Statement - Green Party of Canada

Statement - Green Party of Canada

Peace Movement Aotearoa

PO Box 9314, Wellington. Tel (04) 382 8129, fax (04) 382 8173, pma@apc.org.nz

Victoria, B.C
Thursday March 24

The Green Party of Canada again deplores the involvement of Canada in yet another questionable US led enterprise. Canada's support for NATO acting unilaterally will undermine again the legitimacy of the United Nations and the International Court of Justice, and will jeopardize any role Canada can play as an independent credible voice for peace. Even NATO is in violation of its own charter which calls for defensive action only. This cannot be construed as defensive.

The Green Party of Canada also endorses the statements made by Dr Rosalie Bertell and Dr. Fred Knelman about the NATO strikes.

"Canada and its NATO allies could easily produce a peaceful world by discontinuing the production and international sale of weapons and weaponry! Instead they distribute arms widely and then make a military intervention when they disapprove of the way the arms are used! War is the last bastion of insane addiction to violence as a way to "peace". No one believes any more that beating a child produces an upright young adult, or wife beating results in a happy married life! Only the mentally retarded believe that one can bomb nations into peace! Canada has lost its credibility as a peacekeeper by its cooperation with this bombing of Kosovo and Serbia. It was honoured for its banning of land mines and other creative peace initiatives, but unfortunately this barbarity far outweighs those small gains!" (Dr. Rosalie Bertell)

"The United States, using the umbrella of NATO, is pursuing the counterproductive tactics of brutal force to impose its will on sovereign nations. This is the policy that was used by George Bush in Iraq and led to the current failure of monitoring Iraq's capacity to manufacture weapons of mass destruction. Nor has it led to the deposing of Saddam Hussein. The assumption that the mere use of force can solve profound political differences particularly in a region such as the Balkans shows an incredible ignorance of history. Already the counterproductive nature is showing itself in Macedonia where thousands of citizens are protesting the US led action. There is no rationalization for what is called the end game; that is if the bombing does not force the Serbs to alter their policy, nothing has been achieved but spreading the virus of conflict throughout the region." (Dr Fred Knelman)

Joan Russow (PhD)
National leader of the Green Party of Canada

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