Sore Losers

The Canadian company, TransCanada, sued the United States for $15billion in damages Wednesday under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) for denial of a permit to build the Keystone XL pipeline, saying the Current Occupant's rejection of the pipeline was "unconstitutional". It also seeks an injunction in a separate action to prevent a future president from blocking construction. Obama rejected the tar sands pipeline in November after years of heavy pressure from the environmental community that said the pipeline was a disaster waiting to happen. In its NAFTA claim TransCanada said it "had every reason to expect its application would be granted". The suit spotlights the liability hazard for domestic policy decisions affected by so-called international "free trade agreements" which the administration supports. President Obama concluded in November the pipeline would not make a meaningful contribution to the long-term US economy. The Canadian government said it had no role in the dispute.