The Americans rejected a Canadian UN proposal that was circulated in attempt to forge a compromise in Iraq. The proposal would have set deadlines for different stages of disarmement, and set March 28 as a deadline.
When asked about the Canadian proposal, Fleischer said Bush believes his resolution is the “way to go.”
“Time is running out, this issue must come to a conclusion,” said Fleischer.
Foreign Affairs Minister Bill Graham and U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell also discussed the proposal. Afterwards, U.S. State Department spokesperson Richard Boucher said Canada’s proposal “only procrastinates on a decision we all should be prepared to take.”
While I understand Canada’s desire to forge a compromise and mediate between an increasingly polarized UN, I gotta agree with the Americans on this one. There’s nothing magical about March 28th. The anti-war protesters won’t have changed their minds by then. Saddam Hussein won’t turn into Mother Teresa by then. Really, nothing will change between today and March 28th on an issue that the world has been stalling on for months already.
The saying goes “procrastination gives you something to look forward to”, and that’s all very well and good – while I’m writing a paper or completing a project. But the only thing further delay will accomplish here is to increase anti-Americanism and to give Saddam Hussein more time to prepare weapons of retaliation. It’s time to act, not to delay. And it’s time for Canada to get on-side.
I beg to differ. By March 28, the antiwar movement will have grown stronger, the weapons inspectors will have found more evidence that Iraq does not possess prohibited wmd, the Bush/Blair administrations’ ‘proofs’ will have become less credible, and the ‘timetable for war’ will be pushed even further back, to the joy of all but the warmongers.
America was wrong about WMD and Saddam wasn’t preparing weapons of retaliation. You fell victim to the American con job. Some of us Canadians were able to see through it and were saying, “Hold on a sec here, American can’t just invade countries they don’t like.”