Participation in missile shield not a done deal

By ALLISON DUNFIELD
Globe and Mail Update

Defence Minister David Pratt says although Canada is launching negotiations
with the United States regarding a controversial U.S. missile defence
shield, it doesn't mean Ottawa intends to sign on.

"It's an expression of goodwill in terms of good-faith negotiations.
It's a desire to have more access to detailed information about the
security architecture of the ballistic missile defence system, and it's
nothing more than that," Mr. Pratt said Thursday in Ottawa. "It's
not a road that we're proceeding down from which we cannot turn and come
back. We take our responsibilities in terms of protection of Canadians very
seriously. We want to engage in serious and constructive discussions with
the Americans."

Sources told The Globe and Mail this week that the Canadian and U.S.
governments will begin formal negotiations soon through an exchange of
letters between Mr. Pratt and U.S. Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. Prime
Minister Paul Martin is also likely to discuss the ballistic missile
defence (BMD) plan with U.S. President George W. Bush next week at the
Summit of the Americas in Mexico.

The multibillion-dollar plan would mean missiles would be placed at ground
and sea bases to shoot down incoming missiles from rogue states. Canada is
not likely to decide before a spring election whether to sign on to the
plan, but government sources indicated this week that Ottawa is
"inching toward the inevitable."

Mr. Pratt said moving ahead will mean taking a closer look at details.
"The next step would be the signing of a letter of intent, which would
allow us further access to detailed U.S. security information," Mr.
Pratt said. He said things should move forward "in the next little
while" but wouldn't say if the letter could be signed and delivered
before Mr. Martin meets Mr. Bush in Mexico.

MP John Godfrey, who has expressed reservations about BMD in the past, told
CBC Newsworld on Thursday that while he favours of an exchange of
information with Washington, he wants to see Canada retain some autonomy in
the way the program is implemented. "There are three tests as to
whether we enter any kind of deal with the Americans," Mr. Godfrey
said. "Test 1 is, do we have some effective role or influence  we're
not just passive, we actually have some determination of how things go?
Test 2  does it significantly and demonstrably increase the security of
Canadians? And thirdly, we absolutely have to draw the bottom line at
anything that leads to the weaponization of space."

NDP Leader Jack Layton held a news conference Thursday to voice his
concerns about the program. He said Canada should say no to participation
in a U.S. missile defence program that is "a profoundly dangerous
idea." Mr. Layton said the proposed system won't work, would be
frighteningly expensive and destabilize the international situation.

On the other side of the debate, Canadian Alliance defence critic Jay Hill
said the fact that Ottawa is set to begin negotiations with the United
States on missile defence is "simply more policy dithering by Prime
Minister Paul Martin. "The Liberals have had plenty of time to
consider the merits of this program, because our allies advanced it as an
option more than seven years ago," said Mr. Hill in a statement.
"What's important now is for the government to ensure that Canada
plays a leading role. Instead, we get more dithering on a crucially
important issue -- protecting Canadian air space."


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