While former prime minister Jean Chrétien publicly refused to involve Canada in the invasion of Iraq, a U.S. diplomatic memo obtained by WikiLeaks said Canadian forces would be 'discreetly useful to the military effort.' WikiLeaks also uncovered the case of a Canadian detainee held in a U.S.-run prison in Afghanistan for more than a year and a half. Harper's empty Arctic sovereignty bluster: U.S. cableA WikiLeaks cable suggested the U.S. government viewed former prime minister Stephen Harper's talk about Canadian Arctic sovereignty as little more than empty chest-thumping designed to win votes. Former prime minister Stephen Harper, shown here firing a .303 Lee Enfield rifle while participating in a Canadian Ranger demonstration in Nunavut in 2013, pushed for Arctic sovereignty. But his efforts were viewed by the United States as merely a bid for votes, according to a WikiLeaks cable.

Source: CBC News April 12, 2019 07:52 UTC