Canada, Peacekeeper to the World? Myths, Values, and Reality in Canadian Foeign Policy

The belief that Canada is a major force for global peace forms the basis of a powerful myth that is integral to Canadian culture. This myth shapes the image that Canadians have constructed of themselves and moulds the way that others see them. Like all myths, it has very little basis in reality. This article challenges the myth of Canada as a \u201cpeacekeeper to the world\u201d and reasses the role of Canada as a force for liberty and peace in the world since 1945. Thanks to the mainstream media, it is commonly believed that Canada is not involved in the present Iraq war. The successful media campaign conducted by the Canadian government was able to perpetuate the underlying myth that Canada is a world-class peacemaker. However, despite Canada's official position of non-involvement in Operation Iraqi Freedom, observers contend that the country had given significant military aid to the war effort. There is evidence that Canada is currently giving more military support to the US for its war against Iraq than most of the nations that are officially supporting the war: in fact, it stands as the third strongest contributor to US forces in the Iraq war, after Britain and Australia. Evidence that Canada was involved in the war includes the use of Canadian military personnel aboard the US Air Force's E-3 Sentry Airborne Warning And Control System air craft. The E-3 Sentry provides all-weather surveillance, command, control and communications for the military. According to the US Air Force, one such aircraft, \u201ccarried approximately 180 members from the 552nd Air Control Wing -- the wing's Canadian component -- and 513th Air Control Group reservists. The units were deployed supporting operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom.\u201d Observers also say that Canada aided the Iraq war by providing strategic support. Reuters reported that on February 11, 2003, before Canada had taken an official position on the possible war on Iraq, Canada transferred 25 military planners from US Central Command in Tampa, Florida to the US command post in Qatar. According to Canadian Defense Minister John McCallum, the only other three countries involved in military planning at this base were the United States, Britain and Australia. Further, the Canadian Government allowed US planes on route to Iraq to fly through Canadian air space and to refuel in the country. Despite the US's original decision to forbid Canada from bidding on Iraqi reconstruction contracts on the grounds that it had not supported the war, several US diplomats gave Canada credit for aiding the war effort. Finally, the article links Canada\u2019 \u201csecret\u201d contribution to the Iraq war to the Canadian war industry