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Canadians unfamiliar with homegrown terror
Amid unconfirmed reports that the 17 men and boys arrested in Toronto over the weekend aimed to bomb the Parliament Buildings in Ottawa and office towers in downtown Toronto, Canadians are still breathing a sigh of relief that the Mounties along with other police and intelligence agents appear to have got their men. But there are still fears about what threats may remain undiscovered. Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day, responsible for the Canadian Intelligence and Security Service and Royal Canadian Mounted Police, said there could be more arrests coming as the investigation continues.Meanwhile, Canadians are wrestling with the shock of finding an alleged terror plot on their own soil, and debating what it may mean for Canada's role in the war on terror. Michael Wilson, the Canadian ambassador to the U.S., was quick to assert that Canada is on top of its domestic security threats, and to dispute New York Senator Peter King's suggestion that there is "a disportionate number of Al-Qaeda in Canada because of their very liberal immigration laws." In fact, since most of the young men arrested were born or grew up in Canada, this appears to be a homegrown threat. Which leaves another question that Canadians are not accustomed to: why would their fellow citizens be willing to resort to acts of terror in their own country? Prime Minister Stephen Harper, echoing President Bush's past statements, said Canadians are targets "because of who we are and how we live, our society, our diversity and our values values such as freedom, democracy and the rule of law." Though Canada has not participated in the war in Iraq, some have linked the terror plot to the country's continuing military presence in Afghanistan, which has been the subject of recent heated debate. In May Parliament approved extending the Afghanistan mission by the narrowest of margins. Posted by: Dan Darling 2006-06-06 |
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