A prime minister sends Canadians overseas to fight terrorists

A Canadian prime minister determines that the activities of terrorists operating in a Muslim nation far from Canada’s shores is such a threat to Canada’s security, that he dispatches Canadian Forces on a combat mission. There is no debate or discussion in Parliament let alone a vote. There seems not to have even been a full cabinet discussion before the prime minister makes his decision. Simply a request from an American president.

That was all it took for Jean Chrétien to to begin what would become Canada’s decade-long war against terrorism in Afghanistan. Here’s some of what he said on Oct. 8, 2001 about that mission:

We are part of an unprecedented coalition of nations that has come together to fight the threat of terrorism, a coalition that will act on a broad front that includes military, humanitarian, diplomatic, financial, legislative and domestic security initiatives. I have made it clear from the very beginning that Canada would be part of this coalition every step of the way.

On Friday evening, the United States asked Canada to make certain contributions as part of an international military coalition against international terrorism. I immediately instructed our Minister of National Defence to agree. Yesterday, I met with the Chief of the National Defence Staff to confirm the type of role that Canada was being asked to play.

And shortly before noon today, I confirmed to President Bush in a telephone conversation that we would provide the military support requested.

Just after noon, I instructed the Chief of Defence Staff to issue a warning order to a number of units of our Armed Forces to ensure their readiness.

All Canadians understand what is being asked of the men and women of our Armed Forces and their families. As always, they are ready to serve. As always, they will do Canada proud.

I have spoken as well to the leaders of the opposition parties. They pledged their co-operation and I thank them for it.

While I obviously will not be able to provide the Canadian people with operational information that could endanger lives, I intend to offer regular updates on our objectives and efforts. I will meet with my Cabinet this week and a take-note debate will be held in Parliament on Monday of next week.

This month, another Canadian prime minister may ask members of the Canadian Forces to take up arms against terrorists operating in a Muslim country far from Canada’s shores that have been deemed a threat to Canada’s security.

But while Chretien simply told opposition leaders what he was doing — his own MPs and opposition MPs would have to learn by simply reading his speech — Harper told the House of Commons several times Tuesday, Parliament will have a different role if there is to be an y combat mission for Canadians in Syria and Iraq. “There will be a debate and a vote here in the House of Commons,” Harper said in response to Opposition Leader Thomas Mulcair’s second query in Question Period Tuesday. “If there is a combat mission of any kind, including an air combat mission, there will be a debate and a vote in this House,” Harper said to Mulcair’s third query Tuesday. “If we are planning any kind of a combat mission, including an aerial combat mission, there will of course be a debate and a vote in this House,” Harper said in response to Mulcair’s fourth query.

In response to a question from Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau, Harper went a little further noting that his decision to let Parliament vote on a combat deployment was par for his course: “Whenever we enter a mission that involves combat, including aerial combat, we present it to the House of Commons for a debate and for a vote.”

And, not only will Parliamentarians get to debate and vote on this deployment — should it come to that — but, as Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird said in the House of Commons Monday, ” if there were to be a combat mission, we would seek to bring it before Parliament as a matter of confidence.”

Somewhere, former Liberal cabinet minister Lloyd Axworthy surely must be applauding how Harper is going about this. Here’s what he wrote in an op-ed published in The Globe and Mail the day after Chretien announced that our troops were off to Afghanistan.

The House of Commons should be convened immediately, not only as the forum through which Canadians can express their solidarity, but as a place where tough questions can be asked about the conduct and objectives of this military  operation. We all knew this battle was coming, but little clue was given as to the nature of Canadian involvement. Now that it is upon us, and promises to be a long-term engagement of a particularly tricky and complex kind, it is vital that there be a much better understanding of how this use of force will reduce the terrorist threat, what the consequences will be for the broader goal of instituting an international legal order, and whether Canada will do more than offer troops.

IN 2001, the Commons was not convened immediately but was convened a week after Chretien’s declaration. And the first query in the first Question Period after Chretien announced his decision,  Opposition Leader Stockwell Day —  then leading the Canadian Alliance — noted his support for the mission but did ask this: “Could the Prime Minister clarify why he felt it necessary to commit troops even before the House of Commons reconvened?”

To which Chretien as much told him that it was his call and his call alone. “The president called me on Sunday morning and asked me if we would participate in the form that had been asked and I said yes. In fact it is the responsibility of the government to make this decision because the government is the executive of Canada and we have the confidence of the House. However I have kept opposition leaders as informed as possible and I thank the Leader of the Opposition for his support.”