Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien has thrown his country’s support behind a U.S. plan to develop a missile defense shield, Canada’s National Post reported Saturday (see GSN, May 30).

Ottawa approved negotiations Thursday with U.S. defense officials on missile defense cooperation.

“We are starting discussions because it is the defense of our cities.  The Americans do want to defend effectively New York, Boston, Washington, Chicago and Seattle.  Physically they have to stop the missiles before they get to Vancouver, Toronto, Ottawa or Montreal,” Chretien said.  However, he said he remained opposed to the weaponization of space.

“We are talking at this time about the defense from missiles.  It is not the weaponization of space.  It is establishing a defense system to protect North America,” he said.  “There will not be a program in which we will participate if it is to be the weaponization of the space,” he added (Fife/Alberts, National Post, May 31).

A recently released report from the Canadian Defense Science Advisory Board recommends Ottawa become involved in the missile defense effort.  The study was completed last August but was not made public until recently.

“This would be prudent given the threat to our forces and could position Canada much more strongly for continental missile defense in the future,” the advisory board’s report says (Canadian Press, June 1).

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