U.S. Ambassador Rebukes Canada, Warns of Retaliation

U.S. Ambassador Rebukes Canada, Warns of Retaliation

NewsMax Wires
Thursday, March 27, 2003

Paul Cellucci, the U.S. ambassador to Canada, rebuked Jean Chrétien's government for refusing to join the war on Iraq and criticized the prime minister for allowing a stream of anti-American comments by Liberal MPs to go unpunished, Canada's National Post reported.

The paper continued: "In an unusually frank diplomatic critique of Canadian foreign policy, Mr. Cellucci said the federal government had abandoned the United States in a time of need and warned the economic relationship between the U.S. and Canada will suffer as a result."

"There is no security threat to Canada that the United States would not be ready, willing and able to help with," Mr. Cellucci said in a speech to the Economic Club of Canada in Toronto. "There would be no debate. There would be no hesitation. We would be there for Canada, part of our family. And that is why so many in the United States are disappointed and upset that Canada is not fully supporting us now."

In the Commons yesterday, Mr. Chrétien defended Canada's right to disagree with the United States.

"Of course [Mr. Cellucci] is disappointed. We are all disappointed somewhat that we could not agree," Mr. Chrétien said. "They have the right to make their own decision, as I said, and we have the right as an independent country to make our own decision. ... Being independent and sovereign nations, we can disagree and remain good friends."

What Canadian Liberals Have Said About the U.S.:

Herb Dhaliwal, March 19:

"I think the world expects someone who is the President of a superpower to be a statesman. I think he has let, not only Americans, but the world down by not being a statesman."

MP Carolyn Parrish, Feb. 26:

"Damn Americans. I hate those bastards."

Jean Chrétien, Feb. 13:

"Great strength is not always perceived by others as benign. Not everyone around the world is prepared to take the word of the United States on faith."

MP Colleen Beaumier, Jan. 29:

"This is a war against children. No matter how you slice it, there is more to this war than the Bush regime and the Saddam Hussein regime. How many children are we going to kill to replace that regime?"

MP Benoît Serré, Jan. 29:

"George Bush is very trigger-happy. "

Françoise Ducros, Nov. 20, 2002:

"What a moron," she said, referring to Bush.

Also read: Canada, Mexico Join Other Nations in Opposing U.S. – CLICK HERE

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