It stikes me as odd that a govenment that will not consider participating in North American ballistic missile defence may now agree to a European system (maybe it’s just that no-one in this country has bothered to notice).  Previously, at Daimnation! in 2006:

The defence that dare not speak its name [links now gone poof!]

There seems to be an an odd disconnect with reality here:

“Harper deflects talk of missile-defence shield”

“Nato warms to plan for defence shield”

“Joint missile defence plan for US & Japan”

What a political reality of pure fantasy the Conservative government is forced to work within.

Then in 2008:

Missile Defence: Good for Europe, bad for Canada

I wonder when the NDP and Liberals will scream bloody murder; Canadians now seem to be…

…in the curious situation of opting into a missile defence system to protect Europe, after having opted out of one to protect their own country…

The latest:

NATO Endorses Europe Missile Shield…

Yesterday:

NATO near adoption of U.S. missile shield

BRUSSELS – U.S. and NATO officials said Thursday that they expect the military alliance to formally participate in the Obama administration’s plan for a missile defense shield over Europe, scheduled to be activated next year.

“Based on today’s discussion, I am quite optimistic,” NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen told reporters after a joint meeting of foreign and defense ministers from the alliance membership. “There is, I think, a broad agreement that we should make such a decision, but there is still some technical work to do.”

NATO is scheduled to vote at a summit in Lisbon next month on whether to make missile defense a formal part of its mission. If it does, European alliance members would plug their individual defense systems into a broader missile shield that the Obama administration is building to guard against potential attacks from Iran.

The United States would foot most of the bill for building and operating the shield over Europe. The combined cost for other NATO members to link into the system is projected to be about $200 million over 10 years, Rasmussen said [will Canada be contributing?].

Although U.S. and NATO officials said they are close to a consensus on missile defense, there are still hurdles to overcome…

Obama announced in September 2009 that he was overhauling the Bush administration’s plans for missile defense in Europe. Although Obama had previously expressed skepticism of Bush’s approach, he directed the Pentagon to build a more extensive and flexible missile shield for Europe that will be built in phases between now and 2020.

That Democratic Nobel Peace Prize winner in more gung ho on missile defence than our prime minister. Who’d a thunk that?

Update: French in:

France backs European missile shield

Mark
Ottawa