Dispute with UAE Scuttled Canada's Security Council Seat

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sourced by Karl Gotthardt - albertacowpoke

The United Arab Emirates lobbied hard against Canada because of its Trade Policies.  Canada failed in its bid for a Security Council Seat.

Canada withdrew its bid for a UN Security Council seat after the second ballot.  It was obvious that the two thirds required could not be achieved.  Germany and Portugal are on the UN Security Council.

Canada has been in a bitter dispute with the UAE over additional routes for its two national airlines, Emirates and Etihat.  Air Canada disagreed and the Canadian government denied the request.

The end result, Canada was told to vacate Camp Mirage by the end of November and has to look for alternate locations to supply its troops. 

The story gets a little bigger.  Arab nations traditionally vote as a block.  Anonymous UAE sources told the AP that they lobbied hard against Canada for this seat.  As a rich Arab nation it would not have been hard for the UAE to convince other Arab nations to vote with the UAE.

While this move by the Canadian government was not only shortsighted in respect to competition, it jeopardized the safety of Canadian troops by relocating the base elsewhere, Pakistan has been mentioned.  The move may have also cost Canada it seat on the Security Council.

The Conservative Government blame Michael Ignatieff for the loss of the seat, which Ignatieff called "ridiculous".

"This is a government that for four years has basically ignored the United Nations and now is suddenly showing up saying, ‘Hey, put us on the council,'" Ignatieff had said.

Canada's Government has been pro-Israel and the dispute with the UAE would have easily persuaded an Arab Block vote against the seat.  Other factors would have been the Eurozone voting for its own (Germany and Portugal). 

Canada has also cut aid to Africa and is seen as pro American.

There could be 8 Million reasons for not getting the seat, this has been one.