WASHINGTON ) - President George W. Bush tried to bully Canadian officials on missile defence during his visit last month by linking Canada's participation to future protection from the U.S., the Washington Post reported Sunday.

The newspaper quoted an unidentified Canadian official who was in the room as saying Bush waved off their attempts to explain how contentious the issue is for Prime Minister Paul Martin's minority government.

"(Bush) leaned across the table and said: 'I'm not taking this position, but some future president is going to say, Why are we paying to defend Canada?' " the official was quoted as saying.

"Most of our side was trying to explain the politics, how it was difficult to do," he said.

But Bush "waved his hands and remarked: 'I don't understand this. Are you saying that if you got up and said this is necessary for the defence of Canada, it wouldn't be accepted?' "

The White House refused comment on the surprisingly pointed remarks.

"I'm not going to comment on an unnamed source in a newspaper," spokesman Ken Lisaius said Sunday. "The president has been quite clear about the strong relationship with Canada."

Amy Butcher, a spokeswoman for the Prime Minister's Office, said she couldn't talk about the particulars of the missile defence discussion.

"Our position is clear. We'll make a decision based on Canadian interests," said Butcher, adding that the House of Commons will participate in the debate.

Martin has told reporters that Bush's position at the meeting was one of incredulity that anyone would oppose the system, aimed at knocking out supersonic missiles launched by terrorists or rogue states.

But the Post report suggests the meeting was far more tense than that.

U.S. diplomats had assured their Canadian counterparts that the prickly issue wouldn't be raised during Bush's visit.

But it came up at the private meeting with Martin and the president unexpectedly raised it during a major foreign policy speech in Halifax the next day.

Paul Cellucci, America's ambassador to Canada, said earlier this month that the U.S. is optimistic Canada will sign on to the missile defence plan before the end of March.

The system will rely on interceptors based in underground silos at Fort Greely, Alaska, and Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.

Pentagon officials blamed an unsuccessful test launch last month on a "minor glitch" in computer software. They say they may never publicly declare when the shield is fully ready.

Copyright © 2005 the Canadian Press

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