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DE RUEHOT #1254 2632034
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 192034Z SEP 08
FM AMEMBASSY OTTAWA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8528
INFO RHEHNSC/WHITE HOUSE NSC WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RUCNCAN/ALL CANADIAN POSTS COLLECTIVE
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 0835
RUEHKL/AMEMBASSY KUALA LUMPUR 0349
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0961
RUEHMD/AMEMBASSY MADRID 2177
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 1021
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 1527
RUEHSM/AMEMBASSY STOCKHOLM 2054
RUEHTC/AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE 3482

UNCLAS OTTAWA 001254 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR PM, PM ACTION TEAM, EUR/RPM, AF/RSA, AND IO 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL MARR MOPS MCAP XW CA
SUBJECT: CANADIANS WORKING ON RESPONSE TO REQUEST FOR 
EXTENSION OF WFP ESCORT 
 
REF: STATE 100149 
 
¶1.  (SBU) In response to reftel demarche on September 19, 
Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT) 
Advisor for Defense and Security Sarah Robertson said that 
Canadian officials were now consulting internally on whether 
they could extend the HMCS Ville de Quebec's current 
deployment in support of World Food Program (WFP) shipments 
to Somalia past September 27.  Robertson promised to convey 
the government's final decision to Embassy as soon as 
possible, but warned that she could not hold out hope for a 
quick response. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) Robertson pointed to three potential obstacles in 
the way of an extension:  Canada's Navy has other national 
and NATO obligations to fulfill; until now, Canada had 
expected the French- and Spanish-led European initiative to 
result in the deployment of European escorts for WFP vessels 
by September 27; and, the Canadian government is in 
"caretaker mode" until after the October 14 federal election. 
 Even if DFAIT and defense officials make a positive 
recommendation, she said, approval of such an extension would 
then have to come from elected officials in the government, 
who currently are focused on getting re-elected in their home 
ridings (districts). 
 
Visit Canada,s Economy and Environment Forum at 
http://www.intelink.gov/communities/state/can ada 
 
WILKINS