Last week, former Prime Minister Paul Martin called on the UN to invoke the policy of "Responsibility to Protect" in order to intervene in Libya.
"This is not the time for countries to think of their own national interests," Martin said one week ago. "They have really got to think now of the people of Libya."
But it is precisely Canada's "national interests" that Martin has in mind.
When Martin visited Libya in 2004, he was there for the announcement of a $1 billion contract that saw Montreal-based engineering firm SNC Lavalin hired by the Libyan government.
In 2006, Colonel Gaddafi provoked fears of poltical violence, saying "Our enemies have been crushed inside Libya, and you have to be ready to kill them if they emerge anew."
But SNC Lavalin did not blink (though they are now defending their role in building a prison in Libya), and two years later, Petro-Canada (now Suncor) inked a multi-billion dollar oil deal with Gaddafi. The status of this deal is not known, for the moment.
Canadian investors are legitimately worried about what's going to happen to the $1 billion signing bonus Suncor paid out to the Libyan government, or whether SNC Lavalin is going to recoup its investments in the country, which is home to 10% of its workforce.
What if a new government of Libya, post-revolution, doesn't see Gaddafi's deals as legitimate?
Canadian warships are on their way to Libya. "Defence" Minister Peter Mackay has explicitly said that in addition to getting Canadians out, the military is there to "support, if need be, certain humanitarian efforts."
What kind of humanitarian efforts?
According to this article, NATO says that "One of the most extreme measures could be the use of ground troops to open avenues for the distribution of humanitarian aid."
Do we need to recount the invasions that have been conducted under humanitarian pretexts?
Meanwhile, many Libyans are taking a clear stand against foreign military intervention.
Will Canadians, Americans and Europeans allow their respective militaries to invade Libya?
So far, the Canadian Peace Alliance and the CPCML have taken a stand. If the invasion is to be prevented, many more will have to join them.