Canada's Harper diverts (own) plane to pick up evacuees (from Cyprus)

[Wonk]

PARIS, July 19 (Reuters) - Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper ordered his official plane to be diverted to Cyprus on Wednesday to pick up Canadians fleeing Israeli air strikes in Lebanon.

Harper was already in Europe at the end of a week-long official three-country tour and decided to divert the Canadian Forces Airbus he was flying in to take as many citizens as he could before returning to Canada.

(snip)

He expects to pick up 100 to 120 people of about 350 that his spokeswoman said were boarding a vessel in Lebanon for an overnight journey to Cyprus.

Those from that ship who could not fit on Harper's plane would fly on another plane the Canadian government was chartering. Canada has chartered six other vessels as well.

Spokeswoman Sandra Buckler estimated Canada had 40,000 to 50,000 people in Lebanon, possibly the largest contingent of any western nation, and Harper said Canadian officials were working around the clock on evacuation plans.

more...
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N19241855.htm

[stepnw1f]

1. Not Bush... He Wants People to Pay Their Own Way

oh... until his people were shamed into making exceptions, but of course.

[Mabus]

37. Bush has a schedule to keep

he's a stickler for it

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia - It wasn't meant to be overheard. Private luncheon conversations among world leaders, picked up by a microphone, provided a rare window into both banter and substance — including President Bush cursing Hezbollah's attacks against Israel.

***

Bush expresses amazement that it will take some leaders as many as eight hours to fly home — about the same time it will take Air Force One with Bush aboard to return to Washington.

"You eight hours? Me, too. Russia's a big country and you're a big country," Bush said, at one point telling a waiter he wanted Diet Coke. "Takes him eight hours to fly home. Russia's big and so is China. Yeah Blair, what're you doing? Are you leaving."

***

Bush, a stickler for keeping to his schedule, could also be heard telling Putin, "We've got to keep this thing moving. I have to leave at 2:15. They want me out of town so to free up your security forces."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060717/ap_on_go_pr_wh/g8_summit_bush_overheard

Can't expect him to be bothered with the little people. He's got a bill to veto.

[glarius]

43. THIS IS A PHOTO-OP BULLSHIT OPPORTUNITY FOR HARPER!

Believe me...don't be taken in by the phony story that he is the great humanitarian. He kicked all the Canadian press people off the plane "to make more room" but is bringing along his official photographer!...I wonder why?....He and his new government have been SO CRITICIZED at home that he came up with this scheme to try to make himself look better. I hope to hell the people greet him with boos when he gets there.

[stepnw1f]

79. I Know It Is

I just felt it was a perfect opening to make a statement about dumya.

[iverglas]

81. I hate to have to say this

I just felt it was a perfect opening to make a statement about dumya.

But you might want to know how it grates on some of us out here beyond the borders of the US, when just about anything about our reality that is offered for discussion here is turned into an opportunity to make a statement about some aspect of the US.

I think it actually grates on some people here who are in the US, too.

I know, the apparent contrast here was kinda too hard to avoid and resist ... but in reality, when we look at the domestic reality that isn't US domestic reality (as was then done in this thread), that contrast doesn't actually exist in quite the same way as things might have seemed at first glance.

Harper is different from Bush; I am not of the Harper=Bush chorus. But at the same time, Harper is different from decent. Just in a different way. ;)

[stepnw1f]

84. I Don't Care for Either One

sorry if you feel "grated".

[Sherman A1]

2. Now that is a classy move

[tuvor]

33. It's not classy. It's a photo-op.

Once in Cyprus, the evacuees are safe. They don't need The Great Leader to personally escort a hundred of them home.

Oh, and his wife and an official photographer are included in the "skeleton crew". All the reporters were kicked off. Come to think of it, what honest purpose does Harper's presence serve?

Sorry, I don't see any class in there at all.

[Canuckistanian]

53. Gotta agree with tuvor - Not a classy move at all

The more I hear about it the more this stinks. Aside from the obvious photo-op and propaganda value, some of those people he's picking up are furious with the government's slow response or non-response to their requests.

It was hinted this morning on CBC that this won't be such a pleasant experience for the Prime Minister.

I hope someone does give him an earful right in front of the cameras.

[tuvor]

56. It doesn't seem as though he's stepping out of the plane.

That's what I heard on CBC Radio just now.

Looks like only the official-photographer contingent of his "skeleton staff" will be there to record anything firsthand.

[PATRICK]

78. It is still

light years ahead of Bush and he does have contact with the people he is screwing over.

I would say it works as a classy photo op because the bar set by Bush is lower than the NOLA floodline.

How long will Canadians tolerate Harper doing Bush's bidding at no benefit or interest to the Canadian people? It seems it is sinking in to provoke this "heroic gesture".

Will Harper fly out the soliders when Bush asks for help in taking another Poland?

[Canuckistanian]

80. Better than the worst case?

That's high praise indeed!

We don't put up with conservative a-holes for too long here in Canada. If they misbehave, we send them out of office and destroy their parties (See Mulroney, Brian)

[MissWaverly]

3. can we swear him in as temporary US president

we seem to have a vacancy; a texan has moved in w/o winning a verifiable election, claims
squatters rights in the White House

[leesa]

27. He's a Neocon in training. I don't think we want him.

[SensibleAmerican]

31. Lord God, no

n/t

[tuvor]

38. Take him. Please.

[Bassic]

54. It's just a photo op,

This guy is in the same league as Bush, except he's probably smarter.

[MissWaverly]

67. well, in that case you can keep him.

[Spazito]

68. LOL, too late! We aren't taking him back!!! rofl

Or, how about, we take both bush and the bush wannabe and put them on a desert island and they can tell each other how great they are while harming no one. I am willing to negotiate.

[MissWaverly]

69. It's a deal if we can put Cheney there as well

they could even make it a reality show something like battle of the presidents

[Spazito]

70. LOL, love it, it's a deal!

Love it when we can negotiate cross-border deals that are win/win!

:rofl:

[MissWaverly]

73. Isn't this provided for under Nafta

George would love a survival challenge, he's strictly an outdoors type of guy.

[Spazito]

74. It sure as hell should be!

It seems so is our guy, get a gander at his summer BBQ outfit, NOT a photoshop, is this an outdoorsman or what!!

[MissWaverly]

75. Home, Home on the range

where I can be a lone cowboy in the middle of a global economy.

[Spazito]

76. ROFL, perfect! n/t

[iverglas]

82. maybe one of those clauses ...

about how once we start giving you something, we can't stop.

Package deal: natural gas, hydroelectricity, fresh water, Stephen Harper.

Once Harper is over the border, you can't send him back.

[MissWaverly]

83. Hey, we'll take him and all the garbage from Vancouver

If you will take Cheney, Rove, Rummie and El Busho.

[JHH]

4. I'm not a fan of Harper but he should get credit for doing the right thing

Thats more than can be said about the US government

[Amonester]

6. It's about time, and even a little too late for (at least) 8 Montrealers

What happened? Did he just 'realized' he's not in a real 'Dictatoring' position as his hypnotic (for him) idol, lil' king george? That he barely can keep afoot at the helms of his minority gov.??

Although I applaud his very 'late' awaking, why did he not wake up as soon as this war crime started instead of so many days later? My bet goes to: Canadians voters are just furious at his lazy sycophant a$$.

Furious, I tell ya!! :mad:

[JHH]

9. I believe that any Canadian leader would have done the same

Thats just how Canadians are and they like having a minority Gov.

[iverglas]

11. "Thats just how Canadians are"

True. Sadly, this makes Harper look like a Canadian. ;)

But no, it's true, he is a Canadian, he isn't Bush Jr., he's our own homegrown power-lust-mad scum. What it mainly means, in his case, I'd say, is that he knows what Canadians expect -- and we do expect this.

Bush himself utterly fails to grasp what Canadians (i.e. normal, decent people) expect, including the notion that when his military killed a few Canadians over in Afghanistan by, er, accident, Canadians expected an apology, and when Canadians fed and housed his nationals when an attack on their country leaves them stranded, we expected a thank you. So Bush earned contempt. Hopefully, Harper will simply earn recognition that he did the right thing.

So there's your difference: a Canadian knows what Canadians expect, and knows how far s/he can get away with not doing it.

Well, that's really a definition of a Liberal (as in Liberal Party), but I maintain that Harper is rapidly becoming one of them anyhow. More evidence.

[Paulie]

13. I was listening to CBC's As It Happens

Mother with a baby who was a citizen but she was just a permeant resident, when they got to the dock, only the baby was going to be allowed on. They then interviewed a Senate member in authority that she thought it didn't matter and they both should have been left on.

I just loved the reporter Tom wouldn't just ask a question, he repeated the question until she started answering...

To her credit (and I'm sorry I don't recall her name) when she started to dissemble, she stopped herself and said she didn't know. WOW, blew my mind.

[iverglas]

14. I'll have to catch Newsworld

I'd thought yesterday, looking about a thread about US evacuees, how many people who are citizens of Cda or the US must have immediate family members in Lebanon - especially aging parents - and how they'd have to be choosing to come home to Canada or stay to look after the old folks. This situation hadn't even occurred to me.

Of course it's not uncommon -- people are permanent residents (equivalent of green card holders, for our US neighbours) for at least 3 years before becoming citizens, and many would have children during that time. I have Chinese-Canadian neighbours who have never obtained Cdn citizenship, but their kids are Canadian.

It shouldn't take more than a rubber stamp to decide to allow permanent-resident parents of minor Cdn-citizen kids to be evacuated with them. Lordy. How many could there be??

This whole evacuation may be a bigger deal in Canada than the US -- there is a long-established and quite large Lebanese community here. For Montreal, the Lebanese community is the second-largest immigrant group, for instance (after Haitian):
http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/971104/d971104.htm
The Lebanese community in Ottawa, the capital, is also numerous and very well established. Statistics Canada now asks separately about Lebanese origin on census questionnaires, because of how much of the Arab-origin group it accounts for.

Ottawa-Gatineau: population 1,050,755; population reporting Lebanese ethnic origin: 21,115. Two percent, and not to be sniffed at politically.
http://www40.statcan.ca/l01/cst01/demo27i.htm


Oh look ... Israel has apologized for killing Canadians. If only this one had been an accident.
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/montreal/story/2006/07/19/israel-apology.html

I think I speak for at least some of the family members when I say again to Israel:

Fuck you.

[laundry_queen]

17. Somewhat OT

But not sure where in this thread to put this. Last night on CNN Larry King live, they had on a Lebanese-American woman trying to get out - she started criticizing the US effort because they wouldn't allow her husband, a Lebanese-Canadian, to come with her, but the Canadians would allow her to go with her husband.
Needless to say, she didn't get much time on air. *sigh*

[iverglas]

21. It sounds

like there's a lot of confusion in all quarters, and policies being made and applied pretty ad hoc. Canadians were saying on the news this morning that they just weren't getting any info at all -- after milling around all day, they got sent home, while someone from the embassy there pretty much just stared at them when they asked questions. I don't think there's any country that can claim to be doing an outstanding job here, or likely even the best it could do.

In cases like your example, wouldn't it make sense for the country from which they came, in which they were residing, to take 'em back?? If a Canadian-American couple were living in Canada, let Canada take them. And mutatis mutandis for the reverse situation. You'd think it might balance out anyhow. ;)

There probably is a bit of a real problem with non-citizen permanent residents of third countries who are Lebanese citizens. The third country -- Canada, US, where they may have resided for a long time (and have family, that being the touchy political aspect) -- really has no obligation to them, and does have an obligation to its citizens whom it has to put first. But to separate spouses, and parents and babies, yikes.

[54anickel]

10. Might be late, but compared to Bushco he's a regular Johnnie on the spot

[TheWatcher]

48. Credit for WHAT? A Sham Photo-Op to "Save" people who by

All technical definitions were not truly in eminent peril, as they were in a place of safety.

He took a page from the Rove playbook and nothing more.

He gets credit for being a Fake Humanitarian and Nazi-NeoCon in Waiting.

[MaineDem]

55. Well, he out photo-op'd Georgie

I have to give this one to Harper. Even if it's just a photo op it's a good one.

[lumberjack_jeff]

63. Agreed. If the consensus is that the guy is irredeemable

IMHO the best we can do is to shut up when he does the right thing. I don't fault anyone for publicizing their good deeds.

Personally, I think he's doing it because it's the Canadian thing to do.

[applegrove]

5. Hope he's that brave when it comes to telling the USA to go to hell

on the Softwood deal. But then..Harper likes the idea of Union.. and would be thrilled if he managed to erase any teeth NAFTA has ...so that Canadians would be forced to the table to re-negotiate..this time with UNION.

[Rose Siding]

7. That is inspiring.

My embarrassment intensifies.

Edited to add: As does my ANGER at the YAHOOS who supported the JACKASS who continues to embarrass us all.

[tuvor]

34. It's not inspiring. It's a photo-op.

See post #33 if you care to see why I believe so.

[Lautremont]

8. Then we'll see if he says one word against Israeli excess.

Hint: he won't.

[Spazito]

12. Ummm, don't be so quick to heap praise on him...

He made sure he took along his official photographer, his communications team, his wife, it is the Canadian version of bush's "plastic turkey" photo-op. He has infuriated the populace in two provinces, Quebec and Ontario, that he NEEDS to even maintain a minority government in the next election and THAT is why he is doing this, it is as simple as that.

His concern is for his poll numbers not for the stranded Canadians and certainly has NO compassion for the Lebanese citizens under bombardment.

Edited to add:

Here is a link to his official Prime Minister, please note the date where he deigned to have ANYTHING re the current crisis versus when it happened and please also note there is STILL not one word on the death of 8 Canadians.

http://www.pm.gc.ca/eng/media.asp?id=1252

[sueragingroz]

16. This is for show

It's a nice gesture... but Harper is playing political games.

I can bet that one of his advisors told him that he was looking bad on this issue and needed to do something to dig himself out...

I'm trying to imagine what it would be like to evacuate 50,000 people by ship only.

I'm Canadian but am living in Bermuda. There are about 68,000 people living in Bermuda.

It doesn't sound like a lot of people, but when I try and imagine evacuating them all by cruise ship, I shudder at the time it would take.

Hopefully the hurricanes will keep to the west and we won't ever have to find out...

[Spazito]

18. Exactly, the is crass PR, pure and simple

From all I am hearing it is chaotic with regard to the evacuation as one would expect given the numbers, the last thing that is needed is to have Harper fly in to Cyprus for a photo-op.

Re hurricanes and your location, I, too, hope they stay out to sea this year. Stay safe!

[Posteritatis]

22. It's for show, yes, but it's still a couple hundred people out. (nt)

[Spazito]

24. Sorry, but for the thousands still left behind while Harper did NOTHING

it is contemptuous in it's blatant attempt at propaganda at the expense of those who he cared nothing about until he realized his poll numbers were going to be hit.

If he really cared, he would have sent the plane WITHOUT him and his wife, his official photographer, etc, even more would have been able to be flown out. Harper isn't the pilot of the plane nor the co-pilot, actually he, his wife and his staff are merely excess baggage.

[stevedeshazer]

26. Respectfully, as I love Canada and in particular Alberta,

This action makes Harper look like Mother Teresa compared to GWB.

[Spazito]

28. I don't see how you would see it that way, it is no different than

bush's turkey stunt. If he actually cared, why didn't he send the plane without him, his wife, his official photographer, etc,? He is trying to stop the slide his previous comments and behavior will cause in his poll numbers and he is doing it on the backs of THOUSANDS OF STILL STRANDED CANADIANS.

[iverglas]

58. you're right, it does

This action makes Harper look like Mother Teresa compared to GWB.

It's not like the Canadian right wing is actually stupid. ;)

It makes him look that way to the outside world -- but here at home, I think most people will be like the people on my chesterfield: well duh, he'd damn well better have done that, and who does he think he's fooling?

I guess I'd say it's not that we're cynical, it's just that we recognize cynicism when we see it. And this was a cynical attempt at diverting public attention from incompetence / insouciance regarding the real problem of Canadians stranded in Lebanon.

As in the US, that's the problem that a lot of people want to focus on, rather than what created the problem. But the stranded "us" thing may actually get international attention for what's really happening ... although not if CNN and its Cdn counterparts can help it. Kind of like getting people to go to a movie about Chilean fascism and USAmerican complicity by making it about Jack Lemmon; the reality of "them" and not just us might seep through.

Harper blew it on the big picture, though, by immediately calling Israel's actions a "measured response" and refusing to back down from that. The usual ineffectual concerned-Canuck clucking would have stood him in better stead. It's the Liberal Party's feet he needs to keep learning at, on that score. How to do nothing that actually damages your real agenda and still look good. Brian Mulroney learned pretty well, until he was felled by the Liberal disease: corruption.

We really are a hard-nosed lot up here. Piety loses rather than winning points, and we can pretty much tell when it's in word only. Doing the right thing is just kinda expected. I don't see Harper gaining much from this bit of pious lip service to doing the right thing.

[tuvor]

36. Exactly. This is a guy who just asked Putin how to keep his poll #s up.

Can you blame some of us for being cynical?

[Vidar]

15. Even a Canadian neocon manages decency. Brava!

[tonka023]

42. Decency?

This is the a**hole who keeps on saying
that Israel is justified in bombing the crap
out of Lebanon. So he flies a bunch plane
full of people who've already escaped the
fighting home. What about everybody
else? AND they sat on their asses when it
broke out and didn't plan anything
sooner. This is a mess for everyone
involved, and don't go thinking that just
because Harper isn't Bush, that he's
good.

[sueragingroz]

71. Here's a great editorial on Harper's mishandling of the situation

http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/realitycheck/20060720gray.html

[Spazito]

72. It is an excellent article, I had not seen it, thanks for posting!

Clicking on Larry Zolf's column was illuminating as well, not merely to contrast the two perspectives but also the responses posted to Mr. Zolf's column.

Thanks again for posting the link.

[sueragingroz]

85. You are most welcome :) (nt)

[Spazito]

19. Here is our Prime Minister's capacity for compassion and leadership

Harper said he has not contacted Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert seeking an explanation of the air strike that killed the Canadians on Sunday, nor had his officials.

"The onus remains on the parties that caused the conflict to take steps to end the conflict," said Harper.

snip

Harper initially called Israel's military action, including bombing Beirut airport, a "measured response" as he travelled to Europe last week.

Asked twice Monday if he still thinks Israel's military reaction is measured or whether he regrets that characterization, the prime minister was clinically dismissive.

"I think our evaluation of the situation has been accurate," he said. "Obviously there has been an ongoing escalation and, frankly, ongoing escalation is inevitable once conflict begins."

http://www.canada.com/topics/news/national/story.html?id=8d789173-4648-4908-b3ef-c4e148f0559d&k=27164

[HuffleClaw]

20. good move

nice to see some sensibility from the pm. the public is none too impressed with his supporting israel in this debacle. its been a tradition for us to try and remain as neutral as possible, considering our 'peacekeeping' tradition.

[Benhurst]

23. Oh, come on now. This doesn't impress me at all.

So Harper shared his little plane with Canadian citizens. Big deal.

Bush flies on Air Force One, flagship of The World's Only Superpower. You could hardly expect him to share his accommodations with huddled, smelly American refugees from Lebanon.

He is, after all, The Decider, The Leader of the Free World. He doesn't have time for riffraff. Why should he bother his beatiful mind by even thinking of such people?

[tuvor]

44. The difference? bush isn't a rookie facing a looming election.

It's a crass, cynical political move, pure and simple.

[stevedeshazer]

25. Harper is a conservative

I respect him for this.

The U.S. is under fascist control.

That's a whole different deal.

[Spazito]

29. Actually, he isn't a conservative, he is a Reform party member

The Reform Party was a group of members that split from the Progressive Conservative party because they weren't extreme enough. The Reform Party never moved beyond Alberta due to it's racist, bigoted policies and beliefs so they changed their name to the Alliance Party in hopes no one would notice it was the same bigots and racists. It didn't work, they still couldn't move beyond Alberta so they packed the Progressive Conservative Party, real conservatives, by taking out memberships and proceeded to vote to have the Reform Party take over the Progressive Conservative party and then gave themselves yet another new name, the New Conservative Party. Same bigots and racists.

[daleo]

30. If they are already in Cyprus, then he is not saving them

If he was picking up people in Lebanon, that would be a different story. Furthermore, he made sure to take his photographer along. It is a photo-op.

He is in trouble politically for the 8 Canadian dead, and his statement than Israel's military actions were balanced. This is an effort to try to patch up his image a bit.

[Wonk]

32. Where should he land his Airbus 310 in Lebanon to pick them up?

All Lebanese runways were bombed to uselessness days ago.

[daleo]

41. This is being framed as "Harper saving people"

That is simply not the case. He is expediting their departure from a safe haven, at best. He is also getting a photo-op out of the deal.

Perhaps he could take a flight to Tel Aviv and try to be a neutral peacemaker, the way Lester Pearson was during the Suez crisis (to take one example).

http://archives.cbc.ca/400d.asp?id=1-71-1290-7514&wm6=1

"Pearson, who was minister of external affairs at the time, won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1957 for his solution to the Suez Crisis. He became prime minister in 1963."

[tuvor]

35. Thank you, daleo! Too many DUers are falling for this.

I did at first when I heard it on the radio today.

[tuvor]

39. My American friends, if you are taking all of this at face value...

... I'm sorry to be blunt, but you're not paying close enough attention. (Can't say I blame you with all you have to put up with.)

Check out the Canada Forum if you want to learn more. There's always room for you there if you're interested!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topics&forum=190

:hi:

[pitohui]

40. seems like a nice gesture EOM

.

[tuvor]

45. "Evacuee: An evacuated person". In other words...

People who are already out of harm's way.

[Wonk]

46. You're in favor of Harper leaving them in Cyprus longer, then?

Also, this flight will give a hundred some evacuees PM Harper's ear for the duration of the flight, or for a large portion of it anyway. He might learn to better understand the realities on the ground in Lebanon from some first-hand perspectives. I would love to be a fly on the wall during that flight.

[tuvor]

47. I am not worried about people who are not in harm's way.

As for what will happen for the duration of the flight, neither of us can assume to know what will happen. And with no reporters on the flight (only an official government photographer is there to record anything firsthand), we'll never hear anything firsthand but the official story.

Please, Wonk, join us in the Canada Forum if you're interested in finding out more about why Canadian DUers are less-than-pleased with Harper. We'd love to have you hang out.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topics&forum=190

[Wonk]

50. I'll make a prediction here. With 100,000ish evacuees fleeing to Cyprus

over the next week or two, it won't be pretty. Those who can get a flight out now instead of a week or three from now are the lucky ones.

25,000 Americans, 40-50,000 Canadians, 20,000 French, others (UK, Greek, Italian, etc, numbers unkown to me at this time).

[tuvor]

51. I'm not clear on exactly what you're predicting.

Sorry.

(Have to turn in now, will read any reply tomorrow.)

Cheers!

[Wonk]

52. Imagine living for a week with 40,000 other people in a stadium

designed for 25,000 person occupancy for a soccer game, with rationed supplies, as you wait for your flight home 'soon'.

[tuvor]

57. I see. Let's hope it doesn't get to that point.

Thanks, Wonk.

[TheWatcher]

49. He doesn't give a shit about what's going on in Lebanon

Any more than Bush does.

He's desperate to make his dog-shit government smell better. Nothing more.

[iverglas]

60. I expect better. Really.

Objecting to fawning over Harper because of his cynical attempt at damage repair by ferrying a few people home in no way implies that anyone is "in favour of leaving them in Cyprus longer". Then or any other how. Such misrepresentations in the form of questions are beneath you, I would have thought.

What a holy big honking deal this is not: the Canadian government had a plane available (it isn't really "Harper's plane", y'know) and Harper directed that it be put it to use to bring stranded Canadians home. Duh; what the hell else would one expect that he do?

USAmericans might not expect that Bush do something like this. That doesn't actually make doing it some superhuman feat of humanitarianism. Or even a really brilliant political move, or something that large numbers of people elsewhere in the world would not expect. The duh factor is just too high, and Canadians just don't yet have expectations quite as low as USAmericans may have.

[Spazito]

61. Here is the truth about what really is happening, both with Harper

and his appalling PR stunt and also with the thousands still stranded:

PMO wanted crisis kept under wraps, sources say

Micromanagement by the Prime Minister's Office and a lack of resources in Lebanon contributed to the confusion and anguish at Beirut's port Wednesday as Canadians trying to flee Israeli bombardments watched boats chartered by other nations sail away, leaving them behind.

snip

In fact, Foreign Affairs staff realized last week that there was an emergency situation involving tens of thousands of Canadians brewing in Lebanon.

But federal sources say there was an edict handed down by Sandra Buckler, the Prime Minister's communications director, dictating that the situation was to be kept under wraps.

snip

Suddenly, last night, they were told the Prime Minister would be visiting and that Canadians — any Canadians — would have to be brought to the port of Larnaca, Cyprus. They made an urgent request to the British government, which had been taking Britons on large naval vessels with military escorts to the western city of Limassol, to allow 120 Canadians to board one of the ships so that there would be some available to greet the Prime Minister and ride home on his Airbus jet.

more, MUCH more

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20060720.wticktock20/BNStory/National/home

[iverglas]

66. ^^^^^^^^^ truly a don't miss report^^^^^^^^^

Thank you for posting it.

It bears repeating.

That was why, on Tuesday, Ottawa abruptly switched the target of the evacuation from Cyprus to Turkey, where there are both hotel spaces and the facilities to quickly airlift evacuees to Canada using military or commercial planes.

Still, that switch took Canadian officials in Cyprus by surprise. Wednesday morning they prepared to move the Nicosia operation to Turkey.

Suddenly, last night, they were told the Prime Minister would be visiting and that Canadians -- any Canadians -- would have to be brought to the port of Larnaca, Cyprus. They made an urgent request to the British government, which had been taking Britons on large naval vessels with military escorts to the western city of Limassol, to allow 120 Canadians to board one of the ships so that there would be some available to greet the Prime Minister and ride home on his Airbus jet.

One government official in Ottawa, who asked to remain unidentified, expressed concern that Mr. Harper's decision to fly to Cyprus to offer up the services of the government jet might be perceived by Canadians as a publicity stunt. The government could have sent one of its Challenger jets to Paris to pick up the Prime Minister and his staff, the source said, freeing up more room on the Airbus.

Did someone say cynical? Yeah, I think I did. ;)

[Az_lefty]

59. where's the photo of boygeorge waving to them from AF-1 as he flys over

:shrug:

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

62. Cyprus?

People aren't evacuating FROM Cyprus, they're evacuating TO Cyprus.

Maybe on his way back to Canada he can stop in Ireland and rescue some Katrina victims.

[redqueen]

64. LOL!

:7

[Spazito]

65. Exactly, and just to add to that, Canadians are not being evacuated

to Cyprus because there is no room there for them, they are being evacuated to Turkey EXCEPT for 120 Canadians who are to be "evacuated" to Cyprus so that Harper has some Canadians to cheer him when they, eventually, arrive there seeing as it may well be better than 13 hours before they arrive to be USED by the Harper PR team.

Appalling, beyond appalling imo.

[Lisa]

77. I really hope he stays on the issue and gets all the Canadians home

Not just the ones on that airplane! Plus the Cypriot foreign minister was begging him for help, because they have thousands of people arriving and not enough aircraft to handle all of them. Canada has -- well, we used to have -- a government-owned airline, plus we actually make some planes here. I hope that the PMO does not simply brush this off as soon as the cameras turn away.

Canada used to be proud of its ability to move people over long distances. If the Canadians who are being evacuated have Lebanese relatives who would like to join them temporarily in Canada, why not rubber-stamp visas for them too? It would be nice if we could help out evacuees from other countries too, like Australia, which I have heard is trying to get its citizens home as well. This is the very least we could do (and ideally we would be helping broker a ceasefire, though I am having doubts about whether we really would be welcome as an "honest broker", thanks to some of the Harper government's recent statements).