Rice charms and chills as she warns Canada to negotiate softwood impasse

[tuvor]

OTTAWA (CP) - U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice hadn't even left town Tuesday afternoon before the righteous indignation of the Liberal government started anew.

Rice wrapped up a 22-hour visit to Canada - the first in her role as America's top diplomat - with cordial words but nary a sign of any give on some of Canada's key bilateral complaints.

She assured Canadians that the word of the United States is "as good as gold" but straight-armed demands for the immediate return of $3.5 billion in contested softwood lumber duties.

<snip>

She reiterated the U.S. position that Canada must return to the negotiating table on softwood.

http://www.cbc.ca/cp/business/051025/b1025126.html

(Uh...Didn't the US and Canada negotiate NAFTA over a dozen years ago?)

[xray s]

1. "Give us the softwood or my husband will give you the hardwood"

That Condi can sure turn a phrase.

[Metta]

2. She's an overblown, venomous snake.

If she didn't work for this WH, she's be a frightened little girl.

[Roland99]

3. Aww...poor Kindasleazy. Canada tells U.S. to f-off and now she's begging

while holding a gun.


What a worthless POS we have for SoS.

Go ahead, Canada. Sell the lumber to India and China. At least you'll have a market for it.

Amazing how the pro-corporate whores in this admin are all for NAFTA except when it costs their business buddies some green.

[SpiralHawk]

4. Softwood wasn't the only issue of substance, but it dominated.

Softwood dominates Bush administration. You read it here.

[tuvor]

5. It's huge here in BC.

Hell, 3.5 billion in tarrifs/stolen money (It's actually $5 billion) would be huge anywhere!

So yeah, we're kinda sore about it on Canada's west coast.

[rurallib]

6. D'ya suppose she'll go after all those US companies with

Carribean "home offices"? I hear that's @$100 billion in uncollected taxes.

[applegrove]

7. i HOPE WE PISSED HER OFF SO SHE PUNISHES US BY NOT VISITING

FOR ANOTHER YEAR. lET'S CROSS OUR FINGERS.

[CHIMO]

8. If Diplomats

Speak like this...?

Rice charms and chills as she warns Canada to negotiate softwood impasse
09:35 PM EDT Oct 25

Rice's unmistakable diplomatic message: Washington is staying the course, so chill out, Canada.

Sources said it was a bare-knuckle exchange, with Martin aggressively pressing Canada's softwood case and Rice pushing right back.

"We've been off the gold standard for an awfully long time in this country," said Peterson.

Peterson said that at Monday's dinner, "it was made very clear that we need the NAFTA to be respected and that this is an issue that is greater than softwood, that involves the entirety of our trade that is covered by NAFTA."

http://www.cbc.ca/cp/business/051025/b1025126.html

In other words if the US wants NAFTA to continue then they have to live by the rules.

The article is pretty much the same as that in the Toronto Star.
http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1130235310944&call_pageid=968332188492&col=968793972154&t=TS_Home&DPL=IvsNDS%2f7ChAX&tacodalogin=yes

With language like this coming out how much more is needed for US NAFTA supporters to realize that all US trade agreements are going down the drain?