But Canada remains a crucial partner in this global war on terrorism, and we are grateful for that. Canadian naval vessels, aircraft and military personnel continue anti-terrorist operations in the Persian Gulf.

Canada is preparing to play a major role in the continued stability and security of Afghanistan through ISAF.

Like Canada, we very much wanted the United Nations to be a relevant and effective body. But once those efforts failed, we no longer saw things from a multilateral perspective. For us, now, it is much more basic than that. It is about family.

Yet there is disappointment in Washington and in the United States that Canada is not supporting us fully.

When I was Governor of Massachusetts, we worked to get Sable Island gas into New England.

We are at war to liberate Iraq, to protect the people of the United States and other countries from the devastating impact of Iraqi weapons of mass destruction being used by terrorists or the Iraqi government to kill thousands of innocent civilians.

The agreement to place the binational planning group at our new Northern Command was also signed in December.