While we're on the subject of complicity, here's a very interesting point from Mark Steyn, courtesy of the folks at IShouldBeDoingHomework.com:
"The Western oil company with the closest ties to the late Saddam is France's TotalFinaElf. That's not the curious fact, that's just business as usual in the Fifth Republic. This is the curious fact: As Diane wrote in February and again last week, "Total's biggest shareholder is Montreal's Paul Desmarais, whose youngest son is married to Prime Minister Jean Chrétien's daughter."The Canadian Alliance needs to be all over this one.Let's see if I've got this straight: TotalFinaElf's largest shareholder is a subsidiary of Montreal's Power Corp, whose co-chief executive is Jean Chretien's son-in-law, Andre Desmarais. Mr. Desmarais' brother, Paul Desmarais Jr., sits on the Total board.
For months, the anti-war crowd has insisted that "it's all about oil," that the only reason the Iraqi people were being "liberated" was so that the second biggest oil reserves in the world could be annexed in perpetuity by Dick Cheney and Halliburton and the rest of Bush's Texas oilpatch gang. Instead, it turns out that, if it is all about oil, then the principal North American beneficiary of the continued enslavement of the Iraqi people is the family of the Canadian Prime Minister -- that's to say, his daughter, France Chretien, and his grandchildren."
N.B. Some interesting information about TotalFinaElf, currently embroiled in a major corruption scandal involving arms and kickbacks. Instapundit on the scandals trial in France, and the preferential oil contracts.
Why is this corruption, but the $7 billion no-bid contract to Haliburton (Dick Cheney's old company) isn't?
More to the point, do you really think that Chretien really wanted to support the U.S., except that it would hurt his family? Or is it more likely that he would have avoided taking any firm stance on the issue whether or not there was any family connection? Especially when most Canadians and most Liberals opposed participation in the war against Iraq without UN sanction?
It's not like Canada actually did anything much to impede the U.S., and at one point our compromise resolution almost got passed (until the French shot it down).
Unless there's some evidence that the PM actually changed his mind because of this family connection, it's just a smear, no better than the antiwar types who seem to think that G.W.B. launched the invasion to line his pockets.
God knows I feel strange defending the PM against accusations of corruption, but I suppose there's a first time for everything.
frequently when people accuse others unjustly, they assume that those they accuse would do what they would do if they were in their shoes. ie, chretien were he to go to war in iraq perhaps would only have gone for oil.
shrug.
but he didn't. and we did.
ain't noticed any thieving yet. but then our military has been too busy taking care of business (liberating).
but watch for the vultures ready to pick the country clean when this is done. the french will be first in line.
I thought the Halliburton contract was annulled? But I wonder why the Canadian press never picked up on this bit of information or any scandal that the “wonderful” PM Chretien has embarked on.
As for the UN sanction gambit, where was that when Canada eagerly sent troops to Bosnia? UN sanctions are just an excuse for a faceless, ineffective and nonexistent foreign policy. No wonder we have no respect anymore. But I suppose this was earned...
With respect, Kevin, I think you're asking the wrong question. The issue is not, did he want to support the US? That question suggests this was a moral issue for Chretien, and that he ultimately came down on the side of self-interest. It wasn't a moral issue for him, because nothing is a moral issue for Jean Chretien. There is only self-interest, no internal dialogue that self-interest sometimes wins. Let's look at the backstory:
a. Jean Chretien stands for nothing in particular. He has achieved nothing memorable or invaluable during 9 years as Prime Minister with unchallenged control over the entire apparatus of government. This is salient because it suggests he is a man without a value system, without any sense of a public good that he should work for. He wants to be PM just to be PM, not for any other reason.
b. Jean Chretien had police forces suppress legitimate protest at the appearance of the Indonesian dictator Suharto at the APEC conference in Vancouver. He saw nothing wrong with this, and even joked about it, because he has no moral compass. He is a hollow man.
c. Jean Chretien has influenced government decisions causing public money to be spent to make property that he owned more valuable. He then bullied and threatened and fired people, and lied, and forged documents, to cover it up. The only value he knows is self-regard.
Chretien is an old-time Chicago machine, or Tammany Hall style pol, for whom morality is an empty concept. Would he be tempted by the potential value to a member of his family of a gigantic TotalFinaElf contract? Is that a serious question? Of course he would be tempted. That's what he does. That's who he is. He knows influence, not morality. He knows power, not principle. He knows advantage, not duty.
There is another back story. Demarais Sr. has mutiple European business partnerships with Baron Albert Freres who is big money in Belgium.
Notice how Belgium has aligned? Makes ya go "Hmmmm" don't it?
I am an American living in Canada (my wife is Canadian) and regarding Jean Cretchien, why have the Canadian people put up with him for so long? If indeed he is a self serving individual?
Ever since coming to Canada I have been absolutely amazed at the seemingly pacifistic attitude of so many Canadians. I don't mean in terms of war or no war but rather in terms of not getting riled up about anything enough to do something about it.
Jean Cretchien being a case in point. It seems like no matter what he does the Canadian people continue to let him stay in office.
The Canadian people don't seem to have the will to oust him though I have heard many say he is not a good Prime Minister.
Carlos
As a Canadian, let me tell you thatChretien is not long in this world politically. His successor is waiting in the wings. He is playing up to public opinion, particularly in Quebec, in order to get votes and stay in power. He is staying out of Iraq solely for personal political reasons. Canada never shirked in Korea Afghanistan or in peace-keeping missions. Be patient with us. We will get rid of him, but it takes time in a democracy.
This is such spin that the National Post should be embarrassed! Here are the facts: Power Corp owns 67% of Power Corp Financial, which owns 100% of Power Financial Europe, which owns 50% of Parjointco, which owns 54.6% of Pargesa Holding, which owns, among many other things, 3.3% of TotalFinaElf
See here and here),
TotalFinaElf has a market cap of $87B (link), so 3.3% is $2.87 B. Backing that out, 54.6% of 50% of 67% of $2.87B is $.525B. The Market Cap of Power Corp is 7.5B, so exposure to TotalFinaElf is less than 10%. And TotalFinaElf's exposure to Iraq must be pretty small, since their chart of share price (link) shows no changes related to the success or failure of US war in Iraq (share price has been between 68 and 76 for last 2 years). I dare say that the war in IRAQ will not cost Chretien's kids a single penny, and that cheaper oil will make all oil company shareholders - them included - lots more money.
Jean Chretien sucks at hockey! He checked me when we played! I hate him! He hit me! He cheated on me!
I hate Jean! Hes an ugly fruit with no sense of humor! I wish he would dissapear! how come we're not aloud to fish off the shores of our own province and other people are? Makes you wander, hunh? Plus when I was dating him(dont no why) I found a used condom on his floor! Vote him out!
Well first of all I am a canadian. The only thing that I really have to say is that whether or not J.C is a good P.M doesn't really matter to me, what matters to me is the fact that I, as a Canadian feel comfortable and safe not only in my country, but I will go as far as to say, in most countries around the world. That's a lot more that most people can say. Our P.M, probally does suck, but we as people have shown that we can get along with others. The reality to me is that there is too much money being spent on war, when there are thousands of innocent people freezing to death, dying of starvation, or dying of diseases related to curable causes in our own countries. (ie Canada and the United States)
We should deal with that first, in my opinion.
Don't want to step on any toes, just one persons opinion.