Canada's prime minister: Iraq war is a mistake

Roughly 75 years ago, a Canadian colonel drew up what was known as Defense Scheme No. 1, a bizarre plan intended to rebuff a U.S. invasion from the south by seizing Albany, N.Y., and Minot, N.D.

Now, of course, the United States and Canada maintain what they happily refer to as the longest undefended international border in the world, and President Bush couldn't have a better friend on the international scene than Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

Trade issues between the two are at a minimum, and Canada couldn't be more supportive of the war in  Afghanistan, regularly supplying troops to the mission under the NATO umbrella.

But Bush may not be feeling too kindly toward Harper this weekend.

The Conservative leader, in a national political debate Thursday evening, declared in no uncertain terms that the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003 was a mistake.

"It was absolutely an error," he said under pressure from debate opponents. "It's obviously clear the evaluation of weapons of mass destruction proved not to be correct. That's absolutely true and that's why we're not sending anybody to Iraq."

-- James Gerstenzang

Photo: Tom Hanson / Associated Press/The Canadian Press

Comments

[Crawford Kilian]

The story doesn't mention that in 2003, as leader of the opposition, Harper strenuously called for Canadian involvement in Bush's Iraq war. And as we've just learned this week, Harper's speech was a word-for-word plagiarism of a speech given by Australia's then-prime minister John Howard.

[james bell]

most canadians (63%) are against the war in afghanistan and canada will pull out of afghanistan in 2011.

[Anne W.]

Mistake is a euphemism. It was a crime.

[Cameron]

I think the Canadian soldiers should stay in iraq till this is over, If we pull out now I dont think the U.S will be so eager to help us out when the time comes