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Monday, March 14, 2011

Canada Offers Aid to Japan

Ottawa says it's ready to provide "any and all" possible aid to Japan, including sending Canadian troops, following Friday's deadly earthquake and tsunami. Late Sunday night, the Canadian government outlined a number of possible measures to help the disaster relief effort in Japan.

A 17-member victim identification team is on standby and ready to be deployed to Japan.
Canada has also offered chemical, biological, and nuclear technical expertise and equipment, according to a statement from Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon's office.

The Canadian Forces is also willing to send personnel and planes to help with humanitarian relief efforts, but there is no word yet on whether the Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) would head to Japan if aid help is accepted.Japan's ambassador to Canada, Kaoro Ishikawa, has relayed the offers of assistance to the Japanese government and Canada is now on standby to fulfil any requests for help.

"Our government has been actively engaged since learning of this tragic event," Cannon said. "As Prime Minister Stephen Harper stated, Canada stands ready to provide any and all possible assistance to the people of Japan."
Cannon's office said government officials are in contact with the United Nations and the International Red Cross, which have dispatched disaster-assessment teams to Japan.

Cannon is in Paris on Monday to meet with his G8 counterparts, with the international response to the disaster in Japan expected to dominate discussions.



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