North American Forum held in secret at Banff Springs Hotel

[Kate]

This is from the Canadians' point of view from the local Banff newspaper-

http://www.banffcragandcanyon.com/News/255375.html

North American Forum held in secret at Banff Springs Hotel

• U.S. Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld listed as keynote speaker; critics say presence of “war criminal” should have been announced
By Aaron Paton
Tuesday September 19, 2006

Banff Crag & Canyon — A handful of Banff residents are outraged the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel hosted American political leaders in a series of secret meetings with political and business leaders from Canada, Mexico and the United States.

And they’re suggesting the conference included a man some consider to be the most powerful man in America: U.S. Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.

An internal document obtained by the Banff Crag & Canyon shows that Rumsfeld was scheduled to be a keynote speaker on Wednesday, Sept. 13, although no one at the hotel would confirm or deny that he was in Banff.

Reported sightings of Rumsfeld couldn’t be confirmed by the Crag, but his speech was supposed to have been entitled: Opportunities for Security Co-operation in North America -- Military-to-military Co-operation. It was scheduled for 1:30 p.m.

Sgt. Wayne Wiebe of the Banff RCMP said he had heard that internationally protected persons (IPPs) like Rumsfeld may have been coming to Banff last week but increased police security was not requested by the Banff Springs.

The 2006 North American Forum, entitled Continental Prosperity in the New Security Environment, was hosted by the Canadian Council of Chief Executives with help from the Canada West Foundation at the Springs from Sept. 12 to 14. The first North American Forum that happened in October, 2005 in Sonoma, Calif. was also kept secret.

Banff taxi driver Chris Foote said he heard rumblings of Rumsfeld’s alleged visit soon after he noticed that a Mexican Flag had been placed atop the Banff Springs.

“People should know if these people are getting together and talking,” Foote said. “(Canada, Mexico and America) have three conservative governments now and all of the sudden this is happening.”

Foote, a former Green Party candidate in Wild Rose, added that whether or not Rumsfeld was in town, many people in Banff would be appalled that the Springs was supposedly hosting a man he termed a “war criminal,” and will protest at the Banff Springs on Monday, Sept. 25 at 3 p.m.

Former Alberta premier Peter Lougheed co-chaired the event alongside former U.S. secretary of state George Shultz and former Mexican finance minister Pedro Aspe. Canadians scheduled to attend included Minister of Public Safety Stockwell Day, Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Rick Hillier and Alberta Energy Minister Greg Melchin.

American invitees included Rumsfeld, his assistant, Lt. Gen. Gene Renuart and former secretary of energy and defence James Schlesinger.

The list also includes businessmen such as Roger Gibbins, president and CEO of Canada West Foundation, and Ron T. Covais, president of the Lockheed Martin Corporation, which is the largest weapons manufacturer in the United States.

Topics included “A Vision for North America,” “A North American Energy Strategy,” “Demographic and Social Dimensions of North American Integration,” and “Opportunities for Security Co-operation.”

John Larsen, spokesman for the North American Forum, said that the public was not notified of the closed and private meeting and would not confirm or deny that Rumsfeld or anyone else was in attendance. He said he did not know who paid for the forum.

“There are all kinds of conferences going on at the Banff Springs that draw illuminaries and if those conferences are private in nature then I think we also have to respect that these people, by nature of the offices that they hold, still have a right to a certain degree of privacy,” Larsen said.

He added that the meetings are not meant to be secret and that individuals are allowed to say if they attended the forum.

“People that are relatively senior in business… if they’re going to come to these things and put their open and frank discussions on the table in order for those conversations to be as fruitful as possible they want to think that there’s some (confidentiality).

“You can imagine that if this was all televised or open to public scrutiny, the nature of the conversations and ultimately what you would be able to do with those conversations and how far you might be able to advance the solutions around it would be different.”

The only media member invited to the event was the Wall Street Journal’s Mary Anastasia O’Grady, according to the list of participants provided to the Crag.

Banff resident Aaron Doncaster heard that Rumsfeld may have been coming last week and handed out pamphlets to customers and hotel workers at the Banff Springs soon after the event had ended.

“It disturbs me because he’s got a lawsuit against him from the American Civil Liberties Association for the torture and abuse of prisoners of war in U.S. military custody,” Doncaster said.

He added that the public should have been notified of the forum regardless of Rumsfeld’s presence in Banff.

“Protesters have a right to be heard,” Doncaster said. “That’s the most democratic way we can show our disapproval of our elected officials.”

A peaceful protest will be held outside the Banff Springs Hotel next Monday, Sept.25 at 3 p.m. on the sidewalk of Spray Avenue. The pamphlet advertising says “We are protesting the Banff Springs Hotel’s involvement in this crime of treason against Canadian, American and Mexican Citizens.”

Banff Springs spokesperson Lori Grant said it’s against the hotel’s policy to talk about any meetings or guests at the hotel.

“In Canada we have the right to protest, so they can,” Grant said.

All documents obtained by the Crag were obtained from Canadian publisher and politician Mel Hurtig.

He’s the author of political writings such as The Betrayal of Canada, The Vanishing Country and Rushing to Armageddon.

“It’s astonishing that there could be such an important meeting of so many high-level people from government and other organizations where apparently the desire was to not let the public know about these meetings,” Hurtig said. “All Canadians had best be concerned about the purpose of this conference and what went on at the conference.

“The fact that they’re having these meetings in secret is of even greater concern.”

Stockwell Day and Peter Lougheed did not immediately return phone calls but the office of Prime Minister Stephen Harper said Harper was not in Banff last week.

Rumours circulating in Banff said the hotel’s fourth floor was taken up by the conference and that many of its attendees showed up in the middle of the night in buses.

[Virginiamama]

“The fact that they’re having these meetings in secret is of even greater concern.”

many of its attendees showed up in the middle of the night in buses.

Hmmmm, something stinks....