Beyond Afghanistan: An International Security Agenda for Canada by James Fergusson and Francis Furtado
| Author | Alistair Edgar |
| Date | 01 December 2017 |
| Published date | 01 December 2017 |
| DOI | 10.1177/0020702017740110 |
| Subject Matter | Book Reviews |
nuclear sharing. Ultimately, Diefenbaker was unwilling to accept US nuclear weap-
ons on Canadian soil; at the same time, he remained fearfulof the consequences that
open rejection wouldgenerate. The Canadian prime minister’sresponse was to fudge
the issue by declaring that he was not at this point in time prepared to ‘‘extend the
nuclear family,’’ but that he was also engaged in discussion with the United States
about the possibility of accepting US nuclear warheads (186–187). Diefenbaker’s
position was at best confusing, and at worst illogical. It was little wonder that US
pressure was ratcheted up in the following months (188–196), which would contrib-
ute to a groundswell of domestic criticism against Diefenbaker and lead to his even-
tual downfall in April, 1963 (193–200).
McKercher’s analysis of the American role in Diefenbaker’s downfall is cer-
tainly illuminating. Diefenbaker alleged in his memoir that Kennedy sought dir-
ectly to bring his government down and secure the victory of his Liberal opponent,
Lester B. Pearson. Camelot and Canada presents a somewhat more ambiguous
version of events. McKercher accepts ‘‘that the Americans favored Pearson’’ and
the likelihood that ‘‘Washington intervened in the election to help the Liberals,’’
yet Camelot and Canada explains that Kennedy’s interference was carefully tailored
so that private US citizens, and not US government officials, were the ones that
assisted the Pearson campaign (199–201). Regardless of whether this interference in
Canadian domestic policy was undertaken by private or official US actors, it none-
theless reveals that Kennedy was prepared to meddle in the domestic politics of an
allied power. Indeed, the use of US political power vis-a
`-vis its allies is a well-
established sub-branch in the field of US foreign relations, but Camelot and Canada
reminds us that small powers need to be very careful about aggravating policy-
makers in Washington, as the consequences can be serious indeed. This is an
element which McKercher could have analyzed in greater depth, given the broader
ramifications that such action could have for our understanding of how the United
States exercises its influence towards its allies.
Camelot and Canada is an important book that provides critical insight into an
often-overlooked bilateral relationship during the Cold War. Scholars interested in
the formulation of US and Canadian foreign policy during that conflict, alliance
relations more broadly, and how domestic political calculations shape foreign and
security policies, will find much of interest in this well-researched, clearly written,
engaging work.
James Fergusson and Francis Furtado, eds.
Beyond Afghanistan: An International Security Agenda for Canada
Vancouver: UBC Press, 2016. 325pp. $95.00 (cloth) $32.95 (paper)
ISBN: 978-0-77483-198-7 (cloth) 978-0-77483-199-4 (paper)
Reviewed by: Alistair Edgar (aedgar@wlu.ca), Wilfrid Laurier University
The core notion informing Beyond Afghanistan is that the end of Canada’s com-
mitment in Afghanistan, and the beginning of the new Liberal government,
584 International Journal 72(4)
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