Editing Paul Cellucci (section)

==U.S. Ambassador to Canada==
On April 17, 2001, at the Citadel in [[Quebec City]], Cellucci presented his credentials as the 27th [[United States Ambassador to Canada]] to [[Governor General of Canada|Governor General]] [[Adrienne Clarkson]].

His four-year tenure would be a historical and controversial period in the United States – Canadian relations. On September 14, 2001, three days after the terrorist attacks on United States soil, Ambassador Cellucci thanked Canada for its overwhelming support and sympathy, including their role in [[Operation Yellow Ribbon]], at a memorial in front of 100,000&nbsp;people on [[Parliament Hill]] in [[Ottawa]]. He would mention the operation and the memorial service quite often during the days and months that followed the [[September 11 attacks]] in the United States. The months and years that followed the attacks would see extraordinary cooperation between the United States and Canada on the [[Smart Border Agreement]], on their law enforcement and intelligence agencies to stop terrorist attacks in North America, and in [[Afghanistan]] in the war against the Taliban.

On March 25, 2003, at a speech to the Economic Club of Toronto, Cellucci faced controversy when he criticized Canadian opposition to the U.S.-led [[2003 invasion of Iraq|invasion of Iraq]]. He argued that America was waging war for its own security, and that the United States would "never hesitate" to support Canada if it faced a security threat.<ref>{{cite news|title=Americans 'disappointed' with Canada: Cellucci|publisher=CTV.ca|date=March 25, 2003|url=http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1048603041834_119|access-date=January 26, 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050122182916/http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1048603041834_119/|archive-date=January 22, 2005|df=mdy-all}}</ref>  This wording was considered especially unfortunate by some since the United States did in fact delay years before joining the British Empire in both [[World War I|World Wars I]] and [[World War II|II]] in Europe.  ''[[The Globe and Mail]]'' reported Cellucci's remarks under the front-page headline "U.S. rebukes Canada"<ref>{{cite news|title=U.S. rebukes Canada|work=Globe and Mail|location=Canada|date=March 26, 2003|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20030326.ucell0326/BNStory/National|access-date=January 13, 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080725031522/http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20030326.ucell0326/BNStory/National|archive-date=July 25, 2008|df=mdy-all}}</ref> and Canadian nationalist [[Mel Hurtig]] called him "ill-mannered, obnoxious, [and] arrogant".<ref>{{cite news
 |title      = Cellucci undiplomatic, says nationalist Hurtig
 |publisher  = CTV.ca
 |date       = April 4, 2003
 |url        = http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/print/CTVNews/20030404/hertig_cellucci_030404/20030404/?hub=Canada&subhub=PrintStory
 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210126161911/https://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/print/CTVNews/20030404/hertig_cellucci_030404/20030404?hub=Canada&subhub=PrintStory
 |url-status = dead
 |archive-date = January 26, 2021
 |access-date = January 13, 2009
}}</ref>

He also expressed support for Canada joining the U.S. [[missile defense]] program, and for urging Canada to increase defense spending. These statements, frequently perceived as implied trade threats, caused Cellucci to be sarcastically christened "the U.S. ambassador-turned-[[proconsul]]" by former [[Liberal Party of Canada|Liberal]] cabinet minister and Foreign Minister [[Lloyd Axworthy]] in an opinion piece titled "Say no to missile defence" published on April 29, 2003 in ''[[The Globe and Mail]]''. Canada has since declined to participate in the U.S. missile defense program.

While the frosty relations were due to the Canadian government's opposition to President Bush's policies, there has also been criticism of the former [[Prime Minister of Canada]] [[Jean Chrétien]] for tolerating anti-American outbursts from his aide,<ref>{{cite news
|title='Moron Bush' aide resigns
|date=November 26, 2002
|work=BBC News 
|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/2516939.stm
|access-date=August 5, 2008
}}</ref> while Chrétien's successor [[Paul Martin]] attempted to paint his opponent, [[Conservative Party of Canada|Conservative]] leader [[Stephen Harper]], as pro-American during the [[2004 Canadian federal election]].

Cellucci officially resigned his ambassadorship on March 17, 2005. A humorous indication of Canadian opinion of Cellucci's tenure was provided by [[CBC Television]] satirist [[Rick Mercer]], who promoted on his program, ''[[Rick Mercer Report]]'', a fictitious "Paul Cellucci Farewell Special" entitled "Don't Let the Door Hit You on the Ass".<ref>{{cite news|title=Don't Let the Door Hit You on the Ass: The Paul Cellucci Farewell Special|publisher=CBC |location=Canada |date=March 21, 2005 |url=http://www.cbc.ca/mercerreport/backissues.php?season=2 |access-date=July 21, 2008}}</ref>