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Great White North
Canada warns Iran after agent cleared of murder charge
2004-07-29
Canada warned on Tuesday it would ratchet up pressure on Iran over the killing of a jailed Iranian-Canadian photographer, and called on Tehran to respect international human rights norms.
Or else ... what?
"McKenzie! Bring me my mukluks!"
But Foreign Minister Pierre Pettigrew's promise of action fell far short of measures demanded by the press, his opposition counterpart and the family of Zahra Kazemi, who died while in Iranian custody last year. "We are going to work with our partners across the world, in the European Union and in the United Nations to increase the pressure on Iran," Pettigrew told reporters in Montreal.
Bet that idea has 'em quaking in their curly-toed slippers...
"Iran must accept its responsibilities in line with its own laws, but also in line with the UN Declaration of Human Rights," Pettigrew said in his first public comments on the issue since Mohammad Reza Aghdam Ahmadi, 42, was acquitted.
"Or else!"
"Or else what?"
"Or they can expect a resolution, by Gawd!"
Kazemi, 54, a freelance photographer with dual nationality, died in July last year from a brain hemorrhage from a blow to her skull after her arrest for taking photos outside Tehran's notorious Evin prison. The judiciary initially claimed Kazemi died of a stroke, but a government report later revealed she had been struck by a blunt object. Her mother says Kazemi's body showed evidence of torture in several places, including broken bones. Kazemi's family has demanded justice, and charged the Canadian government with doing little to call Tehran to account. "I'm questioning myself on the honest intention of the Canadian government," Kazemi's son, Stephan Hachemi, said on Tuesday. "It's a shame."
They mean well. That's the important thing.
The chief Conservative Party spokesman for foreign affairs, Stockwell Day, accused Pettigrew of "failing to take immediate and decisive action."
"Actually, he failed to do much of anything."
Three UN human rights experts earlier on Tuesday said they were profoundly concerned at the acquittal verdict.
Concern and $3.95 will get you a cup of coffee at Starbucks, until the prices go up again...
The UN special rapporteurs on the right to freedom of opinion and expression, on the independence of judges and lawyers, and on torture expressed "their profound concern regarding the unanswered questions which have resulted from the acquittal of an Iranian intelligence officer on 24 July after a two-day trial."
Keep stonewalling, Iran, and the special rappers will be extremely concerned.
Posted by:Steve White

#16  Thank you for the "dented ship" link, #14,because it shows perfectly the huge burden suffered by the Cdn. military due to the Liberal Party oafs who were in office soooo long,first under Comrade Trudeau and if that idiot didn't deliver lethal blows to the military, then along came Comrade Chretien for 8 years to really finish off the job.

Within that particular article is another sad story re: the SeaKing helicopters, which were the most dangerous thingies in the air for Cdn. soldiers because the SeaKings were 40 years old, can you believe it!!! From the CBC article:

...The military has been lobbying Ottawa to replace the aging fleet of Sea Kings for two decades. The aircraft are 40 years old, and require about 30 hours of maintenance for every hour in the air. Opposition parties pounced on the federal government during question period Thursday, accusing the Liberals of playing politics with the lives of pilots and other military personnel. But the government said there are always risks associated with flying, and that the Sea Kings are still safe.

"Clearly this is a negative development," Defence Minister John McCallum said, expressing relief that no one had been seriously hurt. "We will do everything possible to continue in the mission."

The doofus whom Chretien appointed Defense Minister, McCallum, was a former economist/banker, who had never served in the military and wouldn't know the difference between a SeaKing and a kingfisher. McCallum's appointment was an example of the transparent contempt which the Liberal Party held for the military.

Read McCallum's background and interests and it will make you better understand why Canada's defense/military is held together with clothes pins and glue.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/financeminister/
McCallum's biography is at the bottom of the page.
Posted by: rex   2004-07-29 10:55:15 PM  

#15  So how is that Soft Power thing working out?
Posted by: Stephen   2004-07-29 10:54:30 PM  

#14  Actually they have several, but one had a dented flight deck.
Posted by: Pappy   2004-07-29 10:20:59 PM  

#13  Oops, better quit teasing. It seems that Canada has a warship.
Posted by: BH   2004-07-29 3:56:44 PM  

#12  Canada could put the scare of God into their indigenous Muslim population and send a clear message to Iran by simply repealing thier gun control laws. They could go one step further by creating "a militia of the people, where every Canadian Citizen is a member capable of defending the homeland from attack", and ISSUING them guns and ammo, like the Swiss do. The Swiss haven't been attacked in 700 years. There's a very good reason for it, and it's only partially terrain. When every citizen's a warrior, and when every citizen's TRAINED to be a warrior, it's one hell of a mess to try to fight your way through them. Would only that we had such a citizenry!
Posted by: Old Patriot   2004-07-29 3:40:35 PM  

#11  and that was another rantburg exclusive!
thanx rex
Posted by: Dcreeper   2004-07-29 1:23:47 PM  

#10  Are you gonna bark all day, little doggy, or are you gonna bite?
Posted by: BH   2004-07-29 12:32:39 PM  

#9  iran you are warned! we canadians will repair our relationship with GWB and then..then ..then..you better watch out! you have been warned!
Posted by: Dan   2004-07-29 11:18:49 AM  

#8  "We are going to work with our partners across the world, in the European Union and in the United Nations to increase the pressure on Iran," Pettigrew told reporters in Montreal.

Yep. Well good luck with that. Let us know how you make out, eh?
Posted by: tu3031   2004-07-29 10:12:29 AM  

#7  "Canada's prime exports? BS and hot air."

LOL
Posted by: SHaKey   2004-07-29 10:10:33 AM  

#6  SH, Canada has more frogs than the UK does.
Posted by: Mr. Davis   2004-07-29 7:36:10 AM  

#5  I find it odd that Canada often acts more like an EU country than the UK does. May be a mispreception on my part.
Posted by: Super Hose   2004-07-29 3:06:37 AM  

#4  I would hope Canada can get an equitable deal in this sad affair.

Is that cool enough. Canada, your in this fight, start acting like it. Stop being campus PC and start being the hard boyz that was the Canada from your past, with red coats and black boots, no fucking around!
Posted by: Lucky   2004-07-29 1:53:56 AM  

#3  Some more salt on the wound:

Zahra Kazemi's son left a meeting with Foreign Affairs Minister Pierre Pettigrew angry and unhappy Tuesday after failing to get a commitment for government action in his mother's death....Hachemi said he expected immediate answers to his demands. When he emerged more than two hours later, Hachemi said..."The minister failed me and failed to have my mother's rights respected,".... Source
Posted by: Rafael   2004-07-29 1:25:02 AM  

#2  All that's left for Canada is trade shut down with Iran. Iran is a big ME trade partner with Canada. And not only that, but trade with polite friendly little Canada gives some aura of "legitimacy" to the mullah madmen running Iran. If Canada treated Iran as though it had leprosy, perhaps Iran might hold a "re-trial." Who knows?

Once again I defend Canada because it was and still is a great nation and a darn good ally of the USA, Quebec notwithstanding. But I lay blame re: Canada's toothless paper tiger stature at the feet of Monsieur Jean Chretien, who reduced a once proud nation to joke material for the likes of Leno and Letterman. Chretien is Kerry with a bad accent, so we Americans should not get too pompous and point the finger at Canada and ask how a loser like Chretien could get so much political power. Remember we have John Kerry[say who?]running for President. Chretien is no worse than Kerry.

A Cdn. opinion piece on this shameful situation:
http://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/Columnists/Ottawa/Earl_McRae/2004/07/28/559384.html
"Hypocrisy, Canadian style"
By Earl McRae Ottawa Sun
Waving his hands and shouting, he says Canada is a great country to live in, but a political embarrassment to defend internationally.

"Canada gets no respect because Canada has no guts. Tell me, who's afraid of Canada's anger? Nobody. Everybody knows Canada is weak, or how you say it -- a pussycat?"

He's railing from behind the counter at a west-end convenience store. He's 37 years old and a Canadian citizen who emigrated to this country from Iran where he'd been a mechanical engineer. Articulate, fluent in English, he's taking classes to upgrade his skill to Canadian standards...But Iran does know that Canada's protesting voice passes gums without teeth. What should Canada's response be to the Kazemi travesty? He shakes his head. "If she was the daughter of the Canadian foreign affairs minister and this happened, would Canada be afraid to do anything like it is now? I am so ashamed of Canada. Canada should end all relations with Iran. Canada should stop all exporting to Iran and stop importing from Iran. But Canada is afraid to hurt Iran. It makes my stomach sick."

The department of foreign affairs' website says Canada's main export by far to Iran is wheat and that we exported some $500 million worth in 2001 while importing from Iran mainly hand-woven carpets, raisins, dates, pistachios, and organic chemicals at a value of $121 million. In fact, says the website, Iran is Canada's largest export market in the North Africa/Middle East region. Hypocrisy and realpolitik: The website says Canada instituted a policy of "controlled engagement" with Iran in 1996, but that the policy "does not reflect any dimunition in our concern about Iranian government opposition to the Middle East peace process, its support of terrorism, its pursuit of weapons of mass destruction, or its human rights record." ...Canada's prime exports? BS and hot air.

A lesson for American voters in November.




Posted by: rex   2004-07-29 1:21:25 AM  

#1  It was an accident, you Krazy Kannuks...AC-SEE-DENT. Happens all of the time to infidels in Muslim countries. It was just a careless smoker that led to all of the deaths in Sudan...not the Janjaweeds. Your photographer was just a careless person.

In fact you Kannuks ought to hold in front of the Hague for Hate Speech Crimes against Islam.
Posted by: anymouse   2004-07-29 12:38:45 AM  

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