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Chretien’s remarks show widening policy differences between Canada and the U.S.
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MONTREAL,
September 13 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - Western arrogance and
greed played a role in instigating the September 11 terrorist attacks
on the U.S., Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien said in television
documentary aired Thursday, September 12.
The
western world "is getting too rich in relation to the poor
world," Chretien said. "It is looked upon as being arrogant,
self-satisfied, greedy and with no limits," he added according to
Agence France-Presse (AFP).
"The
11th of September is an occasion for me to realize it even more,"
the premier said.
Chretien
has earlier warned the U.S. and other wealthy nations against
humiliating poorer countries.
He
has also implored the titans of Wall Street over the past year against
exercising their financial power at the expense of poor nations.
"When
you're powerful like you are, you guys, this is the time to be
nice," he said.
"You
know you cannot exercise your powers to the point of humiliation for
the others.
"That
is what the Western world - not only the Americans - has to realize. I
do think that the Western world is getting too rich in relation to the
poor world and this is silly."
Chretien's
remarks show widening policy differences between Canada and the United
States, BBC News Online reported.
Although
a staunch ally in the aftermath of the attacks on New York and
Washington, Chretien is reported to have bluntly told U.S. President
George W. Bush last week that Canada would not support an attack on
Iraq without a full U.N. mandate, BBC added.
Canada
broadly welcomed Bush's Thursday keynote speech to the United Nations
General Assembly in which he said the U.S. would work with the
Security Council to pressure Iraq to accept U.N. resolutions.
Canadian
Foreign Minister Bill Graham said: "Our reaction is very
positive... We consider that Iraqi compliance with U.N. resolutions is
strictly a matter for the Security Council."
Chretien
also revealed he had given the green light to U.S. warplanes to enter
Canadian airspace to shoot down a suspect South Korean airliner if
necessary because Canadian planes were too far away.
The
airliner, which had erroneously broadcast a highjack signal, was
finally escorted by a U.S. jet fighter to Whitehorse in the Yukon
Territory of the Canadian northwest, where the error was discovered.
"I
would have been responsible for killing 300 people," said
Chretien, not specifying when the incident had occurred.
