Jerusalem Post: Harper's veto

[tuvor]

At a summit of 53 Francophone countries last week, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper showed what it means to be a great power.

Standing alone on principle, Canada forced the conference to introduce a modicum of balance into a lopsidedly anti-Israel statement on the recent war in Lebanon.

At the end of the summit on Friday, Egypt proposed an amendment, as a Lebanese minister put it, to "condemn the war because it was deplorable … Everyone agreed accept Canada."

In a press conference scheduled just before the last-minute crisis had been resolved, Harper explained Canada's veto: "The amendment wants to recognize and deplore the war and recognize the victims of Lebanon. We are able to deplore the war, we are able to recognize the victims, but on both sides. … The Francophonie cannot recognize victims according to their nationality. Recognize the victims of Lebanon and the victims of Israel.'"

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1159193355461&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull