The appointment of Bruno Saccomani, head of the Prime Minister’s security detail, to be the next Canadian Ambassador to Jordan and Iraq struck even the most cynical observers of the Harper government as a curious move. The two countries are pivotal in a volatile region, at a critical time for Syria, Turkey, Israel and Iran as well as for the Palestinians. For… Read More
Author Archives: Daniel Livermore
Where’s the Public Outrage Over Harper’s Foreign Policy?
Public policy discussion these days suffers from a curious anomaly. Vast numbers of experts disagree with the government’s performance on many issues. But there’s little reflection of this mood in the popular media or on the street. Announcements which might have triggered marches and demonstrations a couple of decades ago pass almost unnoticed. NGOs a… Read More
Tags: Canadian foreign policyi, CIDA, Daniel Livermore, DFAIT, diplomacy, Stephen Harper
Prime Minister Harper’s message to the Venezuelan people following the death of Hugo Chavez was curt. Essentially, it amounted to “good riddance”. Chavez was a galvanizing figure who commanded faint praise in many quarters. But it’s one thing to relish the demise of a pesky irritant. It’s another thing entirely to miss the broader picture of the Chave… Read More
Tags: Daniel Livermore, Hugo Chavez, South America, Stephen Harper, Venezuela
A Footnote on Canada-Iran Relations
The Harper government took a decision in late August 2012, to bring Canadian diplomats out of Tehran and expel Iranian diplomats in Ottawa. It was described by some observers as a sudden decision, but it was obviously a measure which required time to implement. It may have come as a surprise to the Iranian embassy in Ottawa. But for Canadians in Tehran, it foll… Read More
Tags: Canada, Canadian foreign policy, Daniel Livermore, DFAIT, diplomacy, Iran
The Central Conundrum of Baird’s UN Speech
It’s too easy to dismiss John Baird’s October 1 speech to the UN General Assembly as simply another exercise in appealing to the party’s base. True, it did precisely that, capturing headlines back home as a “scathing rebuke” to the organization for its failure to address the Syrian situation seriously. But the problem is that speeches like this, drafted to p… Read More
Tags: Canadian foreign policy, Daniel Livermore, John Baird, United Nations
John Baird on Human Rights in Foreign Policy
John Baird’s speech on September 14 at the Montreal Council on Foreign Relations may be long on benign self-congratulation, which goes down well when speaking to Canadian audiences. But at least it sheds some light on “the untold story of our government’s principled, values-based foreign policy”. The bulk of the speech tackles the principles of human rig… Read More
Tags: Canadian foreign policy, Daniel Livermore, human rights, John Baird, United Nations
Eliminating Accountability and Masking the Intent at CSIS
In the early 1970’s, the Director of the CIA used to tell fellow Americans, “trust us”. That turned out to be bad advice – bad for the CIA and bad for the reputation of a country ostensibly dedicated to the rule of law. It’s only prudent, therefore, to ask how the Canadian Security and Intelligence Service will be held to account once the Harper Government’s “Omn… Read More
Boosting Canada’s Latin American Strategy
The recent Latin American Summit in Cartagena didn’t generate much media coverage in Canada. It eventually broke down with controversies over drug policy and Cuba, and was even hijacked by a minor scandal involving the U.S. Secret Service. But it at least provided another occasion for the Prime Minister to assert the priority accorded the Latin American r… Read More
Tags: Canadian foreign policy, Caribbean, Central America, Dan Livermore, Latin America, Stephen Harper
Canada and the Landmine Issue, Twenty Years On
April 4 came and went this year with virtually no national mention of the international ban on antipersonnel landmines, which was one of Canada’s most significant triumphs in the area of ‘niche diplomacy’. International Mine Awareness Day, marked annually on April 4, was proclaimed by the UN several years ago, and is designed to maintain momentum on a str… Read More
Tags: Canada, CIDA, Daniel Livermore, DFAIT, landmines, Ottawa Convention
Time for a ‘Grand Bargain’ in a Foreign Policy Review
Officials are grinding away at a foreign policy review in the Lester B. Pearson building in Ottawa, although the motives appear unclear and the parameters are not yet public. But the time is right, since the Harper Government’s majority in Parliament gives it considerable freedom of maneuver. Other factors weigh in the same direction. DFAIT has an ambitio… Read More
Tags: Canadian foreign policy, CIDA, Daniel Livermore, DFAIT, John Baird, Stephen Harper
