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Ottawa Politician Calls for Ending U.S.-Canadian Missile Defense Talks
The leader of an opposition party in the Canadian Parliament said that Canada should end discussions with the United States about joining a U.S. missile defense plan, the Toronto Star reported today (see GSN, March 17). “We should withdraw from the talks,” said Jack Layton, leader of the left-wing New Democratic Party. “That would send a strong message to the world that we’re actually serious about re-engaging around disarmament,” he added (Bruce Campion-Smith, Toronto Star, March 18). Layton’s comments followed warnings from a former U.S. Defense Department official that the missile defense system is unworkable and that it would lead to the weaponization of space, something Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin opposes, according to the Toronto Star. Philip Coyle, an assistant defense secretary in the Clinton administration, told the Star that implementation of the system would lead to a new arms race but would not protect Canada. “I think there is a misunderstanding in Canada that somehow the United States is going to defend it with missile defenses,” Coyle said. “That’s not in the cards, at least not today, and it may never be,” he added. Coyle, a senior adviser at the Center for Defense Information, added that the system is not necessary for protection against missile attacks. He said if North Korea developed an intercontinental ballistic missile, the United States would not wait for it to be launched but would instead attack it on the ground. “It’s not like we are defenseless against such weapons, like some politicians and the Bush administration would have you believe,” said Coyle (Tim Harper, Toronto Star, March 17).
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