HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK ---------------------------
[For the record, my mother and almost all of my - extremely large - family are Canadians. My spleen on this issue is really a cri de coeur for a country I had once hoped was sovereign.] "Jenkins told Hoon in the House that Britain had 'offended' Canada by excluding it from the force so that it could involve as many EU members as possible at the 'expense' of its long-standing NATO ally." Jan. 11, 01:00 EDT Britain denies snubbing Canadian troop offer Tory sees EU bias in Afghan plans Kevin Ward CANADIAN PRESS LONDON — Britain's defence minister says military planners did not reject Canadian participation in the United Nations peacekeeping force in Afghanistan as he tried to lay to rest suggestions yesterday of a rift with Canada over the mission. Geoff Hoon told the House of Commons that Britain had hoped Canadian engineers would be part of the force in the Afghan capital of Kabul, despite charges by British newspapers and a Conservative MP that Canada has been slighted by the minister's military planners. "There has been some comment about Canada's generous offer of an infantry battle group," Hoon said in a statement. "Their offer was not rejected. We were simply unable to accept it in its entirety from the outset." The Times of London reported this week that there was "deep resentment" over the exclusion of a Canadian presence in the peacekeeping force of 5,000 soldiers. The Daily Mail joined in yesterday, reporting that "Britain's handling of the affair has infuriated the Canadian government." But Canadian officials in Ottawa and London say there's no friction between the two governments over the makeup of the British-led International Security Assistance Force. Tory defence critic Bernard Jenkin said Canada's participation fell victim to a push for a strong European element as a chance to get a so-called euro army off the ground. The European Union is trying to get a 60,000-strong army together for similar operations by next year, a force the Tories oppose. `(Canada´s) offer was not rejected. We were simply unable to accept it in its entirety from the outset.´ British defence minister Geoff Hoon Jenkin told Hoon in the House that Britain had "offended" Canada by excluding it from the force so that it could involve as many EU members as possible at the "expense" of its long-standing NATO ally. Canada, a key contributor to past U.N. peacekeeping operations, had offered 1,000 light infantry troops to the mission. Defence Minister Art Eggleton acknowledged the impact of European politics on the makeup of the peacekeeping force when he announced Canada was sending 750 troops to fight alongside U.S. forces in the Kandahar region of Afghanistan earlier this week. A three- or four-member Canadian military reconnaissance party could leave for Afghanistan as soon as this weekend to scout the region around Kandahar, defence officials say. Eggleton said Canada had been going back and forth with the British over a role in the Kabul force since before Christmas. The British suggested Canada send 200 engineers immediately, then follow up with the infantry battalion in three months, but Canada said no. Hoon told the House that Britain had hoped to use Canadian engineers from the start of the peacekeeping mission in Kabul, then allow Canada's infantry troops to replace British soldiers after several weeks. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Send FREE video emails in Yahoo! Mail! http://promo.yahoo.com/videomail/ ==^================================================================ This email was sent to: archive@jab.org EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.a9WB2D Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^================================================================
