Canada Opts Out of Missile Defense Plan

Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin said Thursday that his country would opt out of the contentious U.S. missile defense program, a move that is expected to please constituents at home but could further strain relations with Washington after Canada’s opposition to the Iraq war.

Weeks after President Bush pressed Martin for a public endorsement of the planned ballistic missile system in December, Canadian officials notified their U.S. counterparts this week during a NATO summit in Brussels that Canada would not be signing on. But Martin tried to soften the impact with an $11-billion commitment to shore up his country’s military and border security, two things the White House had asked Canada to do.

“Let me be clear. We respect the right of the United States to defend itself and its people,” Martin told reporters in Ottawa. “However, BMD is not where we will concentrate our efforts.”

In Washington, the news came as a disappointment to Bush administration officials, who have been trying to drum up international support for the program and had hoped for backing from one of its closest neighbors.

“Obviously, we would have liked to have had Canada be part of it,” said a State Department official who spoke on condition of anonymity. “But they make decisions based on national considerations. It’s their decision.”

In Nova Scotia in December, Bush appealed for Canada’s support for the defense system. But the State Department official denied Thursday that Canada’s refusal to participate would hurt plans for the system or upset relations between the two nations.

“We’re going to press ahead with it any way we can,” he said.

U.S. officials have discussed the missile program with Japan, Britain, Denmark, Australia, Israel, the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Russia, Turkey, Spain, Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Ukraine, Taiwan and India.

The North American missile shield would still protect Canadians, State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said Tuesday. But Ottawa will not participate in building the system or have a say in how to respond to a missile heading toward North America.

Some Canadian proponents saw the program as a low-cost way to bolster ties with Washington after a long stretch of alienation under former Prime Minister Jean Chretien.

When Martin took office in December 2003, he seemed to support Canada’s involvement in the program and signed a defense agreement with the U.S. in August that offered Canadian help in detecting and identifying missile threats.

But as head of a minority government, with his own Liberal Party divided over the issue, Martin did not want to gamble his post over missile defense, Canadian officials said.

“Whatever its druthers on the merits, Martin’s government did not have the support to get this passed. If it were defeated, he would likely lose his position,” said Paul Heinbecker, Canada’s former U.N. ambassador who heads the Laurier Center for Global Relations, Governance and Policy.

But the decision and its delay may have irritated the White House, which has launched a campaign to smooth relations with allies that opposed the Iraq war.

“With France and Russia warming up again, suddenly Canada is the odd man out,” said Aurel Braun, professor of international relations at University of Toronto.

“One thing that the Bush administration seems to appreciate is strong leadership. It makes planning simpler,” Braun said. “The wavering diminishes Martin’s international stature, and makes him a far less reliable partner for the United States.”

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Richter reported from Washington and Farley from the United Nations. Special correspondent Andrew van Velzen in Toronto contributed to this report.