Posted on 09/12/2002 7:56:19 AM PDT by Grig
PM links attacks to 'arrogant' West 'You cannot exercise your power to the point of humiliation of others': Chrétien
Sheldon Alberts, Deputy Ottawa Bureau Chief National Post
Thursday, September 12, 2002
OTTAWA - Jean Chrétien has linked the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks to perceived Western greed and arrogance and said the United States should not use its position as the world's only superpower to humiliate people in poorer nations.
In an interview that aired last night on CBC-TV, the Prime Minister for the first time suggested the strikes against New York and Washington stemmed from a growing international anger at the way the United States flexes its muscle around the globe.
"You cannot exercise your powers to the point of humiliation for the others. That is what the Western world -- not only the Americans, the Western world -- has to realize. Because they are human beings too. There are long-term consequences," Chrétien said in the pre-taped interview.
"And I do think that the Western world is getting too rich in relation to the poor world and necessarily will be looked upon as being arrogant and self-satisfied, greedy and with no limits. The 11th of September is an occasion for me to realize it even more."
The Prime Minister's remarks were part of a documentary about Canada's response to the Sept. 11 attacks that included revelations that, at one point that day, Chrétien gave tentative authorization for fighter pilots to shoot down a Korean Airlines 747 that military commanders feared had been hijacked over the Yukon.
Senior officials also revealed that dozens of jumbo jets were ordered to land in Gander, Nfld., and other remote East Coast airports because the government did not want to risk crashes or hijackings near major central Canadian cities such as Toronto and Montreal.
But Chrétien's remarks about the causes of anti-U.S. sentiment are likely to generate the most controversy. Leftist intellectuals from Susan Sontag to Canada's Naomi Klein have suggested U.S. foreign policy is one of the "root causes" of the attacks, while others say that argument amounts to blaming the victim.
The Prime Minister suggested Western nations -- and the United States in particular -- have alienated the rest of the world by trying to impose their values around the globe. Americans, he said, need to be nicer in how they operate on the international stage.
"It is always the problem when you read history -- everybody don't know when to stop. There is a moment, you know, when you have to stop," Chrétien said.
"There is a moment when you are very powerful. I said that in New York one day. It was on Wall Street. It was a crowd of capitalists, of course, and they were complaining because [Canada] had normal relations with Cuba, and this and that, and we cannot do everything we want. And I said that day -- if I recall, I used probably these words -- when you are powerful like you are, you guys, it is the time to be nice."
David Collenette, the Transport Minister, went further, comparing the United States to a hockey bully that may feel free to dominate world affairs because it no longer has such superpower enemies as the Soviet Union to keep it in check.
"There will be people in the U.S. emboldened by their new source of unfettered power to, in a hockey term, get their elbows up," Collenette said.
Chrétien also said he likes to maintain a detached relationship with U.S. presidents because "Canadians don't want to be looked upon as the 51st state."
"I have very good relations with President [George W.] Bush. I had very good relations with president Clinton. But I keep my distances," he said.
The CBC documentary was aired as part of the network's coverage of the one-year anniversary of Sept. 11. During the program, Chrétien revealed that he gave orders to commanders at NORAD's Canadian headquarters in Winnipeg for fighter jets to be prepared to shoot down a Korean Airlines 747 that the U.S. military feared was part of the terrorist plot.
The plane, flying over the Yukon, was being tailed by two U.S. F-16 fighters after giving off a signal that indicated it had been hijacked. A Canadian NORAD commander sought orders from Chrétien to fire on the plane if pilots believed it was headed to a heavily populated city such as Vancouver.
Chrétien said he agonized over the decision.
"He said, 'We might have to shoot them down.' So I said yes, if you think they are terrorists. I said you call me again, but be ready to shoot them down. So I authorized it in principle, yes," he said.
"It is kind of scary. You know this plane that has hundreds of people and you have to call a decision like that.... You have to be ready for that. You have to be calm and in control yourself and say what I'll risk. And if they tell you, there is a plane that can go and land in Toronto and kill thousands of people, you have no choice."
The plane eventually landed safely and the feared hijacking was a false alarm.
There were also new details about why Canadian authorities directed dozens of airline jets to such East Coast airports as Gander International on Sept. 11 after the United States closed its airspace.
Collenette and Margaret Bloodworth, the deputy minister of transport, said there were fears that other planes could be hijacked and Transport Canada did not want to risk attacks on major population centres in Central Canada, so the majority of the jets were sent to the East Coast.
"If there were people of similar intent on those planes and they felt they were going to lose their target in the U.S., we didn't know they wouldn't pick a target of a large building in another city," Bloodworth said.
Said Collenette: "In talking with her, she said we don't know what has happened but we have got to keep these planes away from Montreal or Toronto. I said absolutely."
In all, 250 aircraft with 44,000 people were diverted to 15 Canadian airports. More than 6,500 passengers landed in Gander.
I have a yellowed clipping on my desk ---"Perhaps never in the history of the world has a country with such military might, economic strength and cultural influence had so little imperialistic interest or practice."
The clipping goes on to say that the US usually emerges as a world policeman only after those who should be patrolling the streets have failed-----. (the Europeans in Bosnia, the UN in Iraq.)
The clipping was commenting on the reaction of people in a town meeting with Clinton. It said that the meeting should send Europe the most shocking news of the week "that Americans might someday be unwilling to provide the international insurance we all need."
I have to keep remembering that this is a socialist talking, and is expressing his socialist views. Maybe he can take the lead and show us how to be "nice" to terrorists.
I'm not ticked off at Canadians, never have been, and never will. We had our Clinton, and they stood by us.
So maybe the US should invade Quebec?
Except for the fact there are many very wealthy liberals, too
Too late. Jean Chrétien beat you to it.
Yeah, Clinton's humiliating, too.
Examples, please Mr. PM.
Examples, please Mr. PM.
Don't even bother to ask. Liberals are under no compunction to prove their delusions. Besides, parroting this b.s. makes "Da Moron" feel like he's part of the liberal elites, the sophisticated crowd. Besides, like Mark Steyn's article (available tomorrow) says, liberals love this "moral preening", because it makes them feel oh-so-morally superior.
Chrétien is no leader, but merely a slavish follower of social fashion. And an idiot.
Yes, that's right, M. Creepien. We, as Americans, go around trying to purposefully humiliate people in poorer nations. That is our national purpose - the objective of our work and toil, our sweat and smarts. We teach our kids to humiliate others - especially the poor and downtrodden. We deserved, as you imply, to have thousands of innocent men, women and many, many little children burned and slammed to death last year. We are to blame. That was a rightful puhishment for our sins. So good of you to set us on the right course. We are so, so lucky to have a moral giant to the north. You are the end-all and be-all. If only our president could be as courageous and as strong a defender of the right as you are. Woe is us, woe is us...
Crude oil for starters. We import more from them than from the middle east. Also timber products and minerals. Canada is primarily valuable to us for its vast natural resources (and cheap English speaking labor).
Great idea, except that there's no need to. (though I could use a few more Canadian jokes in my repertoire!).
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