US-CSIS obtrusion in a Canadian health emergency
Further to the first FOS op-ed
about two Regina Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) members disciplined
for refusing to deliver the anti-communist anti-China newspaper Epoch Times, FOS
offers some further commentary and not so distant history.
US Senator Accuses WHO as Soft on China.
Last April 9th 2020 a US Senator Todd Young,
Chair of the US Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee, sent
a letter to WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus to express
“deep skepticism” about the WHO’s guidance on COVID-19 and “concern of China’s
influence in the organization.” Young
called for the WHO Director to appear before his committee for questioning.
Following Young’s letter to WHO, US President Trump stopped
funding WHO and on May 29th announced his government’s intent to
withdraw from WHO and in July made it official.
The
Lancet and the American
Medical Association (AMA), respected voices of US medical professionals,
condemned the Trump administration’s decision in the midst of a growing global
health emergency.
The Canadian
Medical Association (CMA) did not issue a statement. (NB: In answer to a FOS query, CMA confirmed it did not
issue any statement on the US withdrawal from WHO.)
The Trump administration’s actions followed a February 9th
2020 WHO delegation to China led by Dr.
Bruce Aylward, a Canadian advisor to WHO and a respected epidemiologist and
infectious disease expert, to investigate alleged lack of transparency in the
Government of China’s response to COVID.
The WHO delegation filed their findings in February 14-16 2020
answering all questions at a major public press
conference and in an exhaustive
report to the UN available to all member states including Canada. Dr. Aylward is reported to have commented after
the work was done that “If I had COVID-19, I’d want to be treated in China.”
CSIS and the Trudeau-Freeland Liberal Government Snap to Attention.
Not satisfied with the WHO UN report a Parliamentary Health
committee was mandated by an all-party resolution to hold hearings and ordered Dr.
Aylward to appear and answer questions. Dr. Aylward did not appear for
questioning and all parties in the House of Commons were affronted.
WHO issued statements explaining that as a UN Organization, member
states should direct questions about its work including questions regarding
China to the WHO President and submit
questions in writing to Dr. Aylward who was an advisor and not an elected
official of WHO.
None of these protocols mattered to any Parliamentary caucus
members. What the Parliamentary caucus wanted was an open-ended questioning of
Dr. Aylward in the midst of a frenzy of US accusations against WHO.
President Trump was making headlines as he prepared to
withdraw the US from the WHO alleging undue influence by China and Conservative
Party leader Andrew Scheer was cashing in.
The publicly funded CBC and the privately owned and
controlled corporate media neglected to ask if Scheer or any of the affronted
Parliamentary Health Committee members had read the WHO report and what was lacking
in its findings.
In such a heated atmosphere Dr. Aylward had reason to be reluctant
to submit himself to questioning by the Parliamentary Health Committee.
Most threatening to anyone in Dr. Aylward’s position was
that fact that the Canadian Security and Intelligence Service (CSIS) had issued
a series of public statements warning of a Government China effort to recruit
persons to do harm to Canada during the Covid emergency that harmonized
with President Trumps accusations against WHO.
The implication of collaboration with China was now in the
mix.
Enter Epoch Times
Epoch Times right on cue appeared in May 2020. The offending
editorial claiming the corona virus pandemic was a Communist Party of China
plot appeared. CUPW employees refused to deliver the paper. Many
Canadians objected to receiving it.
Federal
Minister in charge ordered CUPW to deliver the paper cross the entire
country.
Epilogue
The Trudeau-Freeland Government and the NDP have quietly
walked back from the events of April last year. The new Conservative leader Erin
O’Toole keeps at it demanding a “get tough” diplomacy towards China.
On the occasion of the 50th Anniversary
of Canadian recognition of China Global Affairs Canada published the
statement by then Foreign Affairs Minister Phillipe Champagne.
Champagne was replaced as Foreign
Minister in the last Trudeau Cabinet shuffle by Marc Garneau.
Facts Matter – The timeline.
February 9th 2020 Dr. Aylward Canadian WHO
advisor leads WHO delegation to China.
February 24th WHO files its report with the UN
April 9th 2020 – US Senator attacks WHO
April-November - CSIS begins to issue dire warnings about
China and Covid
April 14th 2020 – Parliamentary Health Committee
summons Dr. Aylward to answer questions.
April 29th 2020 – WHO backs Dr. Aylward’s
reluctance to answers questions.
May 2020 – Epoch Times appears and editorializes that Covid
19 is a Communist Party of China plot.
May 2020 – Liberal Government orders CUPW to deliver Epoch
Times across Canada.
May 29th - President Trump withdraws funding and
membership from WHO claiming it is too influenced by China.
July 9th 2020 – Lancet and American Medical
Association condemn Trump decision
November 2021 – US voters elect Joe Biden as President
January 2021 – President Biden issues executive order to
rejoin the WHO.
January 2021 – WHO statistics reveal USA has highest Covid 19 infections in the world.
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