Canadian Navy Enforcing North Korean Sanctions?
The Globe published a story this morning indicating that the Americans have asked Canada to participate in enforcing the Sanctions that the UN has approved against North Korea. While Canada still hasn't officially responded, it seems likely that it will participate on at least some level. This is the sort of hands on work Canada needs to be doing to raise its profile and influence in Asia. The Pacific fleet has a number of ships suitable for the task.
The question will of course be one of politics, as the Conservatives guess whether or not the mission will have public support. They've been quite battered recently on the Afghanistan issue and are thus unlikely to be keen on starting another commitment which may prove unpopular. As this action would have a very low possibility of casualties, and has UN approval it seems likely that the public will approve. The only major reservation would be that participating at this point would move Canada closer to committing in some way to a possible conflict on the Korean peninsula. However, it seems exceptionally unlikely that the situation will descend into a hot conflict. We've got a navy for a reason, and this is just the sort of mission they should be participating in.
Link: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2006/11/17/korea-cda.html