Who knew that he actually helped bring down a duly elected government?
For crass political purposes.
Or as others might say, was used as a hapless pawn.
Canada’s embassy in Kyiv was used as a haven for several days by anti-government protesters during the uprising that toppled the regime of former president Viktor Yanukovych.
The Harper government never fully acknowledged — during the upheaval or since — the depth and extent of the security breach, which has had far-reaching implications on how Canadians are perceived in the region.
And while diplomats wonder about the implications.
“We’re not the considered, intelligent players that we used to be,” said Fowler, who as a UN representative survived a kidnapping by Al Qaeda. “We have been all mouth and no brain.”
The embassy incident is a small but perfect snapshot of what Canada’s foreign policy has become, said Fowler.
“I would argue we have very little credibility within NATO. Of course, our friends in NATO aren’t going to say that publicly, but the people within NATO who are relevant to our discussion, they know about Canadian military capabilities. They know about what we could and could not do and they know our posturing is utterly vacuous.”
more
CP Investigation: Canada's embassy in Ukraine used as pawn in 2014 uprising
But if he is posing as a freedom fighter, why is he forcing our military to train neo-Nazis?
ON TARGET: Unsavoury elements taint Ukrainian regime | The Chronicle Herald
For crass political purposes.
Or as others might say, was used as a hapless pawn.
Canada’s embassy in Kyiv was used as a haven for several days by anti-government protesters during the uprising that toppled the regime of former president Viktor Yanukovych.
The Harper government never fully acknowledged — during the upheaval or since — the depth and extent of the security breach, which has had far-reaching implications on how Canadians are perceived in the region.
And while diplomats wonder about the implications.
“We’re not the considered, intelligent players that we used to be,” said Fowler, who as a UN representative survived a kidnapping by Al Qaeda. “We have been all mouth and no brain.”
The embassy incident is a small but perfect snapshot of what Canada’s foreign policy has become, said Fowler.
“I would argue we have very little credibility within NATO. Of course, our friends in NATO aren’t going to say that publicly, but the people within NATO who are relevant to our discussion, they know about Canadian military capabilities. They know about what we could and could not do and they know our posturing is utterly vacuous.”
more
CP Investigation: Canada's embassy in Ukraine used as pawn in 2014 uprising
But if he is posing as a freedom fighter, why is he forcing our military to train neo-Nazis?
ON TARGET: Unsavoury elements taint Ukrainian regime | The Chronicle Herald
