Canada and the Iraq War
Encyclopedia
The Iraq War began with the 2003 invasion of Iraq
. The government of Canada
did not at any time formally declare war
against Iraq
. Nevertheless, the government of Canada, and Canadian citizens had complex relationships to that war. Those complex relationships evolved and were redefined at various points in that war.
While Canada
had previously participated military action against Iraq
in the Gulf War
of 1991, it refused to declare war
against Iraq
without United Nations
approval. Even so, Prime Minister Jean Chrétien
said on October 10, 2002 that Canada would, in fact, be part of a military coalition to invade Iraq if it were sanctioned by the United Nations
. However, when the United States
and the United Kingdom
subsequently withdrew their diplomatic efforts to gain that UN sanction, Jean Chrétien announced in Parliament on March 17, 2003 that Canada would not participate in the pending invasion. Nevertheless, he offered the US and its soldiers his moral support. Two days earlier, a quarter million people in Montreal
had marched against the pending war. Major anti-war demonstrations had taken place in several other Canadian cities.
About a hundred Canadian exchange officers
, on exchange to American units, participated in the invasion of Iraq.
Canada's relation to the Iraq War that began in 2003 was unlike Canada's role in the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan
because it was far less direct.
It was reported that Canadian troops in the region numbered less than only three other participating countries.
The Iraq War also touched on Canada in the form of protests and counter-protests related to the conflict, and United States Military members who sought refuge
in the country after deserting
their posts to avoid deployment to Iraq.
at the time, Jean Chrétien
, advised
Governor General
Adrienne Clarkson
to not have Canada "join with the so-called Coalition of the willing
" that was central to the 2003 invasion of Iraq
. This position was consistent with that which the Prime Minister had earlier expressed before the 19 March 2003 invasion of Iraq; namely, that "Canada was unlikely to join an invasion without explicit support from the United Nations
." The decision by the United Nations (UN) on whether or not to sanction the invasion rested on two elements: a discussion of international law
, including the Nuremberg Principles
on preemptive war
; and the UN inspections for Iraq's alleged possession of Weapons of Mass Destruction
.
Though the leader of the Canadian Alliance
Party, Stephen Harper
, objected to the Prime Minister's position on Iraq, stating that Canada should be fighting alongside the US, Chrétien's decision reflected the view of the general Canadian public: In March 2003, a poll conducted by EKOS Research Associates
for the Toronto Star
and the Montreal
newspaper La Presse
found 71% of those questioned did not support the United States
-led invasion, with 27% expressing disapproval. As well, the Prime Minister's advice to the viceroy
was based on feasibility problems for Canada: on 31 March 2003, Maclean's
magazine reported that "Canada has committed about 2,000 troops to Afghanistan
this summer, a significant contribution given the stretched state of the Canadian military."
Bob Rae
, were sent in the summer of 2005 to help compose the new Iraqi constitution
, and Jean-Pierre Kingsley
served as head of the international team observing the Iraqi legislative election of January 2005. Due to security concerns, both of these groups were based in Jordan
.
was issued, the Governor General-in-Council
did order the mobilization of a number of Canadian Forces
personnel to serve actively in Iraq. On 31 March 2003, it was reported in Maclean's that in the previous month Canadian officers, aboard three frigates and a destroyer, had been placed in command of the multinational naval group Task Force 151, which patrolled the Persian Gulf
region. A further 30 Canadians worked at the US Central Command in Qatar
, and 150 troops were on exchange
with US and British forces
in proximity to combat. North American Aerospace Defense Command
(NORAD) stationed Canadian Air Force
pilots also flew combat missions with the US Air Force
E-3 Sentry
, and exchange officer
s fought with US units. In all, 40 to 50 Canadian military members participated in the conflict.
Because of this Canadian involvement in Iraq, the Ministers of the Crown
at the time were criticised by Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition
as hypocritical, and demands were made for the return of these Canadian Forces personnel. The Prime Minister stated that the Canadian military was not involved in direct combat, while still fulfilling its commitment to NORAD. However, it was claimed by Janice Gross Stein and Eugene Lang in The Unexpected War that people from Canadian ministries were in Washington, D.C.
, openly vaunting Canada's participation in Iraq; as Stein and Lang put it: "in an almost schizophrenic
way, the government bragged publicly about its decision to stand aside from the war in Iraq because it violated core principles of multilateralism and support for the United Nations. At the same time, senior Canadian officials, military officers and politicians were currying favour in Washington, privately telling anyone in the State Department of the Pentagon who would listen that, by some measures, Canada's indirect contribution to the American war effort in Iraq– three ships and 100 exchange officers– exceeded that of all but three other countries that were formally part of the coalition."
Amongst the Canadian officers who were sent to Iraq were: Brigadier General Walter Natynczyk
, who was later appointed Chief of the Defence Staff
; Major General Peter Devlin, who served since 14 December 2006 as Multi-National Corps-Iraq Deputy Command General as part of his role as Deputy Commander of the US III Corps through an officer exchange program; and General Nicolas Matern, a special forces officer and former commander of Canada's elite counter-terrorism unit, who in mid February 2008 began service as deputy to Lieutenant General Lloyd Austin.
, has been missing since 2004 and is presumed dead. The 2005 abduction of James Loney and Harmeet Singh Sooden
, both members of the organization Christian Peacemaker, garnered wide attention, as did their rescue the following year by Task Force Black, a multi-national operation that consisted of British, American, and Canadian special forces, supported by Task Force Maroon, Joint Task Force 2
, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
, and Canadian Security Intelligence Service
. The remaining four Canadians taken hostage included: Fadi Ihsan Fadel
, a Syria
n-Canadian employed by the International Rescue Committee who was taken hostage in Najaf
on 8 April 2004 and released eight days later; Naji al-Kuwaiti
, was taken hostage on 28 April 2004 and released on May 4 of the same year; Fairuz Yamucky, who was abducted on 6 September 2004 and rescued by a United States National Guard
unit sixteen days later; and Scott Taylor, a journalist abducted by Ansar al-Islam
in Tal Afar
on 9 September 2004 and held captive for five days.
Protests against the Iraq War and counter-protests supporting the conflict took place in Canada both before and after the invasion of Iraq. One of the first large scale demonstrations in opposition to the war took place at Queen's Park, Toronto
, where approximately 2,000 people gathered on 16 November 2002. The following day, as part of a cross-country day of action, a 3,000 strong anti-war coalition held a peace march from Peace Flame Park in Vancouver
, approximately 1,000 people marched in Montreal
, and about 500 individuals gathered in a snow storm on Parliament Hill
in Ottawa
, while other rallies took place in Edmonton
, Winnipeg
, and Halifax.
Canadians also took part in a set of protests that took place in towns and cities around the world in February 2003, the biggest in Canada being the gathering of more than 100,000 people in Montreal, despite wind-chill temperatures of −30 °C (−22 °F). A further 10,000 people joined a demonstration in Toronto, 20,000 in Vancouver, 18,000 in Edmonton, 8,000 in Victoria
, 4,000 in Halifax, 2,000 in Ottawa; altogether, protests were held in close to 60 communities across the country.
military personnel who refused to participate, or continue to participate, in that specific war. Their refusal meant that they faced the possibility of punishment in the United States
according to Article 85 of the US Uniform Code of Military Justice. For that reason some of them chose to go to Canada
as a place of refuge.
The choice of these US Iraq war resisters to go to Canada
has led to considerable debate in Canada
's society, press, legal arenas, and political arenas. On June 3, 2008 and March 30, 2009, two motions were passed in the Parliament of Canada
in support of the war resisters' efforts to stay in Canada. An Angus Reid Strategies
poll taken on June 6 and 7, 2008, showed that 64% of Canadians agreed with that motion. But the motions' recommendation was non-binding and was never implemented by the minority
Conservative
government. Then, on September 17, 2009, Gerard Kennedy
introduced BILL C-440, a binding form of those motions, which in his words was “in response to the refusal of the Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism, [ Jason Kenney
] , to show Canadian sensibility.” It has yet to be passed.
2003 invasion of Iraq
The 2003 invasion of Iraq , was the start of the conflict known as the Iraq War, or Operation Iraqi Freedom, in which a combined force of troops from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invaded Iraq and toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein in 21 days of major combat operations...
. The government of Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
did not at any time formally declare war
Declaration of war
A declaration of war is a formal act by which one nation goes to war against another. The declaration is a performative speech act by an authorized party of a national government in order to create a state of war between two or more states.The legality of who is competent to declare war varies...
against Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
. Nevertheless, the government of Canada, and Canadian citizens had complex relationships to that war. Those complex relationships evolved and were redefined at various points in that war.
While Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
had previously participated military action against Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
in the Gulf War
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
of 1991, it refused to declare war
Declaration of war
A declaration of war is a formal act by which one nation goes to war against another. The declaration is a performative speech act by an authorized party of a national government in order to create a state of war between two or more states.The legality of who is competent to declare war varies...
against Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
without United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
approval. Even so, Prime Minister Jean Chrétien
Jean Chrétien
Joseph Jacques Jean Chrétien , known commonly as Jean Chrétien is a former Canadian politician who was the 20th Prime Minister of Canada. He served in the position for over ten years, from November 4, 1993 to December 12, 2003....
said on October 10, 2002 that Canada would, in fact, be part of a military coalition to invade Iraq if it were sanctioned by the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
. However, when the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
subsequently withdrew their diplomatic efforts to gain that UN sanction, Jean Chrétien announced in Parliament on March 17, 2003 that Canada would not participate in the pending invasion. Nevertheless, he offered the US and its soldiers his moral support. Two days earlier, a quarter million people in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
had marched against the pending war. Major anti-war demonstrations had taken place in several other Canadian cities.
About a hundred Canadian exchange officers
Exchange officer
An exchange officer is a commissioned officer in a country's armed forces who is temporarily attached to a unit of the armed forces of another country....
, on exchange to American units, participated in the invasion of Iraq.
Canada's relation to the Iraq War that began in 2003 was unlike Canada's role in the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan
Canada's role in the invasion of Afghanistan
Canada did not have a significant role in the first few months of the invasion of Afghanistan that began on October 7, 2001, and the first contingents of regular Canadian troops arrived in Afghanistan only in January–February 2002. Canada took on a larger role starting in 2006 after the Canadian...
because it was far less direct.
It was reported that Canadian troops in the region numbered less than only three other participating countries.
The Iraq War also touched on Canada in the form of protests and counter-protests related to the conflict, and United States Military members who sought refuge
Refugee
A refugee is a person who outside her country of origin or habitual residence because she has suffered persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or because she is a member of a persecuted 'social group'. Such a person may be referred to as an 'asylum seeker' until...
in the country after deserting
Desertion
In military terminology, desertion is the abandonment of a "duty" or post without permission and is done with the intention of not returning...
their posts to avoid deployment to Iraq.
Decision not to participate
The Prime Minister of CanadaPrime Minister of Canada
The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
at the time, Jean Chrétien
Jean Chrétien
Joseph Jacques Jean Chrétien , known commonly as Jean Chrétien is a former Canadian politician who was the 20th Prime Minister of Canada. He served in the position for over ten years, from November 4, 1993 to December 12, 2003....
, advised
Advice (constitutional)
Advice, in constitutional law, is formal, usually binding, instruction given by one constitutional officer of state to another. Especially in parliamentary systems of government, Heads of state often act on the basis of advice issued by prime ministers or other government ministers...
Governor General
Governor General of Canada
The Governor General of Canada is the federal viceregal representative of the Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II...
Adrienne Clarkson
Adrienne Clarkson
Adrienne Louise Clarkson is a Canadian journalist and stateswoman who served as Governor General of Canada, the 26th since Canadian Confederation....
to not have Canada "join with the so-called Coalition of the willing
Coalition of the willing
The term coalition of the willing is a post-1990 political phrase used to collectively describe participants in military or military-humanitarian interventions for which the United Nations Security Council cannot agree to mount a full UN peacekeeping operation...
" that was central to the 2003 invasion of Iraq
2003 invasion of Iraq
The 2003 invasion of Iraq , was the start of the conflict known as the Iraq War, or Operation Iraqi Freedom, in which a combined force of troops from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invaded Iraq and toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein in 21 days of major combat operations...
. This position was consistent with that which the Prime Minister had earlier expressed before the 19 March 2003 invasion of Iraq; namely, that "Canada was unlikely to join an invasion without explicit support from the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
." The decision by the United Nations (UN) on whether or not to sanction the invasion rested on two elements: a discussion of international law
International law
Public international law concerns the structure and conduct of sovereign states; analogous entities, such as the Holy See; and intergovernmental organizations. To a lesser degree, international law also may affect multinational corporations and individuals, an impact increasingly evolving beyond...
, including the Nuremberg Principles
Nuremberg Principles
The Nuremberg principles were a set of guidelines for determining what constitutes a war crime. The document was created by the International Law Commission of the United Nations to codify the legal principles underlying the Nuremberg Trials of Nazi party members following World War II.- Principle...
on preemptive war
Preemptive war
A preemptive war is a war that is commenced in an attempt to repel or defeat a perceived inevitable offensive or invasion, or to gain a strategic advantage in an impending war before that threat materializes. It is a war which preemptively 'breaks the peace'. The term: 'preemptive war' is...
; and the UN inspections for Iraq's alleged possession of Weapons of Mass Destruction
Weapons of mass destruction
A weapon of mass destruction is a weapon that can kill and bring significant harm to a large number of humans and/or cause great damage to man-made structures , natural structures , or the biosphere in general...
.
Though the leader of the Canadian Alliance
Canadian Alliance
The Canadian Alliance , formally the Canadian Reform Conservative Alliance , was a Canadian conservative political party that existed from 2000 to 2003. The party was the successor to the Reform Party of Canada and inherited its position as the Official Opposition in the House of Commons and held...
Party, Stephen Harper
Stephen Harper
Stephen Joseph Harper is the 22nd and current Prime Minister of Canada and leader of the Conservative Party. Harper became prime minister when his party formed a minority government after the 2006 federal election...
, objected to the Prime Minister's position on Iraq, stating that Canada should be fighting alongside the US, Chrétien's decision reflected the view of the general Canadian public: In March 2003, a poll conducted by EKOS Research Associates
EKOS Research Associates
EKOS Research Associates Inc. is a Canadian social and economic research company founded by Carleton University graduate Frank Graves. They specialize in market research, public opinion research, strategic communications advice, program evaluation and performance measurement, and human resources...
for the Toronto Star
Toronto Star
The Toronto Star is Canada's highest-circulation newspaper, based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its print edition is distributed almost entirely within the province of Ontario...
and the Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
newspaper La Presse
La Presse (Canada)
La Presse, founded in 1884, is a French-language Monday-Saturday newspaper published in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is owned today by Groupe Gesca, a subsidiary of Power Corporation of Canada. The Sunday version was dropped in 2009.-Description:...
found 71% of those questioned did not support the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
-led invasion, with 27% expressing disapproval. As well, the Prime Minister's advice to the viceroy
Viceroy
A viceroy is a royal official who runs a country, colony, or province in the name of and as representative of the monarch. The term derives from the Latin prefix vice-, meaning "in the place of" and the French word roi, meaning king. A viceroy's province or larger territory is called a viceroyalty...
was based on feasibility problems for Canada: on 31 March 2003, Maclean's
Maclean's
Maclean's is a Canadian weekly news magazine, reporting on Canadian issues such as politics, pop culture, and current events.-History:Founded in 1905 by Toronto journalist/entrepreneur Lt.-Col. John Bayne Maclean, a 43-year-old trade magazine publisher who purchased an advertising agency's in-house...
magazine reported that "Canada has committed about 2,000 troops to Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
this summer, a significant contribution given the stretched state of the Canadian military."
Canadian involvement
Canada, despite not joining the invading coalition, still participated in the conflict in Iraq, joining a number of non-belligerent nations in helping to rebuild the country post-invasion, including the training of Iraqi police and army officers, and contributing approximately $300 million towards this effort. Also, a group of Canadians, including former Ontario PremierPremier of Ontario
The Premier of Ontario is the first Minister of the Crown for the Canadian province of Ontario. The Premier is appointed as the province's head of government by the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, and presides over the Executive council, or Cabinet. The Executive Council Act The Premier of Ontario...
Bob Rae
Bob Rae
Robert Keith "Bob" Rae, PC, OC, OOnt, QC, MP is a Canadian politician. He is the Member of Parliament for Toronto Centre and interim leader of the Liberal Party of Canada....
, were sent in the summer of 2005 to help compose the new Iraqi constitution
Constitution of Iraq
The Constitution of Iraq is Iraq's fundamental law.-History:Iraq's first constitution, which established a constitutional monarchy, entered into force under the auspices of a British military occupation in 1925 and remained in effect until the 1958 revolution established a republic...
, and Jean-Pierre Kingsley
Jean-Pierre Kingsley
Jean-Pierre Kingsley was the President and CEO of the International Foundation for Electoral Systems. He was the Chief Electoral Officer of Elections Canada, before he stepped down in December 2006. On April 28, 2009 he announced his resignation as President of IFES. He was succeeded by Bill...
served as head of the international team observing the Iraqi legislative election of January 2005. Due to security concerns, both of these groups were based in Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
.
Military participation
Though no declaration of warDeclaration of war
A declaration of war is a formal act by which one nation goes to war against another. The declaration is a performative speech act by an authorized party of a national government in order to create a state of war between two or more states.The legality of who is competent to declare war varies...
was issued, the Governor General-in-Council
Queen-in-Council
The Queen-in-Council is, in each of the Commonwealth realms, the technical term of constitutional law that refers to the exercise of executive authority, denoting the monarch acting by and with the advice and consent of his or her privy council or executive council The Queen-in-Council (during...
did order the mobilization of a number of Canadian Forces
Canadian Forces
The Canadian Forces , officially the Canadian Armed Forces , are the unified armed forces of Canada, as constituted by the National Defence Act, which states: "The Canadian Forces are the armed forces of Her Majesty raised by Canada and consist of one Service called the Canadian Armed Forces."...
personnel to serve actively in Iraq. On 31 March 2003, it was reported in Maclean's that in the previous month Canadian officers, aboard three frigates and a destroyer, had been placed in command of the multinational naval group Task Force 151, which patrolled the Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
region. A further 30 Canadians worked at the US Central Command in Qatar
Qatar
Qatar , also known as the State of Qatar or locally Dawlat Qaṭar, is a sovereign Arab state, located in the Middle East, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. Its sole land border is with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its...
, and 150 troops were on exchange
Exchange officer
An exchange officer is a commissioned officer in a country's armed forces who is temporarily attached to a unit of the armed forces of another country....
with US and British forces
British Armed Forces
The British Armed Forces are the armed forces of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.Also known as Her Majesty's Armed Forces and sometimes legally the Armed Forces of the Crown, the British Armed Forces encompasses three professional uniformed services, the Royal Navy, the...
in proximity to combat. North American Aerospace Defense Command
North American Aerospace Defense Command
North American Aerospace Defense Command is a joint organization of Canada and the United States that provides aerospace warning, air sovereignty, and defense for the two countries. Headquarters NORAD is located at Peterson AFB, Colorado Springs, Colorado...
(NORAD) stationed Canadian Air Force
Canadian Forces Air Command
The Royal Canadian Air Force , formerly Canadian Forces Air Command, is one of three environmental commands of the Canadian Forces...
pilots also flew combat missions with the US Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
E-3 Sentry
E-3 Sentry
The Boeing E-3 Sentry is an airborne warning and control system developed by Boeing as the prime contractor. Derived from the Boeing 707, it provides all-weather surveillance, command, control and communications, and is used by the United States Air Force , NATO, Royal Air Force , French Air Force...
, and exchange officer
Exchange officer
An exchange officer is a commissioned officer in a country's armed forces who is temporarily attached to a unit of the armed forces of another country....
s fought with US units. In all, 40 to 50 Canadian military members participated in the conflict.
Minister of the Crown
Minister of the Crown is the formal constitutional term used in the Commonwealth realms to describe a minister to the reigning sovereign. The term indicates that the minister serves at His/Her Majesty's pleasure, and advises the monarch, or viceroy, on how to exercise the Crown prerogatives...
at the time were criticised by Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition
Official Opposition (Canada)
In Canada, Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition , commonly known as the Official Opposition, is usually the largest parliamentary opposition party in the House of Commons or a provincial legislative assembly that is not in government, either on its own or as part of a governing coalition...
as hypocritical, and demands were made for the return of these Canadian Forces personnel. The Prime Minister stated that the Canadian military was not involved in direct combat, while still fulfilling its commitment to NORAD. However, it was claimed by Janice Gross Stein and Eugene Lang in The Unexpected War that people from Canadian ministries were in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, openly vaunting Canada's participation in Iraq; as Stein and Lang put it: "in an almost schizophrenic
Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by a disintegration of thought processes and of emotional responsiveness. It most commonly manifests itself as auditory hallucinations, paranoid or bizarre delusions, or disorganized speech and thinking, and it is accompanied by significant social...
way, the government bragged publicly about its decision to stand aside from the war in Iraq because it violated core principles of multilateralism and support for the United Nations. At the same time, senior Canadian officials, military officers and politicians were currying favour in Washington, privately telling anyone in the State Department of the Pentagon who would listen that, by some measures, Canada's indirect contribution to the American war effort in Iraq– three ships and 100 exchange officers– exceeded that of all but three other countries that were formally part of the coalition."
Amongst the Canadian officers who were sent to Iraq were: Brigadier General Walter Natynczyk
Walter Natynczyk
General Walter J. Natynczyk , CMM, MSC, CD is the Chief of the Defence Staff of the Canadian Forces.-Biography:Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba in 1958, where he grew up with his two sisters, Natynczyk is the son of a Polish father and German mother. He worked as a Winnipeg Free Press paperboy and a...
, who was later appointed Chief of the Defence Staff
Chief of the Defence Staff (Canada)
The Chief of the Defence Staff is the second most senior member of the Canadian Forces, and heads the Armed Forces Council, having primary responsibility for command, control, and administration of the forces, as well as military strategy, plans, and requirements...
; Major General Peter Devlin, who served since 14 December 2006 as Multi-National Corps-Iraq Deputy Command General as part of his role as Deputy Commander of the US III Corps through an officer exchange program; and General Nicolas Matern, a special forces officer and former commander of Canada's elite counter-terrorism unit, who in mid February 2008 began service as deputy to Lieutenant General Lloyd Austin.
Canadians taken hostage
Eight Canadians were taken hostage in Iraq over the course of the conflict there; one, Zaid Meerwali, an Iraqi-Canadian truck driver, was killed in 2005, and another Iraqi-Canadian, Rifat Mohammed RifatRifat Mohammed Rifat
Rifat Mohammed Rifat was an Iraqi born Canadian citizen who was last seen in Iraq on April 8, 2004, and confirmed by the Canadian government to have been taken hostage there.-Life:...
, has been missing since 2004 and is presumed dead. The 2005 abduction of James Loney and Harmeet Singh Sooden
Harmeet Singh Sooden
Harmeet Singh Sooden is a Canadian and New Zealand citizen who volunteered for Christian Peacemaker Teams in Iraq. From November 26, 2005, he was held captive in Iraq with three others and threatened with execution until being freed by multinational forces in an operation on March 23, 2006.Sooden...
, both members of the organization Christian Peacemaker, garnered wide attention, as did their rescue the following year by Task Force Black, a multi-national operation that consisted of British, American, and Canadian special forces, supported by Task Force Maroon, Joint Task Force 2
Joint Task Force 2
Joint Task Force 2 is an elite Special Operations Force of the Canadian Armed Forces primarily tasked with counter-terrorism operations...
, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police , literally ‘Royal Gendarmerie of Canada’; colloquially known as The Mounties, and internally as ‘The Force’) is the national police force of Canada, and one of the most recognized of its kind in the world. It is unique in the world as a national, federal,...
, and Canadian Security Intelligence Service
Canadian Security Intelligence Service
The Canadian Security Intelligence Service is Canada's national intelligence service. It is responsible for collecting, analyzing, reporting and disseminating intelligence on threats to Canada's national security, and conducting operations, covert and overt, within Canada and abroad.Its...
. The remaining four Canadians taken hostage included: Fadi Ihsan Fadel
Fadi Ihsan Fadel
Fadi Ihsan Fadel is a Canadian humanitarian worker who was taken hostage in Iraq. He was taken hostage on April 7, 2004 and released April 16, 2004. He was working for New York-based International Rescue Committee, a non-government organization...
, a Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
n-Canadian employed by the International Rescue Committee who was taken hostage in Najaf
Najaf
Najaf is a city in Iraq about 160 km south of Baghdad. Its estimated population in 2008 is 560,000 people. It is the capital of Najaf Governorate...
on 8 April 2004 and released eight days later; Naji al-Kuwaiti
Naji al-Kuwaiti
Naji al-Kuwaiti is a Canadian who was held hostage in Iraq from April 28 to May 4, 2004.-References:...
, was taken hostage on 28 April 2004 and released on May 4 of the same year; Fairuz Yamucky, who was abducted on 6 September 2004 and rescued by a United States National Guard
United States National Guard
The National Guard of the United States is a reserve military force composed of state National Guard militia members or units under federally recognized active or inactive armed force service for the United States. Militia members are citizen soldiers, meaning they work part time for the National...
unit sixteen days later; and Scott Taylor, a journalist abducted by Ansar al-Islam
Ansar al-Islam
Ansar al-Islam is a Sunni Islamist group of Iraqis, promoting a radical interpretation of Islam, close to the official Saudi ideology of Wahhabism with strict application of Sharia. The group was formed in the northern provinces of Iraq near the Iranian border, and previously had established...
in Tal Afar
Tal Afar
Tal Afar is a city and district in northwestern Iraq in the Ninawa Governorate located approximately 30 miles west of Mosul and 120 miles north west of Kirkuk.While no official census data exists, the city which had been...
on 9 September 2004 and held captive for five days.
Protests
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, where approximately 2,000 people gathered on 16 November 2002. The following day, as part of a cross-country day of action, a 3,000 strong anti-war coalition held a peace march from Peace Flame Park in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, approximately 1,000 people marched in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, and about 500 individuals gathered in a snow storm on Parliament Hill
Parliament Hill
Parliament Hill , colloquially known as The Hill, is an area of Crown land on the southern banks of the Ottawa River in downtown Ottawa, Ontario. Its Gothic revival suite of buildingsthe parliament buildings serves as the home of the Parliament of Canada and contains a number of architectural...
in Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, while other rallies took place in Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
, Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
, and Halifax.
Canadians also took part in a set of protests that took place in towns and cities around the world in February 2003, the biggest in Canada being the gathering of more than 100,000 people in Montreal, despite wind-chill temperatures of −30 °C (−22 °F). A further 10,000 people joined a demonstration in Toronto, 20,000 in Vancouver, 18,000 in Edmonton, 8,000 in Victoria
Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of about 78,000 within the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria, which has a population of 360,063, the 15th most populous Canadian...
, 4,000 in Halifax, 2,000 in Ottawa; altogether, protests were held in close to 60 communities across the country.
American war resisters
During the Iraq War there were United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
military personnel who refused to participate, or continue to participate, in that specific war. Their refusal meant that they faced the possibility of punishment in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
according to Article 85 of the US Uniform Code of Military Justice. For that reason some of them chose to go to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
as a place of refuge.
The choice of these US Iraq war resisters to go to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
has led to considerable debate in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
's society, press, legal arenas, and political arenas. On June 3, 2008 and March 30, 2009, two motions were passed in the Parliament of Canada
Parliament of Canada
The Parliament of Canada is the federal legislative branch of Canada, seated at Parliament Hill in the national capital, Ottawa. Formally, the body consists of the Canadian monarch—represented by her governor general—the Senate, and the House of Commons, each element having its own officers and...
in support of the war resisters' efforts to stay in Canada. An Angus Reid Strategies
Angus Reid Strategies
Angus Reid Public Opinion is an international public affairs practice. It was established in 2006 under the name Angus Reid Strategies by Dr Angus Reid, a Canadian sociologist who founded his first research company in 1979. Reid sold the Angus Reid Group to Paris-based Ipsos SA in 2000...
poll taken on June 6 and 7, 2008, showed that 64% of Canadians agreed with that motion. But the motions' recommendation was non-binding and was never implemented by the minority
Minority governments in Canada
During the history of Canadian politics, eleven minority governments have been elected at the federal level. There have also been two minority governments resulting from governments being replaced between elections, for a total of thirteen federal minority governments in twelve separate minority...
Conservative
Conservative Party of Canada
The Conservative Party of Canada , is a political party in Canada which was formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. It is positioned on the right of the Canadian political spectrum...
government. Then, on September 17, 2009, Gerard Kennedy
Gerard Kennedy
Gerard Michael Kennedy is a Canadian politician in Ontario, Canada. He served as Ontario's Minister of Education from 2003 to 2006, when he resigned to make an unsuccessful bid for the leadership of the Liberal Party of Canada...
introduced BILL C-440, a binding form of those motions, which in his words was “in response to the refusal of the Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism, [ Jason Kenney
Jason Kenney
Jason T. Kenney, PC, MP is Canada's current Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism. He has represented the riding of Calgary Southeast in the Canadian House of Commons since 1997....
] , to show Canadian sensibility.” It has yet to be passed.
See also
- Opposition to the Iraq WarOpposition to the Iraq WarSignificant opposition to the Iraq War occurred worldwide, both before and during the initial 2003 invasion of Iraq by the United States, United Kingdom, and smaller contingents from other nations, and throughout the subsequent occupation...
- Views on the 2003 invasion of IraqViews on the 2003 invasion of IraqThe events surrounding the 2003 invasion of Iraq have led to numerous expressions of opinion with respect to the war. This page contains links to several topics relating to views on the invasion, and the subsequent occupation of Iraq.American views...
- Governmental positions on the Iraq War prior to the 2003 invasion of Iraq