Open The NORAD Pandora's Box

As of August 2004, its missile warning capabilities are available to U.S. missile defence commanders. NORAD's five-year agreement is up for renewal on May 12, 2006, but few have yet given this critical defence and security issue the attention it rightly deserves. Opening a debate on NORAD and ballistic missile defence (BMD) associated with it would be opening a virtual Pandora's Box to be sure, but nothing approaching a frank and honest discussion about these complex issues has yet to take place during this election campaign. "Given the way ballistic missile defence was killed by opposition from the Bloc, the NDP and part of the Liberal caucus, plus the failure of the prime minister to do anything to get it through, I think there is every possibility that the same thing will happen again," explains Dr. Jack Granatstein, a Fellow of the Canadian Defence & Foreign Affairs Institute (CDFAI). "And, if that happens again, then our defence relationship with the United States will be in ruins, frankly," Granatstein said. Conservative leader Stephen Harper was reported Tuesday saying that if the United States made a proposal for Canadian participation in missile defence and if it were to be judged in Canada's interest, he would submit a proposal to Parliament. For further information: Janice Andersson, Manager, External Relations, (403) 231-7677, jandersson@cdfai.org http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/December2005/14/c0487.html

Note: http://www.newswire.ca/...