The Theatre of Missile Defence

This is pure theatre.

From the Toronto Star today:

The United States is not planning to ask Canada to join the ballistic missile defence system, U.S. Ambassador David Wilkins said yesterday.

Of course it followed this on 23 Feb:

"In principle I don't have difficulty personally with ballistic missile defense,'' O'Connor told reporters after a speech to a military conference in Ottawa today. The U.S. must request formal negotiations and Parliament would have to approve the agreement, O'Connor said.

At which time Wilkins ran to the bunker:

U.S. Ambassador to Canada David Wilkins declined to take a question today on whether the U.S. will seek a negotiation after speaking at a separate event in Ottawa.

Let two days pass and this is what happens. O'Connor makes a statement that BMD is ok with him but that it requires an invitation from the U.S.

The PMO reminds O'Connor that the position of all opposition parties is against participation in the US missile defence system. Anyway, this guy is running around saying the system is absolutely useless on the verge of being labelled a hoax. (And he seems to know what he's talking about.)

Then somebody gets in touch with Wilkins/US DOD/Rumsfeld/Barney and suggests that being "invited" to participate in BMD is very dangerous. Please explain to George that if it ends up in Parliament and there's a vote in the commons Harper may well end up out on his butt in the snow.

Wilkins shrugs off a question about missile defence by suggesting that the US has moved on and has no intention of asking Canada.

Personally, I thought the kabuki was better here, but I guess live theatre is a matter of taste.