Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - January 17, 1991, Winnipeg, Manitoba Winnipeg free press january Page focus Clark defends Canadas role in crisis Ottawa there can be no More solemn or gut wrench ing chore for a parliamentarian than making the Choice be tween War and no War even though parliament does not for Mally play a role in sending forces into the mood in the commons this week was As maps stood up to confront this for Brian Mulroney and his min the chore was More daunting still to justify the governments decision to go to external affairs minister Joe Clark was the first to speak for the government after the prime minis picking up on Mulroney most crucial Points but As Well putting on the record a but impress outline of Canadas behind the scenes diplomatic it was a Story Clark appeared eager and proud to put on the and not Only because it largely refutes the charge from government critics that Canada has been in the pocket throughout the Kuwait it suggests Canada exerted a genuine influence on the in postponing War and in shaping the circumstances under which that ultimate Sanction would be As Well As operating on a Broad front to activate a series of peace Clark wanted it known that he was not Able to Tell the whole and that some of the initiatives were still under yet the Story he recounted is and we must Hope one Day to hear More Are seven examples of that backstage Diplo Macy surgical strike d after the crisis broke in Mulroney met president George Bush in a meeting arranged before the Iraq at that senior americans were counselling the government to launch its own surgical the government being much inclined at that Point to Deal with Saddam Hussein on its Canadas prime minister said such an attack would be unacceptable to the ministers speech leaves the impression that it was this counsel that caused the to hold Clark referred to the existing relationship As an Opportunity for unprecedented in fluence upon a and maintains that Canada used that relationship to encourage the to work with the world in trying to resolve this Joan Cohen Ottawa editor d still the minister acknowledges Canada was not alone in influencing Canada told the that if Saddam Hussein was to be dealt with effectively and with a such action would have to be taken under the authority of the United and while other nations made the same Clark hints that Canada played a role in getting at least some of these to make the same that is Why this debate today is not about what one nation might he this debate is about whether this coun try will support the in in what it has decided to draft resolutions d More up As Clark was to Point Canada has been extraordinarily Active at the cosponsoring and As so often in past crises in drafting the in finding ways to make them and his words hint in winning support by helping other nations get resolutions dear to them through the d Canada used its connections to the third world in an Effort to get through to Brian Mulroney contacted president Diouf of incoming president of the islamic conference and president of la the organization of French language and helped him Convene a meeting of third world leaders to launch a Mission to Saddam the Mission got As far As but then Saddam Hussein asked that its visit be delayed until after the Secretary of state had neither visit Ever Mulroney and the prime minister of Mali chaired a conference on children in new and their conversations produced a visit to Baghdad by Malis foreign minis Canada also used its common wealth and la francophone contacts to try to get through to Saddam d Clark says Canada worked aggressively to encourage Arab Lead ers to look for a solution and to work he that this Effort included trying to overcome the differences that existed Between Jordans King Hus Sein and other Arab in this Mulroney met with the egyptian president Hosni Mubarak and while Clark himself toured the holding talks with King the talks with King Hussein included a lengthy discussion about the hostages being held by the Iraq immediately Hus Sein informed Clark he was about to make a return trip to a trip that helped persuade Saddam Hussein to release the remaining d Clark told the commons the government is in daily Contact with Heads of government and foreign ministers in 50 or 60 countries which might be Able to exert some influence on the iraqi Mulroney is in regular Contact with King British prime minister John French prime minister Francois Mitterrand and soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev on the without effect in Clark finally insisted there has been an extraordinary by Canada and other coun to find a diplomatic solution to the but without Clark left a tiny door suggesting As he began his speech and As he wound Down his that the government was still look ing for alternatives not waiting for sanctions to not running but real it was a remark characteristic of this ear nest minister and honestly but with waiting ruled out As an he was unlikely to get the ideas he hoped useful warning if Clarks speech was memo it was probably for its warn Ings about the Likely Cost to the in of a decision to Back away from a military Effort to free to refrain from enforcing the Security Council resolutions pressing for iraqi of what value would the United nations be if we said we were not serious he wanted to the men who created the United nations were he told the they had seen the Futi Lity of having rules without having the capacity to enforce so they created a charter giving the world the right to deter aggression and reverse it by if Neces then came the cold War and that purpose went unfulfilled until the world United to condemn sad dam Hussein after 12 resolutions Clear and do we say that Clark says Canada worked hard backstage to Avert War in the persian after we were just or As Jean Chretien had tried to argue do we attempt to justify a wrong by saying that we accepted wrongs in the past and did not act on them if the minister we Are contemplating the destruction of the United nations and the internal order that it now has the Chance to the general arguments against War in Are that sanctions have not been Given sufficient and Given Saddam Hussein would be brought to his Brian Mulroney and now Joe Clark had both offered the direct Long cited by experts on the Region Saddam Hussein and his soldiers would be the last to suffer from Hussein would see to Hussein has no qualms about let Ting his people starve after he gassed them to get at iranian troops during the Ira Iraq critics will continue to hold out Hope for sanctions in response to Clarks argument that the in will be undermined if the worlds nations this month falter at the Brink of and pull the Clark argument is but it does not totally meet the argument that sanctions have not been sufficiently and that Only when they Are and if they fail should Mili tary action be yet Clark is it is very difficult to conceive of a situation occur ring where the International com in would summon the will to stand up to an aggressor if this Effort fails after achieving so much Unity of and sustain ing it Over five Long the world has worked very hard to find peace it has girded itself to use its ultimate and it risks much if it backs let have the final say if the persian Gulf situation is not resolved in the Way the in has if Saddam Hussein is allowed to keep the spoils of his then canadians must accept a in which will fail in the future a in which will be unable to deter or turn Back further aggression an organization seriously weakened in its ability to help developed countries or to help feed or to help clean up the the world has just begun to treat the in surely this is not the time to in the persian Gulf the world is not departing from the unit is returning to the lottery move to Gettys Riding defies logic and common sense no Well a a Nofi Noliti St Fittler receives few benefits Doest Back to life despite an end Edmonton whats next for Stettler the world Bank big league baseball maybe the Headquarters of the United nations you never anything seems possible in the Rural Riding Premier Don Getty won in a 1989 by election after he was Defeated in the latest to Send the marketing Arm of the Western can Ada lottery corporation to the Cen trial Alberta is absolutely out this body will be As out of place in Stettler As Gettys extravagant new this seems obvious to the startled Don braid in Alberta workers at the marketing division in who spent most of last week in panic meetings or rousing each other from various Levels of they had a notion they might be moved this has been in the wind for a Long Alberta deserves More of the systems benefits because Al Wertans buy so Many lottery tick after years of the Manitoba government finally but moving the marketing division from Winnipeg to a town of this is said one woman i spoke to on the big marketing agencies need the facilities of a much larger they require Access to full service advertising Media and research As a there will be a lot of travel to not Good sense the same problems would exist in any Small town in the this int a Knock on Stettler although my dear friends at the Stettler inde pendent will Likely see it that the move is simply an affront to Good As Well As a huge Politi Cal mistake for the Alberta even More dubious is the claim that this has nothing to do with Gettys status As Ken Kowals the minister who oversees lot claims Stettler won Only be cause it deserves Getty Doest deny its my he Kowalski notes that Stettler gets a Low level of provincial Grants in lieu of taxes because it lacks Crown True but other such As Pincher get even none of them has a Premier As the argument that Stettler receives few benefits Doest fool anyone by Grants in lieu of taxes Are Only one measure by Many Stettler has done Well since Getty became the the town won the Alberta summer which will bring ath letes and a lot of Money to the Riding next this has prompted construction of Many highly useful Public such As Tennis courts in a Community of retired citizens who dont private phone lines began going in and Road paving proceeded with great Speed near the site of the premiers a project to improve nearby Buffalo Lake sprang Back to life despite an environment department decision against University Transfer courses were Avail and an Sadac treatment Centre the premiers in an at tempt to justify the Doest mention any of a press release makes the town look As poverty Tri Ken As communities below Stettler on the Grant list Are conveniently Stettler keeps coming up with the winning the trouble most albertan will think this lottery is Don braid is a Calgary Herald anti americanism guides nip policy jul Favio com Rita a Tirril sprees with the for the Rescue of it is Clear that the Only foreign policy liberals and new democrats have is one of if they have any other foreign it was invisible during the debate in parliament on tuesday Over sup port for the in Resolution authorizing the use of Force against Saddam Liberal Leader Jean Chretien called the authorized action against Iraq a this May come As something of a Surprise to the United to to to the and to the other nations whose forces will participate because they consider the War to be a United nations Chretien statement will certainly sur prise the Small contingent of czechoslovakian troops in the Middle representing a country which has been since the turn of the served up on a plate of the czechs dont consider themselves to be a Lackey for taking part against they Are there to Deal with the same kind of aggression which turned them and their lives Over to the nazis in 1938 and then to the soviets in the dutch and australian Navy warships in the which have been Inte grated into the Overall Force under american do not consider themselves to be lickers of american they Are taking part in a United nations authorized opera Tion to Stop a brutal in spite of what the Jean the Audrey and the Lloyd a worthy of this country May the Canadian service personnel now in the Gulf Are doing exactly the same Jean Chretien said it directly and Audrey Mclaughlin hinted at her support for a Canadian policy which would see the Canad forces turn and head for Home at the first Fred Cleverley shot fired in Jean Chretien is too smart a politician with too much experience in government to for even a to that if he were prime minister he would Issue such an we should All remember that even Lloyd who is never happier these Days than when he is in full pacifist was a member of the Federal Cabinet which authorized the testing of the cruise missile Over Audrey Mclaughlin has no such experience in government and yet it is most probable should she be prime she would be acting just As Brian Mulroney is acting concerning the crisis in the All that Mclaughlin and Axworthy Are doing is proving that they can be completely irresponsible in opposition and that we should Trust them to be smarter if we hand them the reins of we should be under no illusion that the withdrawal of the Canadian forces now in the Gulf would affect what other United nations members Are doing and will do our three obsolete warships could head for Halifax and the in Gulf operations would not miss a our cf18 fighters would be but Only As Long As it would take for them to be replaced by Navy hornets from the nearest aircraft if we followed Chretien advice we would do ourselves irreparable harm in world no one would Trust us Ever All we would do would be to ensure that the decisions regarding world affairs would be taken without the Benefit of a Canadian voice being the Chretien and the Mclaughlin have Tunnel vision when they talk about Canadas great traditional role As a Canada has another traditional just As As a nation which acts in concert with other like minded nations to Correct the wrongs of the this like Canada did in it has chosen to take its place alongside other nations whose policies it finds what is really difficult to understand is in the minds of canadians such As Lloyd Axworthy and Stephen the United nations could be supported without question As Long As it was engaged in opposing but cannot be supported when its Security Council agrees with the Chretien made a Point of the fact that not Allun members oppose to Iraq Are represented by forces in the he said there would be Only eight or nine there with How Many does he want in his the containment of Saddam Hussein emerges from his present description that it is a War and becomes a in operation is the War Only Over Oil the Supply of Middle East Oil is necessary to the West including Europe and where it is More important than it is to North America and so the reference to Oil is a True control of the areas Oil Fields would enable Saddam a Man cruel enough to use chemical warfare on his own civilian to blackmail the concern about this is every bit As morally legitimate As concern for the Rescue of More so because it affects More this has been pointed out in the London Western led by the United have Laid themselves open to a charge of hypocrisy by acting in the defence of when they did not intervene in Afghanistan or surely this is another argument for not for another failure to what is at stake is not a but a collective action to protect an Independent As the Spectator it is a common defensive not a newly discovered Ideal of which has produced such remarkable unanimity in the United and for which Ordinary men and women Are and have been prepared both to kill and to if Jean Chretien and Audrey Mclaughlin want off the now is the time to doonesbury by Garry Trudeau w Ufa to know what mosta Mazepa Ono Man th5 in forgotten what opzmt10n logistics and support apprk1atz those ofu50nth5tip i ;