Stop Criticizing U.S. Over Iraq, Says Canada PM

Where to start? I just don’t quite see Saddam in his bunker reading the National Post and sighing to himself “Ahhh, at least they love me in Canada…” simply because people criticize the US. What a strange thing to say. I agree that one the die has been cast, it’s not worth debating, but the economic hammer that he US wields is a little too obvious here. And it’s depressing.

Prime Minister Jean Chretien, trying to clamp down on a wave of anti-American comments by his administration, urged Canadians on Thursday not to criticize the United States for attacking Iraq because this could be construed as supporting Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.
In recent days several members of the ruling Liberal Party — including Natural Resources Minister Herb Dhaliwal — have blasted the United States, which is by far Canada’s closest ally and trading partner.
Canadian business executives are increasingly voicing fears that the lucrative trade relationship between the two countries could be hurt if the criticisms do not stop. In particular, they say any clampdown on the border could be crippling.
Chretien, who said on Tuesday that an attack on Iraq would be unjustified, did not criticize Washington on Thursday and said he hoped the war would be short with a minimum of casualties.
“At this point I think there is no use debating the reasons why some people think war is necessary and some people think it is not. We should not say anything that would comfort Saddam Hussein,” he told reporters.

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