Mark Bourrie

OTTAWA (IPS) – Bowing to pressure from the public and his own parliamentary colleagues, Canada’s prime minister has risked the ire of the Bush administration by rejecting Canadian participation in Washington’s ballistic missile defense (BMD) system. Prime Minister Paul Martin made the announcement Thursday, although Canadian officials said Bush was informed earlier this week at … Continue reading “Relations Take Another Hit as Canada Rejects U.S. Missile Shield”

OTTAWA – With Canada’s governing Liberal Party clinging to power by a shaky minority in Parliament, Washington’s controversial North American missile defense program may create a crisis that will force the country into a snap election. Even within the Liberal Party, many MPs are opposed to the missile defense system and the George W. Bush … Continue reading “US Missile Shield Finds Few Takers in Canada”

OTTAWA – Canada’s broadcast regulator has approved Qatar-based news channel al-Jazeera for the country’s digital cable TV market, but with censorship rules that are so stringent it is unlikely to be carried in this country, say television executives. The Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) approved al-Jazeera for digital distribution last week, but accepted demands … Continue reading “Yes Means No for al-Jazeera in Canada”

The Canadian government has ordered a public inquiry into the role of intelligence agents in the arrest and deportation of a man who was seized by U.S. authorities while he changed planes in New York City and sent to a Syrian prison. Maher Arar, a native Syrian with Canadian citizenship, was arrested in September 2002 … Continue reading “Canada to Probe Intel Agencies’ Role in Arar Deportation”

Canada’s decision to hold talks with Washington on a proposed US missile defense program has breathed new life into the country’s peace movement. The federal government agreed earlier this month to start official talks on joining the defense shield, which would use satellites, radar and ground-based weapons to track and destroy ballistic missiles. New Defense … Continue reading “Canadian Govt Talks on US Missile Plan Boosts Peace Movement”