Yesterday on Saskatoon radio's John Gormley Live, Finance MInister Ralph Goodale responded in a grave, lowered voice when a caller challenged him on the just-announced assistance to the Darfur region of Sudan. She accused him of buying the vote of independant MP David Kilgour, who has been publicly demanding action in the Sudan as his price for supporting the government.
Goodale told listeners that there had been a year of planning leading up to the announcement that 100 troops and another $170 million in aide were going to the Sudan. Indeed, this had been a top priority of the Liberal government for months and any suggestion that the package had been hastily arranged to secure David Kilgour's vote was ridiculous - "Clearly this plan for Darfour was not devised in the last week or two."
Sudan has rejected a Canadian plan to send military advisors to the troubled Darfur region, saying Ottawa had not consulted Khartoum on its plan, the Sudanese embassy said on Friday.Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin announced on Thursday a C$170 million ($136 million) aid package for Darfur, where thousands of people have been killed and two million displaced in a bloody civil war. Martin also said Canada would send up to 100 military experts to help a African Union force in the region.
In a press release dated Thursday, the Sudanese embassy complained that Khartoum had not been consulted in advance about the plan.
"(We) would like to affirm that the unwavering position of the Sudanese government ... is categorically rejecting (sic) any deployment of non-African military personnel in the Darfur region.
Any logistical and financial support is most welcomed," said the release, which was sent to Reuters on Friday."It is to be as well stated that any future efforts or plans on Darfur should be worked out and finalized with the satisfaction and full approval of the Sudanese government."
No one from Martin's office or the Canadian foreign ministry was immediately available for comment.
That's media speak for "hiding under their desks with the lights off".
Via MK Braaten.
So how many brown envelopes was that?... and what ridings, I mean soldiers were they going to?
Oh, I can't believe that.
But Paul Martin said it was in the works for years.
I can't believe our Prime Minister would lie.
Seriously, though... I have a crystal ball and I just read a story from next Tuesday....
OTTAWA - Prime Minister Paul Martin ran naked around Parliament Hill today, wearing nothing but pink bunny shoes.
Earlier in the day, when asked what it would take for him to vote to support the Liberals in Thursday's non-confidence motion, Independent MP Chuck Cadman said that he would have to see the PM run naked on the Hill in pink bunny slippers first.
When asked by reporters if he ran around in his birthday suit because of being blackmailed by Cadman, Martin replied that that was a foolish, insulting and disgusting question that lowers the media down into the gutter. He went on to say that clealy he had been planning to make the run for years, and that Cadman's request had absolutely nothing to do with it..."
And from another angle:
"any logisital and financial support welcomed"
Oh, yeah, send over a hundred million dollars to the AU, the African version of the un.
Or maybe I should say the African version of Canada.
Would like to argue with ya Jay....but.....but...but.... I can't.. :-(
Not given the current conditions..... very sad... stick a fork in me, I'm done.
reuters.ca/locales/c_newsArticle.jsp?type=topNews&localeKey=en_CA&storyID=8490508
This is an update from reuters. Canada says Sudan's approval not needed.
I certainly wish this was a "stake through the heart" situation but it appears not to be.
Maybe next time.
Rich, we're well past a "stake through the heart" and getting close to being past a "silver bullet." Harper may well have to have 24 Sussex exorcised before moving in (won't that just scare the bejeezus out of everyone?).
Anyone remember watching "The Omen" (the first one)?
"Anyone remember watching "The Omen" (the first one)?"
Yeah. Gotta make sure we get ALL the daggers into Paulie, do we?
And make sure there's a warning over his grave not to pull the daggers out.
Or maybe that's Abbott and Costello.
62% of Canadians think Martin would lie.
38% know it.
Excellent snicker to go with my Saturday norning coffee! Somebody needs to make a cartoon called the Liberals.
So now Canada says that a nation's territorial integrity and soverainty is not inviolable. Oh, and that the UN was required for any discusion thereof. Funny how all those argments they used for Iraq suddenly don't apply.
Regarding my previous comment about wishing that this would be a "stake through the heart", I will revise it in light of the Liberal goverment's inability to effectively deal with the beef crisis and wish for a "steak through the heart".