The Conservative government said Tuesday it would boycott a United Nations disarmament conference chaired by Iran — currently targeted by sanctions over its rogue nuclear arms program — on the grounds that it makes a “mockery” of the effort against arms proliferation. It is the latest sign of a new boldness in Canada’s stance against the Islamic Republic.
Since late last year, Canada has recalled its diplomats from Tehran, expelled Iran’s from Ottawa, openly called for regime change, condemned next month’s Iranian elections as a “cynical charade,” expanded economic sanctions, and praised Israel for a bombing raid inside Syria against Iranian-backed Hezbollah arms shipments. Ottawa’s increasingly vocal and outward enmity toward one particular autocratic regime demonstrates a targeted hostility rarely seen out of Ottawa, and perhaps not since the Second World War. The Conservatives are hardly being shy about their intent: T
hey want the current Iranian leadership gone. John Baird, the Foreign Minister, has launched a social media campaign to incite democratic opposition to the Iranian regime, both globally and behind the country’s notorious “Halal” Internet firewall, which blocks access to foreign sites after 60 seconds. “The people mock ‘Halal’ Internet for the ridiculous proposition that it is,” Mr. Baird said at a University of Toronto conference last weekend to launch Global Dialogue on the Future of Iran, which broadcasts academic debates over the web in Farsi and English under special security settings to protect anonymity, thwart censors, and encourage dissident communities. “Since we suspended diplomatic relations with Iran in September of last year, we’ve been expanding our outreach with Iranians in Canada and Iranians around the world, and we’ve been asking them a number of questions, but one of the most important questions [is] ‘What can Canada do to counter the threat posed by the Iranian regime?’” said a government source, speaking on background
