With regard to your statement about Canada:
The Canadians aren't subject to terrorist attacks, why should we be?
Canada has been subject to terrorist attacks in the past and Canada's national security agency doesn't see it quite the way you do:
nationalpost.com
Terrorism is our top concern: CSIS
Report to Parliament: Solicitor-General warns Commons against complacency
Stewart Bell
National Post
Friday, June 06, 2003
Weapons of mass destruction and radical Islamic terrorism are Canada's most pressing national security concerns, Wayne Easter, the Solicitor-General, told the House of Commons yesterday.
"The possibility that chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear weapons could be acquired and used by terrorist groups must be taken seriously," Mr. Easter said.
"We cannot be complacent and simply believe that it could not happen."
Mr. Easter's comments, made as he tabled the Canadian Security Intelligence Service's annual report to Parliament, came just weeks after the Liberal government refused to support the war to stop the Iraqi weapons program.
The link between the terrorist-sponsoring regime of Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network of Islamic holy warriors was one of the principle justifications cited by Washington and London for the invasion of Iraq.
But mention of Iraqi weapons was noticeably absent from both Mr. Easter's address and the CSIS report.
Instead, the report cited evidence collected in Afghanistan showing bin Laden's weapons program was far more advanced than previously thought and was focused in particular on biological agents such as anthrax.
"A serious and related issue is the possibility that state sponsors of terrorism could facilitate the acquisition of material for weapons of mass destruction or directly provide such weapons to terrorist groups," the report said.
Parliament passed anti-terrorism legislation in December, 2001, but no charges have yet been laid under the new act, although 26 groups ranging from al-Qaeda to Hezbollah have been banned.
Two weeks ago, Adel Charkaoui, a suspected al-Qaeda sleeper agent, was arrested in Montreal. The Federal Court of Canada ruled last week that Mahmoud Jaballah, an Egyptian living in Toronto, was a member of the pro-bin Laden terrorist group Al Jihad.
Air Canada was forced to call off plans for a direct flight between Montreal and Lebanon this week after CSIS said the Islamic terrorist group Hezbollah has free reign of Beirut airport and could easily mount a hijacking operation.
Canada's war on terrorism "has not gone unnoticed" by terrorists, CSIS said, adding that in an audio tape broadcast last November, bin Laden included Canada on a list of nations that should be punished.
"We must acknowledge that Canada is threatened by terrorism," said Mr. Easter, the Minister in charge of both CSIS and the RCMP. "Simply wishing otherwise won't make the threat go away."
Islamic extremism is the main focus of CSIS terror investigations. The threat posed by radical Muslims devoted to waging jihad against the West was evident last year in Bali, where an Islamic sect killed 200 in a bomb attack, the report said. Two Canadians were among the dead.
But the agency said it is also monitoring other threats, notably state-sponsors of terror, such as Iran, violent successionists from Turkey and Sri Lanka, and domestic extremists, including white supremacists and radical elements of the animal-rights and anti-globalization movements.
Another concern is the spillover from the Middle East conflict. Should peace between Israel and Palestinians remain elusive, Arab terrorist groups could well expand their campaign into other regions, it said.
The National Post reported yesterday that, according to a new RCMP intelligence report, the Tamil Tigers terrorist group had become active in the lucrative Canadian migrant smuggling business.
During Question Period yesterday, Kevin Sorenson, the Canadian Alliance MP for Crowfoot, Alta., pressed the government to add the Tamil Tigers to the official list of outlawed terrorist groups.
"Perhaps the problem is this is the same group that the former finance minister helped support with his attendance at one of their fundraisers," he said, a reference to Paul Martin, who was once guest of honour at an event hosted by a Tamil Tigers front.
sbell@nationalpost.com
On this topic the official opposition party sees things much the same way as the government except they think the govt is being too slack-assed about it. |
