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COMMUNIQUE: CANADIAN LIVES AT RISK BY HARPER GOVERNMENT
Message Board > Found on the web > COMMUNIQUE: CANADIAN LIVES AT RISK BY HARPER GOVERNMENT
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Lordpatch
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listen to audio of ie

http://electronicintifada.net/download/audio/20060717-wbai.mp3

COMMUNIQUE: CANADIAN LIVES AT RISK BY HARPER GOVERNMENT

By Borys Wrzesnewskyj, Liberal MP for Etobicoke Centre- [email protected]

July 17, 2006

For Immediate Release: Canadian lives put at risk by Conservative
government statements and inaction

OTTAWA - The first responsibility of any national leader is to protect his
or her own citizens. Twenty- to forty-thousand Canadians currently trapped
in Lebanon have been placed in jeopardy by Foreign Minister Peter MacKay’s
inaction and Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s comments.

Until last night (July 16), while European countries and the United States
were in the advanced stages of evacuating their citizens, Canada's Foreign
Affairs Minister Peter MacKay was missing in action. Foreign Affairs was
still advising that Canadians in Lebanon "should remain indoors and
minimize movement until further notice."

That’s exactly what the Al-Akhrass family was doing on Sunday, when an
Israeli missile struck the house they were in, killing Mrs. Al-Akhrass and
her four children: Salaan (age 1), Ahamed (age 3), Zeinab (age 5), and Saja
(age 7). Finally today, MacKay is haphazardly sending several cruise ships
to pick up over 20,000 Canadians by mid-week. There’s no plan as to how he
envisions the assembly and evacuation of the thousands of Canadians
dispersed throughout Lebanon.

The only method to safely evacuate is through a ceasefire. Last Friday, I
urged the Canadian government to undertake immediate and forceful
diplomatic action to bring about a 48-hour ceasefire in Lebanon to give
Canadians and other foreign nationals a chance to leave the country.

Hopes for a ceasefire have been jeopardized by Prime Minister Harper’s
comments that Israel’s response "has been measured." This has signaled that
Canada supports the continuation of these Israeli actions with thousands of
Canadians caught in the middle.

Canada used to be seen as an honest broker in the Middle East. Today, our
ability to speak with all sides has been lost.

Mr. Harper is the Prime Minister of Canada and his primary objective should
be the safety and protection of Canadian lives. The Prime Minister must
contact the Israeli Prime Minister to push for an immediate 48- to 72-hour
ceasefire, while other international leaders and bodies do the same with
Hamas and Hezbollah so that Canadians can be evacuated safely from Lebanon.
Such a ceasefire could also provide the Middle East with an opportunity to
step back from the brink [of war].

(Borys Wrzesnewskyj is a Liberal MP and the opposition Associate Critic for
Foreign Affairs. He can be reached at (416) 249-7322 or (613) 853-9001.
E-mail: [email protected]


http://electronicintifada.net/download/audio/20060717-wbai.mp3 - Tue, 18 Jul 2006 7:31am
Gman
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If a citizen cannot take responsibility for their own actions, IE being in a area of unrest, blaming it on the government it cowardly.

Lebanon Canada - Tue, 18 Jul 2006 3:32pm
Mofo
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I agree, if I go on vaction and KNOW for a FACT that its a hot spot area for the possiblity of unrest, why should I blame the Canadian government if they cannot magically beam me out of there when the shit hits the fan?

There is WAY too much critisim going on here of the Canadian government. They began logistical planning the second shit went down. It is NO easy venture getting some 20000 people(or more) out of a war torn area lickity split, when all routes in and out are all but destroyed.
It just can't be done that fast.

While I do feel for the people there and understand that the fear they feel is real, it is not the Canadian governments fault if they cannot immediately get people out of an area that is known for such instances, especially when there are warnings of such provided by the Canadian government to its citizens travelling there.
Regardless, these people are there and in very real danger, I hope for a safe and quick evacuation for them in the coming days. - Tue, 18 Jul 2006 7:26pm Edited: Tue, 18 Jul 2006 7:29pm
lonemonk
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Now Harper is personally going to pick up a chosen few in the transport plane that he used to get over there for the G8 meetings. They'll only be able to grab a 100 people or so. More of a political rescue. Probably from Cyprus, I doubt the PM wants to hang around turkey.

Ditto on the holiday-making. You buys your ticket and you takes your chances. - Wed, 19 Jul 2006 3:13pm
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