Foreign Affairs committee  I've had discussions with people from Foreign Affairs and from JAG in the military, and they were valuable discussions. There's a debate about the utility of such strong language allowing such a wide range of activities for Canadian soldiers. We both agree that the Canadian soldiers should be protected, but this sets such a bad precedent for the rest of the world who might use those similar sorts of provisions to do lots of nefarious things.

Foreign Affairs committee  I sympathize with the government's desire to protect Canadian soldiers from prosecution if they're somehow involved, even peripherally, with cluster munitions, but I don't think you need such strong legislation. It goes the furthest of all legislation that's been passed by 84 ratifying countries in trying to say what soldiers can do.

Foreign Affairs committee  Mr. Chair, thank you for the opportunity to appear before this important committee. I gave the same remarks in 1995 with respect to the Chemical Weapon Convention. In addition, I was present in Parliament when the Ottawa convention banning antipersonnel mines was ratified. At the Canadian Forces College, I teach officers from 20 countries about arms control and international UN law.