Canada May Negotiate With U.S. on Missile Defense

Canadian Defense Minister Gordon O’Connor may reopen talks with the United States on his country’s involvement in the U.S. missile defense program, Bloomberg reported yesterday (see GSN, Feb. 23).

“In principle I don’t have difficulty personally with ballistic missile defense,” O’Connor said yesterday. However, Washington would have to formally ask for new talks and any agreement would be subject to approval by the Canadian Parliament.

Former Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin last year rejected involvement in the missile shield. The Conservative Party of Canada in elections last month ousted Martin and his Liberal Party from office.

U.S. Ambassador to Canada David Wilkins declined to comment yesterday on whether the United States would request talks on missile defense (Bloomberg, Feb. 23).

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