Harper’s Conservatives wanted Canada to join the war in Iraq

March 17, 2003 – Stephen Harper, then leader of the Conservative Opposition, attacks Jean Chretien’s Liberal government for listening to the majority of Canadians and not overtly supporting or sending combat troops into Bush’s war in Iraq. The United Nations did not support the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 and Kofi Annan, Secretary-General of the United Nations, called the war illegal in 2004.

Massive demonstrations in Quebec and Canada against the impending war in Iraq forced the Liberals to make this public statement against the war in 2003. Chretien’s government did send military and command support into the Gulf, and made a deal with the Bush Administration to send a large contingent of combat troops into Afghanistan instead of Iraq (2,500 Canadian troops are currently serving in Kandahar until 2011; as of mid-June 2008, 85 soldiers had been killed).

Harper and his Conservative party (now the minority Government of Canada) strongly advocate for war in the Middle East, have successfully pushed through increases in military spending in Canada as requested by the Bush Administration, and promote a repressive security state that targets Arabs, Muslims and ethnic minorities who do not support their aggressive neo-conservative agenda.

Conservatives Stephen Harper and Stockwell Day are closely tied to the Republican Bush Administration in the United States. Harper and Day’s election and political campaigns are heavily funded by oil, gas, defence and conservative lobby groups, both in Canada and the United States.

Copyright © 2008 Toronto Video Activist Collective

Duration : 0:6:30


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25 Responses

  1. dave777blaster Says:

    dump Harper he is a …
    dump Harper he is a warmonger

  2. zeppelin8 Says:

    Frig, one of my …
    Frig, one of my friends (whose dad ran for Conservative MP in an ontario town- wont say where) said that “the Liberals wanted to go to Iraq originally” as an excuse to discredit them. Then I see this. I will never vote Conservative as long as Harper is apart of it. Ever

  3. verstwo2 Says:

    This was the recent …
    This was the recent past. The Liberals and Neo-conservative are NOT the same and this video outlines only one of the fundamental differences. It’s called respect for the rule of law, war mongering, integrity and judgment. And that’s all just in one 6 min clip.

  4. verstwo2 Says:

    that was an awesome …
    that was an awesome moment. I remember it well. Canada was lucky to have a Liberal gov. back then….It’s scary to think where the neo-conservative will drag this country.

  5. matthewhopkins1984 Says:

    The disrespectful …
    The disrespectful tone of Stephen Harper is in such contract to that of Jean Chretien. This remains a pressing difference between the Harper version of the Conservatives and the Liberals, Bloq and NDP, who carry with a higher degree of respectability.

  6. nickldavis Says:

    Thank god Chretien …
    Thank god Chretien made the right decision and stuck with it… yet somehow Harper is our prime minister now… do people not know that he wanted us to be stuck in Iraq losing canadian lives to fight an unjust, unprovoked, illegal war that’s destroyed the US dollar… fuck.

  7. greatwhitenord Says:

    Fuck You Harper! …
    You Harper! War hungry bastard!

  8. Lazurath101 Says:

    I love it how the …
    I love it how the Canadian politicians need an earphone ’cause they speak two languages over there.

  9. TheLastCanadian Says:

    AMEN!!!!!!!
    AMEN!!!!!!!

  10. jejeroy Says:

    we need to create a …
    we need to create a new politic mouvement socialist and nationalist with new leader solid harper is working for an agenda if you see what i mean our gouvernement is controled and that idiot of harper ruin OUR COUNTRY!

  11. KrisYYZ Says:

    A defining and …
    A defining and proud moment in Canadian history. Chretien was right, Harper was wrong.

  12. KrisYYZ Says:

    same here!
    same here!

  13. ColeJones83 Says:

    hey captendelta, …
    hey captendelta, can i just point out that it was your precious liberals that sent the army to afghanistan in the first damned place?

    yes, conservative party has its issues, so does the liberal party… in essence they are all the damned same… i just ask you remember the recent past before making a political stand

  14. 12v45g Says:

    ba zing, I agree …
    ba zing, I agree entirely

  15. dubseller Says:

    Steven Harper = …
    Steven Harper = Canada’s George W Bush

  16. Darcksaac Says:

    All hail Adolf …
    All hail Adolf Harper! The man who will take democracy and social development to make an all mighty financial dictatorship.

  17. captendelta Says:

    Lmao conservatives …
    Lmao conservatives are will to commit 1000 or 2000 soliders to war on iraq for The US!!?????? We are already at the point of 100 soilders lost in afganistan.. and thats not even close to the war on iraq… what were the achevments and benifits coming from this contry once it becomes liberated?????? Becuz i sure of dont see benifits coming from iraq to canada! Thank god for the liberals….. Canada would have lost a lot of soliders if it were not for the liberals 18 years of age im sayin!

  18. dylanwmoh Says:

    No kidding, he had …
    No kidding, he had an illustrious career as an Alberta MLA as well… Used public funds to pay his legal costs after running off his mouth about a court case he had nothing to do with.

  19. Brownshoe24 Says:

    I miss Jean …
    I miss Jean Chretien’s Liberals !

  20. dinorpg Says:

    Harper is Bush’s …
    Harper is Bush’s puppet/b*tch, why the @#$% did he get elected again.

  21. orphangordie Says:

    So as you already …
    So as you already know .. I was at the Conservatives Anti-Separtatist Supported Liberal , NDP Coalition Rally here in Vancouver { Watch my video please } Mr Stockwell Day failed to mention , that in year 2000 , The Conservative Alliance , Conservative Party and the Bloc Quebecois had aggreed to form a coalition , The 2000 aggreement , titled Consensus Leadership for a New Century , stated.. We agree that we will support Stockwell Day as Prime Minister of Canada

  22. rtsoccerplayer Says:

    if harper wanted to …
    if harper wanted to help a country, why not help out darfur

  23. margot980 Says:

    Harper replaced …
    Harper replaced Hillier with Walter Natynczyk, because “he liked him”.

    Sigh. Last year, Natynczyk was presented with a Meritorious Service Cross by Governor General Michaele Jean. From January 2004 to January 2005, Lt.-Gen. Natynczyk displayed praiseworthy “leadership and professionalism, while deployed as Deputy Commanding General of the Multi-National Corps during Operation Iraqi Freedom”, according to the April 25, 2006 press release from the Governor General’s office.

  24. margot980 Says:

    Natynczyk and the …
    Natynczyk and the Multi-National Corps supported Operations Vigilant Resolve and Phantom Fury, which destroyed the main hospital, 65 mosques, 60 schools, vital public buildings and infrastructure, and most homes (36,000 out of 50,000) in Fallujah. Arguments continue about the huge number of civilians killed, but most of us call the November 2004 rampage of slaughter and destruction in Fallujah a war crime.

  25. margot980 Says:

    Natynczyk and the …
    Natynczyk and the Multi-National Corps supported Operations Vigilant Resolve and Phantom Fury, which destroyed the main hospital, 65 mosques, 60 schools, vital public buildings and infrastructure, and most homes (36,000 out of 50,000) in Fallujah. Arguments continue about the huge number of civilians killed, but most of us call the November 2004 rampage of slaughter and destruction in Fallujah a war crime.

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