Statement on Canada & U.S. Missile Defence

Connie Fogal, Leader of the Canadian Action Party, endorsed a five point Statement presented by ICIS (Instute for Cooperation in Space)

May 2004,
The Martin-Liberal government is misleading the public about Canada’s participation in U.S. Missile Defence. Canada’s decision to participate in NORAD operation of the aerospace early-warning system for North America means that Canada functionally joins U.S. Missile Defence.
U.S. Missile Defence is part of a U.S. strategy to convert Canada into a war-fighting client of the United States permanent warfare state.

Paul Martin is complicit in causing the Weaponization of Space, as the “land-based” U.S. National Missile Defence system will cause the Weaponization of Space.
In joining U.S. Missile Defence, Paul Martin is making Canada an accidental or intentional nuclear weapons target and part of the nuclear war-fighting forces of the United States military.
U.S. Missile Defence is a profoundly destabilizing, global problem demanding a global solution in the form of a Space Preservation Treaty banning Missile Defence systems and space- based weapons.
The Martin-Liberal government is misleading the public about Canada’s participation in U.S. Missile Defence. Canada’s decision to participate in NORAD operation of the aerospace early-warning system for North America means that Canada functionally joins U.S. Missile Defence.

NORAD at present is involved only in air warning, not in an outer space-warning system. International Tactical and Warning and Attack Assessment (ITWAA) retaliation and attack toward incoming missiles are not now part of NORAD. If Canada agrees to NORAD’s operation of an expanded aero-space early-warning system, then this means that Canada is participating as part of the U.S. Missile Defence system. Under an expanded NORAD, the tracking and retaliatory functions of the U.S. Missile Defence system cannot practicably be separated. By being part of NORAD, Canada would functionally be part of the U.S. Missile Defence system. Thus, Canada’s signing onto “an aerospace early-warning system for North America”, is in fact “a move that smooths the path for almost certain participation in the U.S. missile defence shield.” (Globe & Mail. April 30, 2004.)

U.S. Missile Defence is part of a U.S. strategy to convert Canada into a war-fighting client of the United States permanent warfare state. A March 31, 2004 Ipsos-Reid-Council of Canadians poll found that “seven in ten (69%) of Canadians disagree with the statement “Canada should actively support the Bush administration’s missile defence system even if it may require dedicating military spending to the program or allowing US missile launchers in Canada.” Because of this firm opposition to U.S. Missile Defence amongst Canadians, deception and stealth are behind the U.S. manipulation of a “Canadian decision” to join into the U.S. Missile Defence, and thereby integrate Canada into the U.S. permanent warfare state. The United States timetable to weaponize space was promulgated on December 16, 2002, when U.S. President George W. Bush directed the U.S. Department of Defense to: (1) “develop and deploy missile defenses capable of protecting not only the United States and our deployed forces, but also friends and allies; (2) also structure the missile defense program in a manner that encourages industrial participation by friends and allies, consistent with overall U.S. national security; and (3) shall promote international missile defense cooperation, including within bilateral and alliance structures such as NATO, and shall negotiate appropriate arrangements for this purpose.” U.S. President George W. Bush, U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY PRESIDENTIAL DIRECTIVE/NSPD-23 – December 16, 2002.

Paul Martin is complicit in causing the Weaponization of Space, as the “land-based” U.S. National Missile Defence system will cause the Weaponization of Space. If Canada becomes involved with land-based U.S. Missile Defence, this will include a network of sensors and command and control nodes which may be used for space based weapons. (1) Land-based Missile Defence can be used as an anti-satellite weapon (ASAT). If Canada becomes involved with U.S. Missile Defence and the U.S. decides to use a land-based interceptor against an object orbiting in space, as an anti-satellite weapon (ASAT), Canada would be involved in using space weapons. According to one NGO expert, U.S. Missile Defence could more easily be used as an anti -satellite weapon than as an interceptor for an incoming missile; (2) Elements of the U.S. Missile Defence space-based surveillance and tracking system can be used as space weapons. The U.S. NFIRE satellite, although it is theoretically only for surveillance and tracking, can be equipped with a Kill-Vehicle- Other U.S. Missile Defence-related dual use light-weight optics, relay mirrors and precision tracking systems can be used for space- based weapon applications; (3) The U.S. Defence budget calls for spending on a space-based missile defence range. According to one observer, "the U.S. Administration and U.S. Missile Defence Agency have explicitly included plans for a space-based layer, as well as ground-based and sea-based elements, in the proposed missile defence network. This entire Missile Defence network will use a common set of sensors and command and control nodes. Providing support for the space-based sensors, as Canada may find an attractive option, would support all elements of the U.S. Missile Defence system, including, if it exists a space-based layer. The U.S. President's budget includes the Future Years Defense Program (FYDP) and asks for six-year funding increases for U.S. Missile Defence Interceptors PE, including funding for a space- based missile defence range;” (4) The U.S. Air Force Transformation Flight Plan (November 2003) calls for "active-on- board protection capabilities, "full-spectrum sea, air land and space-based offensive counterspace systems capable of prevention of unauthorized use of friendly space services and negating capabilities from low earth up to GEO orbits. The focus when practical will be on denying adversary access to space on a temporary basis." When impractical, permanently destructive weapons such as U.S. Ballistic Missile Defence would be used, by implication.

In joining U.S. Missile Defence, Paul Martin is making Canada an accidental or intentional nuclear weapons target and part of the nuclear war-fighting forces of the United States military. Canada, one of the world’s staunchest opponents of nuclear warfare, has now become a part of United States Nuclear war-fighting strategy and of the U.S. policy to weaponize space. With Paul Martin as Prime Minister of Canada, the U.S. Presidential Directive has been fulfilled. On February 23, 2004, Canadian federal defence minister David Pratt refused to rule out U.S.-controlled missile launches from northern Canada as part of the missile defence shield. Addressing this issue, Pratt stated on the CTV program, Question Period, "We're not saying no. We're not saying yes." Nunavut, Canada’s Arctic territory, may be high on the list of possible U.S. Ballistic Missile Defence missile interceptor and radar sites. Minister of Defence Pratt’s non-denial reveals that the U.S. Ballistic Missile Defence system is not designed for response to rogue state missiles, as the U.S. Space Command states. Rather, located in Nunavut, for example, the U.S. Ballistic Missile Defence system will be probably deployed as anti-satellite weapons and/or interceptor weapons in a United States preemptive nuclear attack against Russia, or in a United States retaliatory strike against a Russian nuclear first strike.

U.S. Missile Defence is a profoundly destabilizing, global problem demanding a global solution in the form of a Space Preservation Treaty banning Missile Defence systems and space-based weapons. The Canadian Action Party has formally called for the global solution of a Space Preservation Treaty banning Missile Defence systems and space-based weapons. Canadian cities, including Vancouver, Victoria, Burnaby, Nanaimo, Sparwood, and Bowen Island B.C. have called for a Space Treaty Conference to ban Missile Defence systems worldwide and ban all space-based weapons. We in Canada should oppose US plans for Missile Defense and not participate in them. Canada should encourage all Nations to sign a Space Preservation Treaty banning Missile Defence systems and all space-based weapons, as Canada did in the treaty- signing conference in December 1997, where 122 countries signed the Convention Banning Land Mines.