldiers to Ukraine for "training" neo-Nazi militias deployed in a civil war, and will soon sign a Defence Cooperation Agreement to begin arming these forces. That war, instigated by a U.S.-backed coup in 2014, has now cost more than 10,000 lives and is consuming vast amounts of Ukraine's national income. More than 800 Canadian military personnel are deployed in Iraq and surrounding countries as part of a U.S. coalition. Canadian warplanes continue to fly missions over Iraq and Syria in support of U.S. bombing. That mission, set to expire on March 31 is being extended once again, while Canada is preparing further intervention in Syria. Canada continues to announce tens of millions of dollars in new funding for anonymous groups operating in Syria, subverting that country's institutions and genuine humanitarian organizations. The Trudeau government does not raise its voice against the unacceptable, illegal threats of the new U.S. Secretary of State -- former Exxon Mobil CEO Rex Tillerson -- to conduct preemptive strikes against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, even while the voices of the Korean people cry out louder than ever demanding the U.S. sign a peace treaty to end the Korean war and end its military occupation. While the U.S. announces a $54 billion increase in its military budget, it also demands Canada double its military spending to two per cent of GDP. The Liberal government is now dutifully looking at how to increase war spending and shift budget lines, to declare it will make the target. It is step by step giving up the pretense that Canada is a sovereign country whose military spending should be based on what is required for self-defence.[2] The government will soon announce a new defence policy for Canada based on a Defence Policy Review that consisted of "consultations" with defence contractors, pro-war academics, U.S. military representatives and others and an expert panel including former Liberal Minister of Defence Bill Graham. In September 2016, Minister of Defence Harjit Sajjan stated that the new defence policy will "emphasize the importance of air sovereignty and awareness. This includes, of course, the threat posed by the proliferation of ballistic missiles, and the U.S. Ballistic Missile Defence program." In that regard, the Liberals are expected to reverse Canada's 2005 decision to not participate in U.S. missile defence. Canadians have time and again expressed opposition to the proposal. Canada's decision to "emphasize the importance of air sovereignty and awareness" is an indication that it will further place Canadian airspace under U.S. control through NORAD, including deployment of not only U.S. missiles but increasingly U.S. warplanes. A March 14 article in the National Post by Matthew Fisher noted that the Liberal plan to spend up to $7 billion on 18 "Super Hornet" fighter jets would mean "giving up its sovereignty over the High Arctic as it comes to depend on U.S. jets flying from airfields in Yellowknife, Inuvik, Rankin Inlet, Iqaluit and Alaska." This treacherous, perilous situation of Canada's increasing participation in U.S. war preparations is especially troubling given that Canadians are opposed to embroiling Canada in U.S. wars of aggression all over the globe. The Trudeau Liberals have shown themselves to be as subservient to imperialist interests as the Harper Conservatives. With the new U.S. administration, they are more determined than ever to show themselves as willing instruments of empire-building. In the House of Commons no party has raised an objection to these war preparations, Canada's subservient relationship with the U.S. or the constant demonization of Russia, Iran, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and other sovereign countries. The need for discussion on matters of war and peace within the polity and a pro-active stand has never been greater. A pro-active stand is one which seeks to create the conditions for Canadians to end Canada's support for U.S. imperialist war preparations and establish an anti-war government that is a factor for peace and the peaceful resolution of conflicts, upholds sovereignty and supports those fighting for their rights internationally. To assist Canadians in discussing these important matters, in this issue TML Weekly features articles on Canada's intervention in Iraq and Syria, Ukraine and Latvia and increasing U.S. aggression in the Middle East, opposition to Zionist attacks on those who shed light on the conditions of the Palestinian people, as well as information on the situation on the Korean peninsula where the U.S. is conducting aggressive war games and also imposing its missile defence systems. TML Weekly calls on Canadians to inform themselves about these matters to help give organized expression to their aspirations for peace on a world scale. Notes 1. This included: - Canadian warships escorted the U.S. Navy through the Persian Gulf during the invasion; - Canadian Rear Admiral Roger Girouard led the U.S. coalition navy fleet during the war; - The contribution of more than two dozen logistics officers to the war effort in the Persian Gulf in early 2003; - Canadian Brigadier General Walter Natynczyk was second-in-command of the entire Iraq war for 2004. He commanded 10 brigades totalling 35,000 soldiers. When Governor General Clarkson gave Natynczyk the Meritorious Service Cross, her office extolled his "pivotal role in the development of numerous plans and operations[which]resulted in a tremendous contribution to Operation Iraqi Freedom, and brought great credit to the Canadian Forces and to Canada;"- Canadian military personnel on U.S. E-3 Airborne Warning and Control System warplanes provided surveillance, command, control and communications services; - Canada provided airspace for and refuelled U.S. aircraft travelling to and from the Iraq War, including in Gander, Newfoundland;- Canadian CC-130 military transport planes supplied "coalition" forces; - Canadian soldiers took part in the occupation of Afghanistan, freeing up thousands of U.S. troops for deployment to Iraq; - Dozens of Canadian troops also took part under U.S. command; - Other contributions to the U.S. war effort, included weapons testing, providing depleted uranium, diplomatic support, military exports and funding of various kinds. (Richard Sanders, "Canada's secret war in Iraq," Common Ground , February 2008.) 2. Among the initiatives in support of U.S. war preparations, Canada's government announced on February 28 that it is purchasing 20 state-of-the-art "weather radars" to replace its current network of doppler radars, including those operated by the Department of National Defence (DND). Along with it comes a new $430 million supercomputer being built by IBM in the Montreal area. Among other things, DND says the computer will support "Department of National Defence and Canadian Coast Guard operations in support of sovereignty at home and abroad..." (TML Weekly No. 10, March 25, 2017)