posted by Sid Ryan on Facebook (November 16, 2019). Sid Ryan is the former President of the Ontario Federation of Labour.

Thank you, Donald Lafleur, for setting the record straight.

The original story as reported in the National Post said the CLC was unaware of your trip and had a CLC staff person portray your trip as some sort of a misguided adventure into Middle Eastern politics. The truth, of course, is you did what any self-respecting trade unionist would do and condemned US sanctions against a sovereign nation that is having a devastating effect on innocent civilians. The true nature of the US's imperial intent became known to the world when Trump blurted out it's really all about the theft of Syrian oil and gas.

Unfortunately, the CLC's foreign policy (as much as they have one) is in lockstep with Chrystia Freeland's which is basically to kowtow to any extreme right-wing policy of the US. This can be seen by recent US positions on Bolivia and Venezuela where Canada dutifully followed along with US policy, notwithstanding both presidents were democratically-elected.

Donald Lafleur spoke the truth about US economic sanctions against Syria. He did nothing wrong except to show the world the CLC president has no gonads when he receives a little bit of pressure from a right-wing columnist in a rag of a newspaper. In any other trade union central organisation around the world, Donald Lafleur would be commended for his courageous venture into one of the worlds most troubled spots and speaking out about the devastating impacts of US sanctions that he witnessed.