When Americans think of Canadians these days, it’s usually as the laid back folks who sat out the war on Iraq. Our national myth is ‘Canada the peacekeeper,’ but it’s a myth, not a fact...

"Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed. This world in arms is not spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children."

Dwight D Eisenhower

When Americans think of Canadians these days, it’s usually as the laid back folks who sat out the war on Iraq. Our national myth is ‘Canada the peacekeeper,’ but it’s a myth, not a fact.

The facts are hard to mythologize.

The Canadian government was the fourth largest contributor to the attack on Iraq after Australia, ahead of most members of Bush’s ‘coalition of the willing,’ who offered only moral support. Canada topped Colin Powell’s list of countries who didn’t want their names mentioned while they helped Uncle Sam take over Iraq.

While many Americans were cursing Canadian ‘non-participation’ three Canadian warships equipped with surface to air missiles and anti-submarine capability were escorting the US fleet that fired Tomahawk missiles at innocent Iraqis. Our government calls this mission Operation Apollo, insisting that these ships are deployed in the ‘war on terrorism.’ Not a shot has been fired at a Canadian ship.

While some US peace activists were praising Canada’s ‘bold stance’ ten Canadian soldiers were manning AWACS radar aircraft, directing those missiles to their targets. No reports of any terrorists killed in Iraq.

While 6457 Iraqi civilians had been killed as of May 23rd according to www.iraqbodycount.net  Canadian officers continued to sit in the air conditioned offices of CENTCOM in Doha Qatar, deep in the logistical details of escorting American ships, and planning for war.

While Canadians slept, US troop transport planes carried the invading army silently over our heads thanks to the Canadian government’s offer of over-flight privileges and refueling to the US Air Force at Gander airport. US military doctrine describes refueling as the “key