Welll, the news of the last few days just leaves me with more questions than you can imagine!
I've heard so much earnest talk from our Canadian friends about how the US approach to aggressively confronting terrorism would only stir up trouble for us, and how Canada's more sensitive, enlightened approach would be more productive and help avoid the ire of the radical Islamists. There'd be no involvement in Iraq for them--no siree! And Afghanistan--okay, but only as part of the ISAF force so as not to be seen as being cowboys. Then we read that these same misunderstood, victimized Muslims were planning to attack in Canada of all places--the enlightened Switzerland of our continent! How can this be?
Well, the mystery was only compounded when I learned about the circumstances surrounding the arrest of some of these people--rounded up they were--and of the 17, five were just children!! Minors!! These poor kids are now being held in God-knows what type of hell (has anyone seen the pictures yet? I'm sure there are snarling poodles being used to interrogate the little tykes.) I'll be writing a letter to the UN tonight demanding that the Red Cross and Red Crescent be allowed to see them immediately and to ascertain that they are not being mistreated (has anyone seen a Red Cross report?? Nope, I thought not! What do you make of that! How do you say "Abu Gharaib" in French?) )
What about their right to counsel! Apparently, the Canadians are not respecting the most basic laws of international due process, the right of the accused to have unfettered access to legal assistance.
" Lawyer Donald McLeod said he and his colleagues have only been able to speak to their clients through Plexiglas and want private visits with them.
The defence lawyers also alleged that clients' rights were being violated because a guard in full riot gear was always present when a lawyer held a privileged conversation with a client."
http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2006/06/06/suspects-hearing.html
So, the jack-booted representative of the State's oppressive power is there, listening, no-doubt taking notes as these men discuss their fate with their lawyers. Oh, that will result in a fair trial!!
Canadian press reports indicate all of those arrested have "Arabic names." Well, that's just a little too convenient, isn't it. Just what is an "Arabic name?" Maybe a little profiling has been used to bring special police attention on these particular Canadian citizens?
Well, I'm sure many of us are full of concern at how fast the enlightened attitude of the Canadians is unraveling--if it ever truly existed in the first place! If the maple leaf of civility has fallen off this quickly after a mere hint of a plot, the mind boggles at what these reactionaries would have done if airliners had plowed into the tallest building in Canada (the McIntosh Marshmallow Factory corn bin in Manitoba)
or slammed into the Canadian Defense Force hedquarters. Or imagine if 3000 of her people had been murdered in a single day.
***************************
Well, not to paint with too broad a brush. The Canadians have a history of independence and grit. They were on the side of freedom in WWI, WWII, and Korea--and they paid a heavy price in all these wars. They pulled an important weight during the Cold War. The US and Canada have far more in common than some in the US (or Canada) want to admit. The Islamic fanatics are doing everyhting they can to demonstrate that no middle ground is possible--they see pluralism and freedom as corrupting, and evil. They are willing to use violence against non-Muslims to achieve their goals. So, unwittingly, they are serving to educate a new generation in the same lesson Chamberlain and the rest of us learned in 1939.
Prime Minister Harper, speaking to military recruits Saturday, said: "Their target, their alleged target, was Canada -- Canada's institutions, Canada's economy, Canada's people.
"We are targeted because of who we are and the way we live," he said. "Because of our society, our diversity and our values."
Yep, that's why they targeted the U.S, too. Not because of our foreign policy--it's because of who we are.
(There--that ought to get things hopping!
)
I've heard so much earnest talk from our Canadian friends about how the US approach to aggressively confronting terrorism would only stir up trouble for us, and how Canada's more sensitive, enlightened approach would be more productive and help avoid the ire of the radical Islamists. There'd be no involvement in Iraq for them--no siree! And Afghanistan--okay, but only as part of the ISAF force so as not to be seen as being cowboys. Then we read that these same misunderstood, victimized Muslims were planning to attack in Canada of all places--the enlightened Switzerland of our continent! How can this be?
Well, the mystery was only compounded when I learned about the circumstances surrounding the arrest of some of these people--rounded up they were--and of the 17, five were just children!! Minors!! These poor kids are now being held in God-knows what type of hell (has anyone seen the pictures yet? I'm sure there are snarling poodles being used to interrogate the little tykes.) I'll be writing a letter to the UN tonight demanding that the Red Cross and Red Crescent be allowed to see them immediately and to ascertain that they are not being mistreated (has anyone seen a Red Cross report?? Nope, I thought not! What do you make of that! How do you say "Abu Gharaib" in French?) )
What about their right to counsel! Apparently, the Canadians are not respecting the most basic laws of international due process, the right of the accused to have unfettered access to legal assistance.
" Lawyer Donald McLeod said he and his colleagues have only been able to speak to their clients through Plexiglas and want private visits with them.
The defence lawyers also alleged that clients' rights were being violated because a guard in full riot gear was always present when a lawyer held a privileged conversation with a client."
http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2006/06/06/suspects-hearing.html
So, the jack-booted representative of the State's oppressive power is there, listening, no-doubt taking notes as these men discuss their fate with their lawyers. Oh, that will result in a fair trial!!
Canadian press reports indicate all of those arrested have "Arabic names." Well, that's just a little too convenient, isn't it. Just what is an "Arabic name?" Maybe a little profiling has been used to bring special police attention on these particular Canadian citizens?
Well, I'm sure many of us are full of concern at how fast the enlightened attitude of the Canadians is unraveling--if it ever truly existed in the first place! If the maple leaf of civility has fallen off this quickly after a mere hint of a plot, the mind boggles at what these reactionaries would have done if airliners had plowed into the tallest building in Canada (the McIntosh Marshmallow Factory corn bin in Manitoba)
or slammed into the Canadian Defense Force hedquarters. Or imagine if 3000 of her people had been murdered in a single day.
***************************
Well, not to paint with too broad a brush. The Canadians have a history of independence and grit. They were on the side of freedom in WWI, WWII, and Korea--and they paid a heavy price in all these wars. They pulled an important weight during the Cold War. The US and Canada have far more in common than some in the US (or Canada) want to admit. The Islamic fanatics are doing everyhting they can to demonstrate that no middle ground is possible--they see pluralism and freedom as corrupting, and evil. They are willing to use violence against non-Muslims to achieve their goals. So, unwittingly, they are serving to educate a new generation in the same lesson Chamberlain and the rest of us learned in 1939.
Prime Minister Harper, speaking to military recruits Saturday, said: "Their target, their alleged target, was Canada -- Canada's institutions, Canada's economy, Canada's people.
"We are targeted because of who we are and the way we live," he said. "Because of our society, our diversity and our values."
Yep, that's why they targeted the U.S, too. Not because of our foreign policy--it's because of who we are.
(There--that ought to get things hopping!
)
