[RUEZ]

How many soldiers does Portugal have in Afghanistan?

[martin14]

RUEZ RUEZ:

How many soldiers does Portugal have in Afghanistan?

I think about 200.

saturn_656 saturn_656:

$1:

In fact, U.S. State Department insiders say that U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice not only didn’t campaign for Canada’s election but instructed American diplomats to not get involved in the weeks leading up to the heated contest. With no public American support, Canada lost its bid to serve. That gives the EU more than 25% control of the body and a strong voting block to ensure EU priorities become global priorities. -- This was the second time a high profile ally could have used U.S. help yet Rice chose to stay silent.

The US under Obama doesn't seem very inclined to aid its traditional allies.

I mentioned on another thread that Obama hung us out to dry, looks like I was right.

Remember this when anyone comes out in early November and says Obama is good for Canada.

[Scape]

FieryVulpine FieryVulpine:

Um, China already has a permanent seat on the Security Council. Just sayin'

China would like India to have a seat as well. Birds of a feather.

[kenmore]

EyeBrock EyeBrock:

kenmore kenmore:

Dismal performance by the torys. When are they going to get it? Their foreign policy sucks and stop pointing at the opposition. Lets put blame where it should be!

Come on ken. The Islamic Bloc (OIC) voted against us. 57 countries. I know you are no fan of that Bloc.

There is no dis-honour in this one. Canada actually stands up for something these days, unlike in our recent past.

I agree... but Cannon blaming Iggy is right shameful!

[Benn]

I like the tune of "Oh well we didn't want a seat anyway" on here. If Harper didn't want a seat he would not have wasted his time doing all the pitching and last minute butt kissing and then the whole bowing out before the final vote thing as not to be embarrassed.

I agree the UN is a popularity contest and pretty much a waste of time but obviously Canada wanted to play a bigger part in it and lost the popularity contest. No big loss but let's not pretend Canada (or at least it's leaders) didn't want it. Certainly Harpers cuts to diplomacy over the years have not helped either.

[djakeydd]

Harper is such an embarrassement - http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/Har ... story.html

[Chumley]

saturn_656 saturn_656:

bootlegga bootlegga:

Edit... Damn you Saturn, you beat me to it!

I knew sitting on CBC.ca refreshing every 60 seconds would net me something juicy.

Url missing. What was it?

[RUEZ]

djakeydd djakeydd:

Harper is such an embarrassement - http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/Har ... story.html

Not at all. If you're embarrassed that's your hang up.

[desertdude]

http://www.thenational.ae/business/econ ... for-months

http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/uae/gener ... s-1.696413

Political leverage mate, everybody uses it all the time. Just politics, nothing personal. Stop crying fowl if someone other than you uses it for once.

Canada was using protectionism on landing rights to direct flights to Dubai only, which AFAIK there are no domestic or foriegn airline does at the moment other than Emirates and Ethihad.

Also any Canadian media article failed to mention that the UAE is Canada's largest export market in the MENA region. So like I said its all about politics, you scrath my back and I will scratch yours

http://www.international.gc.ca/commerce ... e-eau.aspx

I'm all pro Canada and I think everybody here knows that by now, but gotta see it from a third persons point of view even if I favout Canada more than the UAE on any given sunday or friday for that matter

[EyeBrock]

Thanks UAE for stabbing us in the back at the UN. We will remember.

"UAE lobbied against Canada's UN bid"


http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2010/10/ ... uncil.html

[desertdude]

Thats exactly what my second link says in the local rag here. I'm trying to look at this totally from a nuetral view point.

While UAE also looses on this deal, Canada does too. I dunno if you bothered to click the last link from the Canadian goverment website. UAE is it's biggest importer in the region and Canada only imports a fraction vice versa.

From a third persons view, Canada has more to loose and it has. Lost the base, although it says it doesn't make a difference but and will operate out of cyrpus. The cost logistacally does go up a lot from conducting operations from that great a distance. It lost at the UN too but I'm sure it didn't take much prodding or convincing of the Arab-muslim bloc due to its forgien policies towards the region.

Now Canada is doing the save face thing by oh we didn't want it anyways. As for the Airline protectionism. It did what it felt was right and maybe it did and maybe it didn't calculate the cost involed in that.

Also the UAE does not have much if anything to loose in this deal if you look at it rationaly and maybe thats why it choose to get aggressive. To be honest I'm kinda surprised as they have never done anything like this in the past or atleast that I can recall.

In a worst case scenario if all ties and trade are cut Canada looses out way more than the UAE

As for never forgeting US also abadoned Canada and that should be more of a concern than UAE. Like I said just global and economic politics, both countries played out the best hand they had. Unfortunately Canada lost this round.

[Lemmy]

Harper won’t trade principles, eh? Yesterday in Quebec, Harper said “We take our positions based on the promotion of our values of freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law, justice, development and humanitarian assistance for those who need it. Those are the things we are pursuing and that does not change, regardless of what the outcome of a secret vote is.”

Oh, really? Later on yesterday, Harper met with Chinese Ambassador to Canada Lan Lijun on the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Canada and China. Did Harper use that opportunity to discuss the imprisoning dissident and recent Nobel Peace Prize recipient Lin Xiaohos? Nope. Did he make any statement regarding rampant human rights violations in China? Nope. Did he make mention of China’s labour policies? Nope? Did he encourage China to comply with world trade and financial conventions, specifically to cease manipulations of China’s currency? Nope. He had nothing but praise for China. It was a lot of backpeddling from a government that had been the most unfriendly to China of any government in decades. And I supported Harper for initially taking a hard line with China. But I guess all that’s changed. Maybe yesterday’s announcement that the Bank of Montreal had become the first Canadian bank to be incorporated in China took precedence over human rights.

So why didn’t we get UN the seat? Support of Israel, Harper’s support of the Iraq invasion and Afghanistan, combined with our close ties to Britain and the USA, clearly swung the Muslim countries’ votes elsewhere. Harper has alienated Russia and her bloc-voting friends over sabre-rattling and fear mongering about arctic sovereignty. He’s pissed off Mexico with visa requirements for visitors. He pissed off all the European countries with his “transaction tax” on the G8/G20 summit. He’s pissed off India and Brazil by ignoring their requests to become permanent UN Security Council members.

Do I support some of Harper’s foreign policies? Yes, but how am I to believe him when he’s talking out both sides of his yap with respect to China? The bottom line is whether you support Harper or not, he IS the reason that Canada lost its bid for the Security Council seat. Any attempts to place the blame for this on Iggy or anywhere other than at Harper’s feet is complete nonesense. And I’d be fine with that if Harper’s foreign policy convictions were anything more than political lip service. But yesterday’s events have me calling “bullshit”. Tough talk is still just talk if not supported by tough action.

[SprCForr]

Ramp up oil production, cut the price and cut their revenues.

Extra bonus?

Cheap gas for my car.

[DrCaleb]

desertdude desertdude:

Political leverage mate, everybody uses it all the time. Just politics, nothing personal. Stop crying fowl if someone other than you uses it for once.

Sorry DD, but when a 'friendly' nation actively sabotages our goals, it does become personal.

[EyeBrock]

DrCaleb DrCaleb:

desertdude desertdude:

Political leverage mate, everybody uses it all the time. Just politics, nothing personal. Stop crying fowl if someone other than you uses it for once.

Sorry DD, but when a 'friendly' nation actively sabotages our goals, it does become personal.

Agreed.