NEIGHBORLY VISIT Bush defends war decision during 2-day trip to Canada

President Bush thanked Canadians for help Sept. 11, 2001.
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
HALIFAX, Nova Scotia -- Drawing on the emotional ties wrought by Sept. 11 as he attempted to repair a strained relationship with Canada, President Bush pledged Wednesday to "reaffirm America's enduring ties" to its neighbor and largest trading partner.
"How does a person say 'thank you' to a nation?" the president said during an appearance in this port city in the northern Atlantic to acknowledge those who helped Americans whose flights were diverted to Canada after the terrorist attacks. "Well, that's something a president can do. And so let me say directly to the Canadian people, and to all of you here today who welcomed Americans, thank you for your kindness to America in an hour of need.
" ... It's not always easy to sleep next to the elephant," he said.
Notwithstanding current tensions over trade issues and the war in Iraq, Bush emphasized the shared culture of the two nations, saying, "beyond the words of politicians and the natural disagreements that nations will have, our two peoples are one family, and always will be."
The president appeared with Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin at Pier 21, a historic portal for immigrants, refugees and war brides that is, to a degree, Canada's version of Ellis Island.
The two-day trip to Canada, the first official visit by an American president here in more than a decade, received extraordinarily broad and mostly positive coverage in the Canadian media.
Though the president was said to be reaching out to Canadian leaders, he defended his decision to wage war in Iraq and to move aggressively against terrorist threats.
Missile defense shield
The president also strongly urged Canada to embrace the concept of a missile defense shield, an issue that is unpopular with many Canadians, particularly those in Martin's party.
But he injected humor into his speech as well, when he told the crowd that he had eaten Alberta beef the night before despite a U.S. ban on live cattle from Canada prompted by a mad-cow disease scare.
"I'm still standing," he said.
Preparing for a second term, Bush's speech was seen as part of a broader effort to reach out to historic allies such as Canada, and as a prelude to similar efforts he will undertake in upcoming trips to Europe.
"A new term in office is an important opportunity to reach out to our friends," Bush said. "I hope to foster a wide international consensus."
He said he would push for more effective "multilateral coalitions" to help fight the war on terror and use those coalitions to help foster peace in the Middle East as well. At the same time, he suggested that organizations such as the United Nations had been inert and he proposed more direct and aggressive action.
"The energetic defense of our nations is an important duty," he said. "Yet defense alone is not a sufficient strategy. ... The success of multilateralism is measured not merely by following a process but by achieving results.
"The objective of the U.N. and other institutions must be collective security, not endless debate," he said. "For the sake of peace, when those bodies promise serious consequences, serious consequences must follow. America and Canada helped create the United Nations, and because we remain committed to that institution, we want it to be more than a League of Nations."
A few stories
Martin, the prime minister, spoke before the president, recounting several poignant stories -- the pregnant soldier given a temporary home, the innkeepers who offered free lodging, the many free meals served -- to describe how Canadians came to the aid of Americans stranded after Sept. 11. An estimated 33,000 Americans were diverted to Canadian airports, and Canada's collective sympathy for them was a powerful measure of a time when the United States enjoyed so much goodwill from so much of the world.
"We share more than a continent," Martin said. "We share many ideals. We share a desire to protect and promote freedom, democracy and equality."
At the same time, he noted that there would be times when his government would disagree with the United States.
"Our relationship is strong enough and mature enough and it is sophisticated enough that we can be comfortable expressing our differences as they emerge -- be they related to trade or policies abroad," Martin said. "In such matters, we will act in the interest of our citizens. We will convey our views with passion. But we will never lose sight or our abiding friendship."