“Don’t join in Trump’s war games” The Hamilton Spectator 14 Jan 2020 Re: Avoid Trump’s Iranian adventure (Jan. 7)/ By Ken Stone

Fortunately, the crisis has been temporarily averted.

However, the U.S. has never forgiven Iran for overthrowing its puppet shah in 1979 and has been trying for regime change in that country for 41 years. Various Canadian governments assisted the U.S., including that of Justin Trudeau who promised during the 2015 election to restore full diplomatic relations with Iran.

In the context of the treacherous U.S. assassination of Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the main architect of ISIS’ defeat in Iraq and Syria, who was on an official diplomatic mission in Iraq at the invitation of Iraq’s prime minister (to reduce tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran) at the time of his death, François Philippe Champagne, Trudeau’s new foreign minister, failed to criticize the flagrant violation of international law and Iraq’s sovereignty involved in the foul murder. Though this unlawful act undermined the international rule of law, Champagne chose not to criticize the Trump administration but rather the victim, Gen. Soleimani.

Furthermore, though the Trudeau government has temporarily removed many Canadian soldiers from Iraq, it failed to respect the call by Iraq’s parliament for all foreign forces permanently to leave. In effect, Canada is participating in an illegal occupation.

Your editorial also demonstrates that Canada’s membership in NATO could drag us into yet another U.S. war. Hamiltonians who want no war on Iran are welcome to join with us on Saturday, Jan. 25, at 1 p.m. at the Federal Building, 55 Bay St. N., to deliver that message. Ken Stone, Hamilton Coalition To Stop The War