Evidence of Canada’s role in the war on Iran is growing. With the public against participation in the cataclysmic conflict, Canadians need to understand this country’s default position is going along with whatever the US empire does. Not participating requires Canada to end military ties to the US empire.
According to Monday’s Globe and Mail, “American military aircraft have been using Canadian airspace to refuel on their way to the Middle East, backed by a long-standing NORAD agreement that does not require the U.S. to ask permission from Canada to do so.” US warplanes attacking Iran, including B-2 stealth bombers, have flown over this country to reduce the distance to the region.
Under bilateral military accords Canada doesn’t even have to okay overflights from a country with a president threatening to annex Canada. In a previous post the former head of the Coalition to Oppose the Arms Trade, Richard Sanders wrote, “Canada Preapproves US Military Overflights/Refueling US warplanes require permission to fly over and land/refuel in Canada, but this is handled through standing, reciprocal agreements so they do not need to ask for permission for every flight. The ‘US Service Aircraft Over-Flight Regulations’ allow US warplanes to fly in, fly over, land and take off from Canada on a reciprocal basis.”
Alongside the overflights, Sanders suggests US military aircraft attacking Iran may also have refuelled in Canada.
In another previously unreported Canadian contribution to the conflict, Iran chased Canadian troops out of Iraq. On Friday Defence Minister David McGuinty announced that Canadians were part of several hundred NATO personnel forced to withdraw from Iraq. “The Canadian Armed Forces personnel and Canadian civilians deployed with the NATO Mission Iraq have been relocated to a secure location and are safe and accounted for,” McGuinty said in a statement.
Who knew Canadian troops were still in Iraq? Were they assisting the war on Iran?
Reportedly, US/NATO troops are still in the semi-autonomous Kurdish region of Iraq. Canadian troops, specifically the highly secretive JTF2 elite special forces, may be on the ground there preparing a possible Kurdish land invasion. Two weeks ago, former vice chief of the defence staff Mark Norman told CTV that Canada has “long established relationships through our special forces with the Kurds”, which may be a way for Canada to assist the war on Iran.
Canadian forces stationed with the US in the region and those deployed at Canada’s base in Kuwait may also have assisted the US/Israeli aggression. Through NORAD hundreds of Canadian soldiers assist the US with monitoring West Asia, likely providing intelligence assistance for US/Israeli strikes. Canadians are also integrated in other US military commands assisting the war.
Beyond direct military assistance, Ottawa paved the way for the war through a slew of measures designed to isolate Iran. By cutting off ties, labelling Iran a terror supporter and sanctioning the country Canada has worked for many years to weaken Iran diplomatically and economically.
As the US built up its war machine in the region, Canada imposed more sanctions on Iran and demanded the overthrow of that country’s government. Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand told the Globe and Mail, “We will not open diplomatic relationships with Iran unless there is a regime change. Period.”
Anand’s comment was spurred by Mossad/CIA riots/protests seeking to destabilize the government and lay the ground for aggression. On Monday the New York Times all but confirmed that Israel was central to the violent riots in January that left over 3,000 dead. In “Israel Thought It Could Spur Rebellion Inside Iran” the US ‘paper of record’ reported on the years long planning and debate inside Mossad over fomenting rebellion that could threaten the Iranian government. It reported:
“Mossad’s strategy during that period was to try to weaken the government until it essentially surrendered to Israeli and American demands — using a combination of crippling economic sanctions and operations to assassinate Iranian nuclear scientists and military leaders and sabotage nuclear facilities.
“Over the past year, as the prospect of Israeli military action against Iran became more likely, [Mossad head] Mr. Barnea reversed Mossad’s approach, devoting the agency’s resources to plans that could lead to toppling the government in Tehran in the event of a war.
“In recent months, according to officials, Mr. Barnea came to believe that Mossad could potentially begin igniting riots around Iran after several days of intense Israeli and American airstrikes and the assassination of senior Iranian leaders.”
Across the political spectrum Canadian politicians portrayed the January riots/protests as simply state-backed repression. In reality, they were akin to the CIA/MI6 destabilization efforts that contributed to toppling Iran’s elected government in 1953 or CIA efforts to topple the elected Salvador Allende government in Chile in 1973.
The use of Canadian airspace by US warplanes highlights the scope of the ties between the two country’s militaries. Canada has around 500 treaty-level agreements, memoranda of understanding and bilateral forums on military affairs with the US. Despite Donald Trump’s annexation threats, few are calling to investigate, pause or end these accords. We should.
The Canadian public overwhelming opposes participation in the Iran war yet through ties to the US military we are heavily involved.
The Moose Factory, Ontario, resident who alerted the Globe and Mail to the large number of US warplanes refueling above the northern Ontario community declared, Donald Trump “started a war and he’s expecting everyone to help him. Leave us out of it.”
The only way to do that is to fundamentally change Canada’s agreements with the USA.
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