Missile Defence: Round One

An insider’’s account of how and why Canada said no to George W. Bush - and why the missile defence issue won’’t go away

In the wake of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the United States embarked on a mission to resurrect the ballistic missile defence program once envisioned by Ronald Reagan known as Star Wars. But when Bush turned to Canada to support the program, he touched off a political firestorm. This book is an account of how this issue emerged in Canada, based on interviews on and off the record with cabinet ministers, MPs, generals and protestors. It explains how an unlikely coalition of parliamentarians, peace activists, former diplomats, experts and ordinary citizens were able to stop Canadian participation. Steven Staples, one of the key organizers of the opposition to missile defence, explores the public positions and private motivations that led Paul Martin to reverse his original decision to participate.
With round two of the missile defence debate likely to take place soon, led by a Conservative defence minister who wants to reopen the issue, this book is timely as well as readable.