The Hindu : Haiti, Iraq on Annan's agenda in Canada

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Mar 08, 2004

International

International

Haiti, Iraq on Annan's agenda in Canada

By Sridhar Krishnaswami

TORONTO, MARCH 7. The United Nations Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, is visiting Canada for two days to discuss international issues with the political leadership.

The agenda includes Afghanistan, Iraq and Haiti. Mr. Annan is scheduled to meet the Prime Minister, Paul Martin, Cabinet officials and address a joint session of Parliament. Canada is actively involved in the resolution of crisis in Haiti and will be a part of the international force being assembled to bring about peace and security there. On Saturday, it was said three Hercules planes had been sent to Haiti to evacuate 800 Canadian nationals.

There are about 150,000 persons of Haitian descent in Canada mostly in the French-speaking province of Quebec. Canada is readying 450 soldiers to join American, French and troops from other nations in the Caribbean nation. "The deployment...is only one element of the Government of Canada's overall strategy to help Haiti restore peace, order and good governance. Our strategy also includes political, security, humanitarian and long-term reconstruction efforts," said the Defence Minister, David Pratt. The financial authorisation of the mission is around Canadian dollar 50 millions; and the impression is that the forces will be integrated into an American Marine battalion. Canadian forces, it is said, will among other things guard and distribute food, protect designated officials and carry out medical transport. But the decision to send troops has not been without criticism from the Opposition parties and defence analysts. The Conservatives say that as the Finance Minister, Mr. Martin had cut funding for the forces to the point that the country was now left with only "scraping the bone".

It has also been said the forces are stretched thin due to deployments in Afghanistan and Bosnia, an argument that has been brushed aside by Mr. Martin and Mr. Pratt. The Government's contention is the critics have really no idea of the troops' capabilities.

There has also been the concern in political circles on how exactly the former Haitian President, Jean Bertrand Aristide, left the country. Mr. Aristide said a U.S.-engineered coup of sorts had forced him into exile, an allegation denied by Washington.

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