Canada and ballistic missile defence

A letter sent to the Globe and Mail and not published:

Lawrence Martin (On many vital issues, the NDP have been on the mark, Sept. 24) highlights President Obama's decision to kill the American missile defence system that was planned for Poland and the Czech Republic. He then uses this example to applaud the NDP for their supposedly far-sighted opposition to missile defence in general.

But there's a problem with this line of reasoning. The president didn't actually kill American plans for missile defence involving Europe. He simply abandoned one system and intends to replace it with another using different types of missiles, initially sea-based but subsequently to be land-based in Europe itself. So missile defence itself is still alive and well.

It's also worth noting something about which most Canadians, including Mr. Martin, seem unaware. NATO itself is fully committed to creating various missile defence systems, one planned to be operational by 2010. It's only in Canada that there appears to be a practically fetishistic opposition to the concept.

References:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/20/opinion/20gates.html
http://www.nato.int/issues/missile_defence/index.html

Sen. Kenny's committee was on target in 2006:

...
On missile defence, the report criticizes the decision by former prime minister Paul Martin to reject Canadian participation in the program.

"The government should not make the mistake that the last government made by refusing to support the United States in this project."

The report concludes that an effective anti-missile system has the potential to save "hundreds of thousands of Canadian lives."

It dismisses critics who say the system is unworkable, saying there have been recent tests that show promising results.

The report also argues that the system, which is being developed at no cost to Canadians, offers a defence that will act solely as a deterrent and not lead to an arms race in space.

"If there is the tiniest chance that it could [work], why would we turn up our noses at the opportunity to be a partner in this project?"..