Whisper
November 23rd, 2007, 04:17 PM
Canada has been making some noise on the world stage in the last few days. In the UN, Canada has been trying to censure Iran on its human rights abuses. For the last five years Canada has been trying to condemn Iran in the Social, Humanitarian and Cultural Committee to no avail.
This year's defeat stung even more because Afghanistan voted against the resolution. CanWest News Service's Steven Edwards analyzed the move:
One interpretation of Afghanistan's move will be that the government of President Hamid Karzai cares more about its relations with Iran than with Canada -- despite Canada's massive commitment to Afghan reconstruction, and cost in Canadian lives.
He does point out that resolutions that 'name and shame' countries, like Canada's are unpopular with many countries and that Afghanistan may merely be acting pragmatically.
Canada's other big move internationally is related to the upcoming meeting of Commonwealth leaders in Uganda. Prime Minister Stephen Harper has come out and said that Pakistan should be suspended from the Commonwealth unless Gen. Musharraf ends the state of emergency and restores the constitution.
"A number of commitments have been made over and over again to remove the uniform and it has still not been done," said junior foreign affairs minister Helena Guergis, who briefed reporters during a break in the marathon session on Pakistan. "We support the suspension."
But while Canada plays bad cop with Pakistan, it seems that UK Prime Minister is playing good cop:
Speaking before leaving for Uganda, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown welcomed Gen. Musharraf's steps "to return Pakistan to normality" including setting a date for legislative elections.
"He (Gen. Musharraf) has assured me that he will do his utmost to lift the state of emergency in time for free and fair elections to be held and to give up his military role and responsibilities as soon as possible," Mr. Brown said.
http://communities.canada.com/nationalpost/blogs/posted/archive/2007/11/22/canada-on-the-world-stage-censuring-iran-and-booting-pakistan-out-of-the-commonwealth.aspx
This year's defeat stung even more because Afghanistan voted against the resolution. CanWest News Service's Steven Edwards analyzed the move:
One interpretation of Afghanistan's move will be that the government of President Hamid Karzai cares more about its relations with Iran than with Canada -- despite Canada's massive commitment to Afghan reconstruction, and cost in Canadian lives.
He does point out that resolutions that 'name and shame' countries, like Canada's are unpopular with many countries and that Afghanistan may merely be acting pragmatically.
Canada's other big move internationally is related to the upcoming meeting of Commonwealth leaders in Uganda. Prime Minister Stephen Harper has come out and said that Pakistan should be suspended from the Commonwealth unless Gen. Musharraf ends the state of emergency and restores the constitution.
"A number of commitments have been made over and over again to remove the uniform and it has still not been done," said junior foreign affairs minister Helena Guergis, who briefed reporters during a break in the marathon session on Pakistan. "We support the suspension."
But while Canada plays bad cop with Pakistan, it seems that UK Prime Minister is playing good cop:
Speaking before leaving for Uganda, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown welcomed Gen. Musharraf's steps "to return Pakistan to normality" including setting a date for legislative elections.
"He (Gen. Musharraf) has assured me that he will do his utmost to lift the state of emergency in time for free and fair elections to be held and to give up his military role and responsibilities as soon as possible," Mr. Brown said.
http://communities.canada.com/nationalpost/blogs/posted/archive/2007/11/22/canada-on-the-world-stage-censuring-iran-and-booting-pakistan-out-of-the-commonwealth.aspx