Canada no to missile plan

After a political uproar, Canadian officials made clear on Tuesday the country will not sign on to a controversial US missile defense system, a decision likely to be seen as a snub to US President George W Bush.

After a political uproar, Canadian officials made clear on Tuesday the country will not sign on to a controversial US missile defense system, a decision likely to be seen as a snub to US President George W Bush.

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The move represents an about face for Prime Minister Paul Martin, who in the run-up to a federal election last June said he thought Canada should be part of a system designed to protect the North American continent.

But Martin lost his parliamentary majority in that election and is now struggling to keep his minority government afloat with the support of a smaller left-leaning party which is strongly opposed to missile defense.

“The prime minister plans to announce this week that Canada will not be a part of the missile defense system,” a senior official told Reuters late on Tuesday.

Canadian media quoted their own federal government sources as saying Canada would not take part.