Ottawa
Ninety percent of Canadians want Prime Minister Jean Chrétien to improve relations with the United States, according to a poll released this week. Most Canadians said they believed Chrétien’s relationship with the Bush administration had soured over a difference of opinion on how to deal with Iraq. A string of public gaffes haven’t helped. Chrétien’s former communications director once referred to President Bush as a “moron,” and an anti-war member of Parliament called Americans “bastards.” A majority of Canadians opposed invading Iraq without United Nations support, but six out of 10 now favor sending Canadian troops to Iraq. “The fact is,” said pollster Michael Marzolini, “that Canadians expected that we would be standing beside the Americans.”
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