Bush Welcomed by Leader, Not Canadians

With lighthearted banter and an elegant beef dinner, President Bush and Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin proclaimed a new era of goodwill between the two neighbors Tuesday, agreeing to set aside friction over Iraq and pledging to resolve lingering trade and security issues.

The bonhomie between the leaders was not matched on the streets outside, however, where several thousand demonstrators rallied against the president and his policies. The situation culminated in a scuffle with riot police in the late afternoon, and 12 arrests were reported.

“I made some decisions, obviously, that some in Canada didn’t agree with, like, for example, when we removed Saddam Hussein and [enforced] demands of the United Nations Security Council,” Bush said during a news conference with Martin. “But the agenda that the prime minister and I talked about is one where most people should agree.”

Among those issues, the president said, were rebuilding Afghanistan, promoting democracy in Iraq and free trade in the Western Hemisphere, and fighting disease and poverty in Africa.

“I’m the kind of fellow who does what he thinks is right and will continue to do what I think is right,” Bush added. “I’ll consult with our friends and neighbors, but if I think it’s right to remove Saddam Hussein for the security of the United States, that’s the course of action I’ll take.”

Despite Canadian support for the U.S. in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, tensions between the two countries flared over the U.S. decision to go to war in Iraq. Although Canada had supplied troops to assist U.S. forces in Afghanistan, it declined to do so in Iraq.

In late March 2003, as U.S. forces were fighting in Iraq, Bush canceled what would have been his first visit to Canada’s capital. (In 2001, Bush traveled to Quebec City for a Summit of the Americas meeting, but his trip was confined to the summit and was not considered an official visit to Canada.) Tuesday’s meeting was a rescheduling of that appearance.

The president tried to make light of past disagreements, dismissing a Canadian reporter’s suggestion that the country’s public feels alienated from its neighbors to the south.

“I, frankly, felt like the reception we received on the way in from the airport was very warm and hospitable, and I want to thank the Canadian people who came out to wave -- with all five fingers -- for their hospitality,” Bush said as the audience chuckled.

“I know what you mean, Mr. President,” Martin responded, recalling an incident last week during the Asia-Pacific summit in Chile. “I found that Spanish and English and French are three different languages, but that sign language is universal.”

Since Martin succeeded the combative Jean Chretien as Canada’s prime minister, he has made it a point to improve relations with the United States.

“It is quite normal among countries to have this kind of disagreement,” Martin said, switching between French and English while Bush listened at his side. “But we have common shared values, shared ambitions, and we share optimism also. I think that that is what is fundamental.”

For his part, the president made a point of praising Martin’s leadership. And he made several conciliatory gestures toward his Canadian hosts. He promised to help push for a repeal of a ban on live cattle imports to the United States that was imposed after an imported cow tested positive last year for bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or mad cow disease.

“The prime minister has expressed a great deal of frustration that the issue hasn’t been resolved yet,” Bush said. “I don’t know if you’ve got bureaucracy here in Canada or not, but we’ve got one in America, and there are a series of rules that have to be met in order for us to be able to allow the trafficking of cows back and forth, particularly those 30 months and younger. So we’re working as quickly as we can.”

To emphasize his comfort with Canadian beef, the president dined on tenderloin from Alberta during a gala reception and dinner at the Canadian Museum of Civilization, the country’s most popular museum.

“I was pleased to see when I opened up the menu that we’ll be eating Alberta beef,” Bush said as he toasted his hosts.

A senior U.S. official said that the cattle import question should be resolved in no less than five months and perhaps sooner. A proposed regulatory change that would permit the imports is currently under review by the Office of Management and Budget. That should be completed within 90 days, and after that, Congress has 60 days to review it before it takes effect.

The president ends his trip today with a speech in the Atlantic port city of Halifax to thank Canadians for hosting stranded U.S. air passengers after the 2001 attacks -- a subject that allows him to highlight cross-border friendship while emphasizing the continued threat of terrorism to the United States.