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dk, pretty much. I think Canada's decision was a purely political one. I don't want to think about it, but I'm willing to believe this has a lot to do with what is going on politically in Afghanistan. The Canadian government wants to stay on good terms with the U.S. in hopes that they will bolster their pretense there. To defy the no-fly list is to defy the U.S. "integrity" on the GWOT. And since Afghanistan is pretty much the front, why would Canada choose to defy it now?
I think this has little to do with Bush vs. Obama, as the Canadian government doesn't seem to play games like that. The Tories are too serious and stuffy for that.
And I'm not sure the Canadian government is concerned about sovereignty in this issue either. There's Omar Khadr as well. When we think of sovereignty these days, we think of kick-ass icebreakers in the north in addition to taking a leading role in Afghanistan. I think Canada is more concerned about playing politics with the U.S. when it comes to the GWOT, and I think it's a mistake in some respects.
The other issue is what will happen when (or if) this guy gets home from Sudan. The media fallout could be devastating to the Tories.
It's hard to tell what they're thinking.
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Knowing that death is certain and that the time of death is uncertain, what's the most important thing?
—Bhikkhuni Pema Chödrön
Humankind cannot bear very much reality.
—From "Burnt Norton," Four Quartets (1936), T. S. Eliot
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