WITHDRAW CANADA'S SUPPORT FOR THE "WAR ON TERROR"

To:  Prime Minister Jean Chretien, Hon. Art Eggleton (Minister of Defence), Hon. Susan Whelan (Minister of International Cooperation)

Since the tragic events of Sept. 11, Canada has remained one of America's closest allies. The Canadian government has begun harmonizing our immigration policies and border defence with the States in an effort to increase the security of both countries. Canadian troops and equipment have also been sent to Afghanistan, and have participated in military operations there.

However, the American-led "war on terrorism" has taken thousands of civilian lives in Afghanistan with few obvious gains. Osama bin Laden has not been captured. The humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan has not been prevented or remedied, and countless refugees still face desperate conditions. The Taliban may have been ousted, but the interim government in Afghanistan is already showing signs of the instability that lead to a civil war the last time America withdrew from that country in the 80's. Opium production has been revived by the desperate Afghani farmers. The Geneva convention has been flouted at Guatanamo Bay. The war may be extended into Iraq, a country that has suffered over a half a million deaths due to sanctions in place since the Gulf War. US troops are in the Phillipines, playing "war games with live targets", and in other countries such as Yemen. Within the States, the "war on terrorism" has been used to justify racial profiling, military tribunals, increased powers for spy agencies, and other threats to human rights and civil liberties. President Bush is increasing military spending and cutting social programs, and pulling out of important treaties meant to protect the environment and prevent a nuclear arms race.

In light of these facts, we are calling on the Canadian government to WITHDRAW CANADIAN MILITARY SUPPORT OF THE AMERICAN-LED "WAR ON TERRORISM"
by immediately pursuing the following courses of action:

1) OPPOSE THE SPREAD OF THE WAR TO ANY OTHER COUNTRIES, ESPECIALLY IRAQ. There is a strong suspicion in the international community that extending the war into other countries is being done only in order to protect American interests in the region, such as oil reserves, and will not be effective in helping wipe out terrorism. An attack on Iraq will only result in the deaths of more innocent civilians, and exacerbate the suffering of a people that has already faced over a decade of harsh UN sanctions. The Bush administration has not ruled out the possibility of using nuclear weapons in a conflict with Iraq, meaning that such an attack could result in nuclear war. And finally, there is absolutely no evidence of a link between the events of Sept. 11 and Iraq, which means that it clearly falls outside of the mandate of a "war on terrorism". The Canadian government should take a strong stance on this issue, opposing an attack on Iraq and asking the Bush administration to reconsider this course of action. The Canadian government should also refuse to supply any troops or equipment in support of such an attack, and withdraw from the International Coalition in protest if an attack on Iraq does occur. The Canadian government should also refuse to supply any troops or equipment as support for American military operations in any country outside of Afghanistan.

2) END OPERATION APOLLO, WHICH IS CANADA'S MILITARY CONTRIBUTION TO THE WAR IN AFGHANISTAN. The Canadian government should refuse to send any more troops and equipment to Afghanistan, and recall the troops and equipment that we have already committed to the war as soon as possible, especially those that are engaged in military operations such as destroying residual Taliban and Al Qa'ida forces. We do, however, support Canada's commitment to providing financial assistance in rebuilding Afghanistan, especially in terms of the pledges made on behalf of Canada at the Tokyo Conference on Afghan reconstruction in January, and we encourage Canada to participate in peacekeeping operations once the war on Afghanistan has ended.

3) PURSUE MULTILATERAL, INTERNATIONAL, AND NONVIOLENT COURSES OF ACTION TO HELP PROSECUTE AND PREVENT TERRORISM. Canada has long supported the International Criminal Court, nuclear arms treaties, and humanitarian efforts which could become effective tools in helping to punish and prevent war and terrorism. We encourage the Canadian government to support the "war on terror" by pursuing these and other peaceful means. We also encourage the Canadian government to investigate and possibly spearhead new international initiatives with the goal of helping stop terrorism by addressing its root causes, such as economic inequality.

We believe that at this moment in history, Canada has the opportunity to speak out for peace in a time of war. Only by reconsidering our support of the American war effort can we salvage our reputation as a peaceful and internationally minded country, and begin to truly address the causes of terrorism, thus guarding ourselves and the world against it. It is our sincere wish that the Canadian government will continue to represent the principles of peace and tolerance that remain some of the best qualities of our country, and thereby, continue to represent Canadians.

War is not the answer.

Sincerely,

The Undersigned

The WITHDRAW CANADA'S SUPPORT FOR THE "WAR ON TERROR" Petition to Prime Minister Jean Chretien, Hon. Art Eggleton (Minister of Defence), Hon. Susan Whelan (Minister of International Cooperation) was created by people of Canada and written by Susan Thompson.  This petition is hosted here at www.PetitionOnline.com as a public service. There is no express or implied endorsement of this petition by Artifice, Inc. or our sponsors. The petition scripts are created by Mike Wheeler at Artifice, Inc.  For Technical Support please use our simple Petition Help form.

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