			Foreign Correspondent

		      Inside Track On World News
	    By International Syndicated Columnist & Broadcaster
		 Eric Margolis <emargolis@lglobal.com>

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CANADA'S TRYST WITH FIDEL TURNS SOUR
by
Eric Margolis 28 Feb 96

Canadians of the squishy left - and that means much of the
media,  diplomats, culture wallahs, unions, teachers and
churchmen - feel the same way about Senator Jesse Helms as
red-blooded Americans feel about Cuba's strongman, Fidel
Castro. Ol' Jesse is the devil incarnate - and he talks
funny, too.

This week, Helms, the North Carolina Nero, and his fire-
eating pal, Sen. Dan Burton of Indiana, seized upon the
outrageous downing of two American civilian aircraft by
Cuban jets to again press for a bill that could punish
Canadians for doing business in Cuba.

Canada's left squealed with moral outrage, and beat the
nationalist tomtoms. A monstrous violation of international
law, wailed the paladins of pink. Canada's new External
Affairs Minister Lloyd Axworthy, even issued the ultimate
doomsday threat - taking the miscreant US to the World
Court. 

Washington received the prairie Bismarck's ultimatum with
yawns. The Pentagon didn't even go to DEFCON 1.  Instead, 
President Clinton, who has lately been trying to cosy up to
Havana, got terrified of losing Cuban-rich Florida this
election year, and scurried to join the flay Fidel
bandwagon.  The Senate moved ahead with the dreaded
legislation.

The Helms/Burton bill would enable American citizens,
including naturalized ones, to sue in US courts any foreign
firms exploiting property seized from them by the Castro
regime. Executives and employees of these companies may also
be barred from entry into the USA.

The prime targets of this bill are  Canadian and European
firms who currently profit from property expropriated by the
communist regime - notably hotels and mines. No compensation
was ever paid for such illegal seizures.  In effect, these
firms are knowingly dealing in stolen property and deserve
to be in hot water. 

Let me use my degree in international law to make some
observations. Put the shoe on the other foot.  Suppose
Quebec declares independence, seizing all Canadian-owned
property, including three Air Canada 747 jets.  Quebec then
sells the jets to, say, USAir.  Air Canada and Ottawa would
have every right to sue to recover the aircraft.
Or, take a hypothetical case of a CP-owned hotel in
Montreal. Quebec seizes, then leases it to a French firm for
20 years.   CP gets nothing - but must still continue
interest payments on the property.  Surely, CP has the right
to go after the French hotel firm and its executives.

The right of restoration or compensation for property
expropriated by communist and nazi regimes has been
recognized all over East Europe, and now forms an important
body of international law.  Why should Cuba be different?

Then there's simple realpolitik.  Cuba remains a sharp thorn
in the side of the US, and a major domestic political issue.
Ottawa's long, smarmy support of the Castro regime deeply
angers many Americans - whose tax dollars defend Canada. 
Ottawa demeans itself by eagerly backing the worst violator
of human rights in the Western Hemisphere in order to turn
profit on stolen property -and to please the Canadian left. 
This wrongheaded, dishonourable policy now threatens to
bring a ton of trouble down on Canada - and for no good
reason.

Canada's left, let's recall,  has  a sorry history of
licking the feet  of leftist dictators. Remember  Trudeau's
feverish infatuation with Castro, black African despots,
and, marxist Nicaragua. Or CBC's embarrasing lust for Mao's
totalitarian China.  Cuba is now the last worker's paradise
they have left, except maybe for North Korea.  

Canada and Mexico are the two life-supports of Castro's
regime. Canada's tourist dollars, loans and investments
supply vital hard currency. Mexico has replaced cheap Soviet
oil.  It's high time to cease  Canada's unsavory backing of
Castro's tropical Stalinism. Canadian national identity is
not defined by supporting marxist Cuba.

Jesse Helms may be the devil, but give him his due. This
time, he's right.    


eric margolis   copyright 1996

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