OTTAWA – Canada should support the United States in whatever action it decides to take in Syria, former Liberal prime minister Paul Martin says.

In an interview with Global News, Martin said Canada should be working the phones to convince other allies to support the United States “and the actions they will take.”

“The American president [Barack Obama] drew a red line and said if chemical weapons were used, that he and others would act. That red line has been crossed,” said Martin.

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Martin, who in 2005 helped implement the “responsibility to protect” doctrine for UN member states to protect citizens whose governments aren’t guarding them from atrocities, says it clearly applies in today’s Syria situation.

“The purpose of responsibility to protect is to say that other countries have a responsibility to act when a country oppresses its own people, and there can be fewer, greater acts of oppression, than when you use a weapon of mass destruction against your people,” he said.

Western governments believe the Syrian regime launched a chemical attack against its own people, reportedly killing 355 and injuring 3,600 – a claim Syria’s UN ambassador denies.

On Wednesday, Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird met with George Sabra, president of the opposition group Syrian National Council.

Following the meeting in Montreal, Baird said Canada does not have the weapons to contribute to the types of strikes being referred to in news reports – such as by armed drones and cruise missiles.

But he said Canada is discussing with allies about how to deal with the Assad regime and will continue to co-operate with them.

Baird added the government has pledged $42.8 million in humanitarian assistance to go towards emergency food assistance, shelter and sanitation.

Liberal leader Justin Trudeau said Wednesday Parliament should be recalled to discuss what role Canada should play in Syria, but he has previously expressed reservations about military intervention.

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NDP leader Tom Mulcair also said Parliament should be reconvened, and he called it a “tragedy” that Canada does not have a seat on the Security Council.

“It’s a tragedy that Canada’s voice won’t be heard because we were never able to get a seat at the UN,” he said.

The Conservatives have said it is “premature” to discuss recalling Parliament at this time.

Martin said while it’s preferable to get the blessing of the UN Security Council, it’s clear that Russia will not endorse action in Syria.

He said the actions made during the Kosovo War in 1999, in which the security council refused to act but NATO intervened, “were exactly the right ones.”

“It’s preferable to obviously get the endorsement by the UN Security Council. It’s been very clear by the actions of the Russians that we’re not going to get it in this particular case, and I think the precedent that NATO and Kosovo (set) a number of years ago is the one that we should follow,” he said.

Martin said the real justification for responsibility to protect is endorsement by the allies. He said the U.K. and France have shown support, but the Germans are not as clear.

“In other words if the United States were to act, because they’re the ones who’ve got the capacity, the missiles to act, and they’ve got the vessels close by, then what the United States will require is the support of their allies,” he said.

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“Canada has got to play a role in bringing the allies on side.”

– with files from the Canadian Press

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