IMPACTS: NMD DESTROYS MILITARY COOPERATION WITH CANADA

CANADA WILL LEAVE NORAD IF NMD IS DEPLOYED

Mike Blanchfield February 5, 2000, The Ottawa Citizen SECTION: News; A5 HEADLINE: Missile plan threatens Norad pact: Canada could leave alliance to protest U.S. ballistic system, senior general says // ACS-LN-02-10-00

A Canadian Forces general predicts the death of Norad if Canada doesn't back down from its opposition to the proposed U.S. national missile defence system, calling it the most serious military issue now facing both countries.

Canada might withdraw from the North American Aerospace Defence Command (Norad) if the United States pursues the anti-ballistic missile system, Lt.-Gen. George MacDonald recently told a U.S. military symposium.

According to a report in this week's Jane's Defence Weekly, Lt.-Gen. MacDonald told his military audience: ''The concept of weapons in space is vehemently rejected by the Canadian government and most Canadians. The potential weaponization of space is seen by Canadians to be a seriously negative development that would exacerbate global nuclear instability.''

LOSS OF ABM TREATY MEANS CANADA WILL QUIT NORAD

Foreign Affairs Minister Lloyd Axworthy has said Canada can't support the new missile defence system because it would violate the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty between Russia and the U.S.

''For the Canadian government, this is a show stopper,'' said Lt.-Gen. MacDonald, the deputy commander of Norad. He called it ''the most significant issue that we will have ever dealt with in terms of Canada-U.S. defence relationships.''

USA-CANADA MISSILE DEFENSE SPLIT WOULD THREATEN NORAD -- THE ALLIANCE THAT DEFENDS NORTH AMERICAN AIRSPACE

Russia and China are also opposed to the new system. The United States says the missile defence system is no threat to Moscow and Beijing. It is limited in capability and designed to protect North America from small-scale nuclear attacks from ''rogue'' states such as North Korea.

However, the Canada-U.S. split on the issue threatens to undermine the very existence of Norad, the 42-year-old alliance that was set up to defend North American airspace.