Did the U.S. snub Canada at the UN vote?

Washington is staying tightlipped about the UN Security Council vote earlier this week, following a report that American diplomats were told to refrain from lobbying on Canada's behalf as it sought a seat on the powerful decision-making body.

"For that particular seat there was a contested election. We were present, we voted, and beyond that I'm not going to comment," U.S. State Department spokesperson Philip Crowley said on Thursday.

"Our votes are secret," he said. "I'm sure it was a hard-fought contest."

A former spokesperson at the UN claims that U.S. ambassador Susan Rice instructed American diplomats "not to get involved" with Canada's campaign for a seat on the Security Council.

"It's very problematic for an American tax payer -- collectively we give over $1 billion to the UN -- to not have a U.S. ambassador to the UN that's willing to campaign for Canada to get on the Security Council," Richard Grenell told CTV's Power Play on Thursday, because Ottawa pushes issues at the UN that Washington often agrees with, he said.

"I find it offensive that the Obama administration chose not only not to get involved with the Canadians, but to instruct all of the diplomats around the world to not get involved in helping the Canadians," he added, citing sources with the U.S. mission to the UN and the State Department.

Canada withdrew from the running to win one of the non-permanent Security Council seats after it became clear Portugal was going to take the seat on Tuesday.

It was the first time in history Canada failed to win a Security Council seat.

In addition to Grenell's claim that Canada lacked U.S. support for its bid, an official with the United Arab Emirates told The Associated Press that the wealthy Gulf country actively lobbied against Canada.

The UAE has been fighting back hard in a dispute with Ottawa over commercial landing rights for its airlines in Canada.

As a result, Ottawa has been forced to give up its formerly secret military base in the region.

Tory reaction

The Conservative government responded to the embarrassing end to its bid for a temporary Security Council seat by blaming remarks made by Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff.

"This is a government that for four years has basically ignored the United Nations and now is suddenly showing up saying, ‘Hey, put us on the council,'" Ignatieff had said in September.

After the vote this week, Ignatieff called the Tories' allegations "ridiculous."

Prime Minister Stephen Harper shifted gears on Thursday, blaming the secret voting process for his government's failed UN campaign.

Experts have offered a range of explanations for the disappointing outcome, with many citing the Tories' foreign policy.

Paul Heinbecker, a foreign policy analyst and former Canadian ambassador to the UN, told CTV News Tuesday that Canada likely lost the UN seat because of: its slow response to climate change, a shift in aid away from Africa and unwavering support of Israel.

Christopher Sands, an expert on U.S.-Canada relations at the Hudson Institute in Washington, said the campaign was based too much on Canada's past performance and not enough on new ideas for the future.

"What the UN often looks for is a bit more of a positive case -- what it is that you want to be on the Security Council to do moving forward, so perhaps reforming peacekeeping or working really hard on the issue of Darfur, or Afghanistan," he told CTV News Channel.

"That was really lacking from Canada's bid this year. It was much more of a ‘we've earned it,' rather than a ‘here's what we'll do if elected,'" he added.

"I think that was a bit of a weakness."

I don't know why we didn't get the seat, all I know is that Paul Heinbecker is an idiot.

More humiliation for us internationally.

Pff. Because every nation respects the authority of the UN out there. Oh wait, the UN has barely any International respect.

But they're better than our fellow League of Fail~