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Great White North
U.S. must not intrude on Canadian airspace: Martin
2005-02-25
OTTAWA - Steve's younger brother, Prime Minister Paul Martin said Canada must be consulted before the U.S. decides to fire on missiles that enter Canadian airspace, despite Ottawa's refusal to participate in America's missile defence program. "I don't think that anyone expected that there would be any other finger on a button than the Americans," Martin said Friday looking around for the rimshot he cued, a day after his decision not to join the program.

"But in terms of Canadian airspace, yes we would expect to be consulted pursuant to the instructions on form CA-630-824/2 rev.5/2/05. This is our airspace and we're not sharing. We're a sovereign nation. And you don't intrude on a sovereign nation's airspace without seeking permission even if they can't defend it themselves," Martin said.

Martin also rejected claims by U.S. ambassador to Canada Paul Cellucci that Canada has given up its sovereignty by saying no to the missile plan. Cellucci had said the U.S. was surprised by Martin's decision, saying "we simply cannot understand why Canada would, in effect, give up its sovereignty, its seat at the table, to decide what to do about missiles that might be headed towards Canada."

"We did not give up sovereignty," Martin responded. "We affirmed sovereignty."
snip
Posted by:Mrs. Davis

#18  --I really sense people who are tired of being the masters of their own destinies; who are _begging_ someone, anyone to come along and take over their lives regardless of the consequences.--

Except if they're american.
Posted by: anonymous2u   2005-02-25 11:37:37 PM  

#17  They could always shoot down our anti-missile missiles. Oh wait, I forgot.
Posted by: ed   2005-02-25 11:06:25 PM  

#16  So when will Mr. Martin announce that Canada must be consulted before someone fires a missile that enters Canadian airspace that is headed for the US.
Posted by: Stephen   2005-02-25 8:55:42 PM  

#15  Quebec.
Posted by: Mrs. Davis   2005-02-25 6:35:24 PM  

#14  Prime Minister Paul Martin said Canada must be consulted before the U.S. decides to fire on missiles that enter Canadian airspace,..

Sheesh, where do the Canucks manage to find these clueless dolts?
Posted by: Bomb-a-rama   2005-02-25 6:29:00 PM  

#13  I'm beginning to suspect he-who-must-not-be-named has gotten a consulting gig up north.
Posted by: Mrs. Davis   2005-02-25 6:27:29 PM  

#12  Potentially a problem.

If we want to deploy a missile defense system it would be nice to put some interceptor launch sites in northern Canada. The basing issue is significant.

If we wanted to test interceptions vs over-the-pole shots even with interceptors launching from within the US the interceptions would be over northern Canada, so the airspace thing is significant.

Somebody big needs to sit down with the Canadians.
Posted by: buwaya   2005-02-25 6:14:36 PM  

#11  And you don't intrude on a sovereign nation's airspace without seeking permission

That's a fair point. We promise not to shoot down any missles that will be landing in Canada.
Posted by: 2b   2005-02-25 5:45:55 PM  

#10  Can't even do the right emoticon... :).
Posted by: Shipman   2005-02-25 5:40:36 PM  

#9  Are there Canadians in Star Trek?

(aside to Gromky) You surely right on that. :(
Posted by: Shipman   2005-02-25 5:39:44 PM  

#8  IIRC, the official airspace of any nation goes up 160,000 feet (30 miles). Most ballistic missles run at 60 miles up. So .... is this another case of a very minor player in world affairs trying to get a headline to make a name for himself? 'cause Canada or the US ain't got no say in what happens over their country in low earth orbit.
Posted by: mmurray821   2005-02-25 5:36:09 PM  

#7  Western Civ. The best thing that ever happened to this planet, and all of these assholes want to surrender it to the barbarians and thus destroy it.

I really need to take some time and and read Carlyle and Hegel and come to grips with the master/slave dialectic. Beneath all of the Chomskyite/socialist/left rhetoric, I really sense people who are tired of being the masters of their own destinies; who are _begging_ someone, anyone to come along and take over their lives regardless of the consequences. "Liberal (in the original sense) democracy must be crushed. Give me instead Stalin, Hitler, Khalifa, anything but the onerous burden that freedom places on me to make up my own mind, choose my own career, find my own mate," they seem to be pleading.

Well to hell with them. They can be slaves to whatever guru or ideology they can find. Just don't try to take away my freedom.
Posted by: 11A5S   2005-02-25 5:26:27 PM  

#6  Are you guys talking about William Shantner?
Posted by: Mrs. Davis   2005-02-25 5:18:06 PM  

#5  They have in the past.
And it wasn't pretty...
Posted by: tu3031   2005-02-25 5:14:57 PM  

#4  heh. What are they gonna do, send a bunch of crappy musicians down here?
Posted by: BH   2005-02-25 5:10:45 PM  

#3  And if a missile comes at us, and we "intrude" to stop it, in order to defend ourselves (and them maybe), what are they going to do? Send a pack of marauding out-of-work striking NHL players to invade us?
Posted by: BigEd   2005-02-25 5:06:17 PM  

#2  yawn.
Posted by: 2b   2005-02-25 5:03:27 PM  

#1  "We did not give up sovereignty," Martin responded. "We affirmed sovereignty."

Actually, the only thing that determines sovereignty is the ability to defend your land. Affirmations of sovereignty never held back a single army. You wanna test whether you're sovereign?
Posted by: BH   2005-02-25 4:59:42 PM  

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