Tag Archives: Stephen Harper

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Stephen Harper instructs foreign minister to denounce Libyan dictator

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Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper

Story from the National Post. (H/T ECM)

Excerpt:

Libyan dictator Moammar Gaddafi has cancelled a planned visit to Canada, officials said Saturday, but the speculation that surrounded the stopover by one of the world’s most reclusive leaders was continuing on Canada’s East Coast.

Canadian officials said Gaddafi had scrapped plans to land in Newfoundland this Tuesday, purportedly to refuel his plane and spend the night.

It was an abrupt cancellation to a visit that has been cloaked in mystery and has kept the Rock’s rumour mill working overtime — including speculation the trip might still take place.

Word of the visit immediately caused a stir, with Prime Minister Stephen Harper ordering Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon to greet the leader upon his arrival to express this country’s outrage over the hero’s welcome Libya recently gave Lockerbie bomber Abdel Baset al-Megrahi. The alleged former Libyan intelligence officer, who is terminally ill, returned home after being released from a Scottish prison.

Harper doesn’t apologize to dictators, he intimidates them.

Don’t forget last week’s story where he ordered Lawrence Cannon to walk out on Ahmadinejad.

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Canada to walk out of Ahmadinejad’s speech at UN conference today

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Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper

While Obama belittles his own country and our allies at the UN conference, Canada is doing something really heroic.

Story from the Ottawa Citizen. (H/T Andrew, ECM, Hot Air, Gateway Pundit)

Excerpt:

Canada will boycott Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s speech at the United Nations today, saying his outbursts about the Holocaust and Israel are “shameful.”

Foreign Minister Lawrence Cannon will be at the world body to attend the opening of the UN General Assembly’s annual debate, but officials signal he and other members of the Canadian delegation will vacate when the Islamic republic’s president approaches the podium.

Walking out of the chamber is seen as a strong diplomatic show of disgust at the UN — and since the 192-member chamber is generally packed on the first day of the annual summit, Canada’s empty seats will not go unnoticed.

“President Ahmadinejad’s repeated denial of the Holocaust and his anti-Israel comments run counter to the values of the UN General Assembly, and they’re shameful,” said one Canadian official.

“He uses his public appearances to provoke the international community, and that is why Canada’s seats will be empty.”

Here are some media interviews with Stephen Harper if you would like to know more about him. A post about Harper visiting his troops in Afghanistan. A post about Harper signing free trade deals, and generally trying his best to lead the free world.

UPDATE: ECM sends this post from Ace. The other countries are following Stephen Harper’s lead.

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Canada signs free trade deal with Panama, tracks Russian subs on east coast

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Two pieces of good news for our neighbor to the North.

First, while Obama has been embracing protectionism, Canada has signed yet another free trade deal.

CTV News reports:

Canada has signed off on a free-trade agreement with Panama, which will immediately slash tariffs on a number of Canadian exports.

Excerpt:

[…]The new agreement with Panama will cut more than 90 per cent of tariffs on various Canadian exports, including agricultural exports and high-tech machinery. Any remaining tariffs will be eliminated within 10 years under the terms of the deal.

Beef producers will also benefit, as Panama will lift a six-year-old ban on Canadian beef as part of the deal, CTV’s Roger Smith said Tuesday.

[…]Beyond reducing tariffs on export goods, the deal will help Canadian businesses gain greater access to the Panamanian market, Smith said.

[…]Panama is the eighth country to reach a trade pact with Canada in the past year. Canada has also reached trade deals with four European countries and Peru. Similar deals with Colombia and Jordan have been signed, but not implemented.

Previously, I wrote about Obama’s naive protectionism. Anti-free-trade policies (= protectionism) is the kind of policy favored by people who do not know the first thing about economics. Being anti-free-trade is right up their with being pro rent-control. We are talking about amazing levels of economic ignorance, coupled with pandering to his ignorant special interest groups.

CTV also reports that Canada’s anti-submarine warfare (ASW) aircraft detected nuclear-powered (= quiet) Russian attack submarines patroling off the east coast.

Frankly, I am surprised that Canada was able to detect Akula class SSNs by using airborne ASW aircraft. I’ve used the S-3 Viking and the P-3 Orion fixed-wing platforms before, (as well as helicopters), and this CP-140 doesn’t look much different. If I had to bet, I would bet that they got the contact on the SOSUS network and that this press release is fudging things to make the Canadian forces look more effective than they really are.

Excerpt:

It’s unclear whether Canada took the initiative to have a CP-140 Aurora patrol plane watch the vessels, or whether there was a request from the U.S. Northern Command which tracks submarines.

My guess is that this is a SOSUS contact that was delegated to the Canadians for PR purposes. I just don’t believe that you are going to get a contact cold on an Akula-class attack submarine from a fixed wing aircraft. Akulas are quiet. These are not SSBNs like a Typhoon class – they much smaller. ASW aircraft are usually brought in after a sonar contact – otherwise you’re just wasting sonobuoys looking for a needle in a haystack.

Did you guys miss the story from earlier this year about Canada chasing off Russian bear aircraft?