19 September 1967: External to Washington, DC - Canadian Government Response to U.S. ABM Deployment

External Affairs then wrote the Canadian Ambassador to inform him of the official government response to McNamara’s announcement, as approved by the Cabinet. The statement emphasized that the ABM system would not be operational for years and that the Canadian government would closely monitor any and all implications for the country.

But perhaps most importantly, Ottawa attempted to distance themselves from Washington’s decision, as they wrote that the Canadian government “does not contemplate participation in an anti-ballistic missile system.” This was likely for domestic political reasons, practical military coordination concerns, and for ensuring consistency with Canada's international arms control agenda.