We could call it ‘The Harper plan’

By Alan Holman
The Guardian
July 22, 2006

Since he became prime minister, the development of Canada’s foreign policy has been a work in progress for Stephen Harper. It seems to consist of cosying up to the Americans, and following their lead when crises arise in the rest of the world.

That Canada has interests and concerns that differ from the world’s most powerful military state doesn’t seem to have occurred to Mr. Harper.

A case in point were his comments last week that Israel’s bombing of Lebanese civilian targets was a “measured response” to the capture of two Israeli soldiers. It was a statement that might well have been written in the White House.

But when eight Canadian nationals were killed the next day by Israeli bombs, and the realization that there were nearly 40,000 Canadians in Lebanon that could meet the same fate, that statement looked crassly out of place.

As the week progressed and the bombings increased, it became apparent that something was going to have to be done to get foreign nationals out of Lebanon. However, it appears that Canada, with more people to deal with than any other country, didn’t get fully engaged in, or understand, the magnitude of the effort required until relatively late.

As of this week, Canada was still using symbolism rather than substance to assuage the feelings of outrage over the efforts being made.

The prime minister’s Airbus 320, which had been carrying the Canadian delegation to the G8 Conference is Russia, was diverted to Cyprus to be on hand to ferry home the first wave of Canadians evacuated from Lebanon.

The press corps, which had been travelling with the prime minister, was quite rightly booted off the plane to make room for the evacuees, but the prime minister, his wife, and other members of his retinue, including his media relations staff, stayed on the plane.

What was initially an astute move ended up looking like a hollow political gesture. Why didn’t the prime minister send the Airbus to Cyprus empty and return home by other means? He could have easily sent for a Challenger jet for himself and had the rest of his entourage return to Canada on commercial flights.

As it turned out, the prime minister had to sit on the runway in Cyprus for 24 hours waiting for the first of the refugees to arrive. When the plane left, it only had about 70 evacuees on board, instead of the 200 an Airbus is capable of carrying.

This political gamesmanship was played out on a stage with real people, in real trouble, with real fears for their safety and feeling real pain about the fact that most of them were abandoning family and friends to face a very uncertain fate.

As usual, there has been more coverage in our media of the approximately 30 Israelis killed than the hundreds of Lebanese who have died in the carnage being wreaked in southern Lebanon.

Mr. Harper’s assessment of what he considered a “measured response” has developed into a full-scale war. Maybe he has now learned that the politics of the Middle East are complex and it is dangerous to see things in black and white terms.

There is no question this fight was begun by Hezbollah, a radical Shiite Islamist organization, primarily located in southern Lebanon, but funded and run by Iran and Syria. It is better equipped, and better trained than the Lebanese national army.Lebanon has no influence over the actions of Hezbollah, but it is Lebanon that is paying the price.

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