Article brands Canada "Terrorist Haven."

Iceberg · Post by **Iceberg** » 2004-02-16 09:11pm

U.S. again brands Canada terrorist haven
Canadian Press

Ottawa — Canada has been branded a "favoured destination for terrorists and international criminals" by the research arm of the U.S. Congress.

Generous constitutional freedoms, weak law enforcement and lightly patrolled borders have made the country an inviting place for dangerous extremists to set up shop, says a new report by the Library of Congress in Washington.

"Canada has played a significant role as a base for both transnational criminal activity and terrorist activity," the report says.

The report, titled Nations Hospitable to Organized Crime and Terrorism, was completed in October by the congressional library's federal research division under an arrangement with the Central Intelligence, Crime and Narcotics Center.

The centre, staffed by members of various U.S. intelligence agencies, analyses information about illicit drug trafficking.

The authors drew on government studies, police and intelligence reports, media stories, academic articles and "personal communications with regional experts."

The report notes the recent co-operation between Canadian and U.S. officials in fighting terrorism. It also acknowledges Canadian steps to toughen anti-terrorism and immigration laws, but casts doubt on whether they go far enough, saying Canada's "liberal democratic identity" may limit adoption of sterner measures.

The Canadian government has expended great effort to try to dispel a nagging image of the country — particularly in the eyes of some hawkish Americans — as a terrorist haven.

The congressional library report could undermine that effort since the document is intended for politicians, aides, lawyers, and other movers and shakers on Capitol Hill.

Representatives of the Canadian government and public interest groups quickly took issue with the report.

"While we may have areas that we must continue to work on, every country has areas that it must work on in the fight against terrorism," said Alex Swann, a spokesman for Public Safety Minister Anne McLellan.

"The issues that we have to deal with are pretty common ones globally."

Janet Dench of the Canadian Council for Refugees questioned the quality of the report's research, calling it one-sided and "laughably amateurish."

She said its themes are "chilling" and "virtually totalitarian" given the study's association of broad civil liberties with the cultivation of terrorism.

Numerous other countries, including leading industrialized nations like Britain, France and Germany, are also critiqued in the 234-page report, along with the likes of Algeria, Indonesia and Russia.

But only a handful of jurisdictions in the Western Hemisphere — Canada, Colombia, Mexico and the notorious tri-border region of Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay — are the focus of attention.

The report highlights the case of Ahmed Ressam, the Algerian-born Montrealer caught trying to slip across the border in 1999 to bomb Los Angeles International Airport. While planning the attack, Mr. Ressam supplemented his welfare payments by stealing cash and credit cards.

LobsterZoidberg · Post by **LobsterZoidberg** » 2004-02-16 09:22pm

Well, there's been a lot of weirdness with Canada in recent years- I remember the current ambassador said some extremely wierd stuff in the run-up to the Iraq war- insinuating that there would be repercusions for not joining up and such- IIRC I think there may have been talk of kicking him out of the country he was so bad.

Howedar · Post by **Howedar** » 2004-02-16 09:27pm

^infinity

What a steaming pile of Congress.

Gil Hamilton · Post by **Gil Hamilton** » 2004-02-16 09:31pm

I think it's time for Operation Get Behind Darkie, myself.

Hamel · Post by **Hamel** » 2004-02-16 09:32pm

Is congress just jealous of Canada or something? To say they're reaching is an understatement

Stormbringer · Post by **Stormbringer** » 2004-02-16 09:51pm

I'd really be interested to know the basis for that conclusion.

Montcalm · Post by **Montcalm** » 2004-02-16 10:03pm

Stormbringer wrote:I'd really be interested to know the basis for that conclusion.

Maybe they want to give Baby Bush a reason to invade Canada,the US government is in desperate search of a new enemy.

Stormbringer · Post by **Stormbringer** » 2004-02-16 10:04pm

Montcalm wrote:Maybe they want to give Baby Bush a reason to invade Canada,the US government is in desperate search of a new enemy.

I was asking a serious question you tin foil hatted fucknut.

Illuminatus Primus · Post by **Illuminatus Primus** » 2004-02-16 10:05pm

I want to see the report, if only to tear it to shreds.

Stormbringer · Post by **Stormbringer** » 2004-02-16 10:07pm

Illuminatus Primus wrote:I want to see the report, if only to tear it to shreds.

So would I. If only because the article seems rather sensationalistic compared to the contents of the actual report.

Montcalm · Post by **Montcalm** » 2004-02-16 10:13pm

Stormbringer wrote:
Montcalm wrote:Maybe they want to give Baby Bush a reason to invade Canada,the US government is in desperate search of a new enemy.
I was asking a serious question you tin foil hatted fucknut.

I never worn any tinfoil hat in my entire life,plus it looks like the US government is always pointing Canada when they should look in their own backyards,the airplanes the terrorists use didn`t have AIR CANADA written on them.

Illuminatus Primus · Post by **Illuminatus Primus** » 2004-02-16 10:15pm

Montcalm wrote:
Stormbringer wrote:
Montcalm wrote:Maybe they want to give Baby Bush a reason to invade Canada,the US government is in desperate search of a new enemy.
I was asking a serious question you tin foil hatted fucknut.
I never worn any tinfoil hat in my entire life,plus it looks like the US government is always pointing Canada when they should look in their own backyards,the airplanes the terrorists use didn`t have AIR CANADA written on them.

You're a moron. They're suggesting Canada's sieve of an immigration policy lets them hop there, and then its pretty easy to get in to the U.S.

Fucknut.

Hamel · Post by **Hamel** » 2004-02-16 10:23pm

Illuminatus Primus wrote:
Montcalm wrote:
Stormbringer wrote: I was asking a serious question you tin foil hatted fucknut.
I never worn any tinfoil hat in my entire life,plus it looks like the US government is always pointing Canada when they should look in their own backyards,the airplanes the terrorists use didn`t have AIR CANADA written on them.
You're a moron. They're suggesting Canada's sieve of an immigration policy lets them hop there, and then its pretty easy to get in to the U.S.

Fucknut.

So they have the nerve to act like nags over Canada's immigration policies but won't do shit about the southern border

Don't act like such an enraged scottish terrier, aye?

Montcalm · Post by **Montcalm** » 2004-02-16 10:25pm

What about the stories i`ve heard about middle easterners going through the American/Mexican border.

Stormbringer · Post by **Stormbringer** » 2004-02-16 10:30pm

Montcalm wrote:What about the stories i`ve heard about middle easterners going through the American/Mexican border.

You think we aren't concerned about Mexico too? But we can't get them to do a damn thing about their own citizens so they're unlikely to do much about terrorists. We are sure as hell doing things about that border. What the hell do you want? Minefields, razor wire and shoot on sight orders?

That doesn't mean we can't be concerned about Canada. And the fact is the US and Canada has one of the freest borders in the world but if security can't be ensured on both sides that might well change.

Illuminatus Primus · Post by **Illuminatus Primus** » 2004-02-16 10:43pm

Hamel wrote:So they have the nerve to act like nags over Canada's immigration policies but won't do shit about the southern border

Don't act like such an enraged scottish terrier, aye?

You know perfectly damn well I'm no fan of the U.S. immigration policy. My beef with idiot was that he strawmanned the U.S. security concern with "the airplanes the terrorists use didn`t have AIR CANADA written on them" which you know just as well as I do was bullshit.

I'm not going to apologize when people don't do two iota of thinking before opening their mouth and trying to be clever...and failing utterly.

theski · Post by **theski** » 2004-02-16 10:46pm

Here might be an example ....

Terrorists dance through the leaky border of Canada

By Michelle Malkin
Creators Syndicate
You've seen their mugs plastered on TV: Abid Noraiz Ali, 25; Mustafa Khan Owasi, 33; Iftikhar Khozmai Ali, 21; Adil Pervez, 19; and Akbar Jamal, 28.

According to intelligence sources, these five Middle Eastern or South Asian men are illegal aliens who recently snuck into America from Canada. They allegedly are part of a much larger group of invaders wanted by the FBI for for questioning. Law enforcement agencies want the public's help to track them down, but U.S. and Canadian officials are refusing to tell us exactly how and where they might have entered.

Heaven forbid they give us enough specific information to start holding anybody accountable for the continuing infiltration of immigration outlaws into our country.

and.....

So how did the Christmas quintet get in? Here's my invasion scenario:

Paper trail of tears

The journey begins in Pakistan, the operations base for an international smuggling ring that exploits one of Canada' s most notoriously insecure documents - the IMM 1000 immigration form. These forms, the Canadian equivalent of U. S. green cards for legal permanent residents, contain no photos. Just the name and age of the holders. The smugglers buy genuine IMM 1000 forms from Pakistani immigrants in Canada, then illegally peddle them in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Using false identities and bogus passports along with their IMM 1000 documents, the invaders board planes in Pakistan, transit through Dubai, travel through Britain or another European country and touch down at a Canadian airport of entry in Montreal, Vancouver or at Toronto's Pearson International Airport.

Even if they land without documents, the smugglees can simply claim refugee status and be automatically released. Barely a month after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Pearson airport officials allowed 50 Pakistanis and Afghanistanis to invoke the magic "R-word" and walk free. More than a year later, nothing has changed.

Refugee status is a huge problem...

http://www.southjerseynews.com/issues/j ... 10403a.htm

Montcalm · Post by **Montcalm** » 2004-02-16 10:48pm

Stormbringer wrote:
Montcalm wrote:What about the stories i`ve heard about middle easterners going through the American/Mexican border.
You think we aren't concerned about Mexico too? But we can't get them to do a damn thing about their own citizens so they're unlikely to do much about terrorists. We are sure as hell doing things about that border. What the hell do you want? Minefields, razor wire and shoot on sight orders?

That doesn't mean we can't be concerned about Canada. And the fact is the US and Canada has one of the freest borders in the world but if security can't be ensured on both sides that might well change.

You`re right there if we had a better immigration system we could control who comes in Canada,and stop everyone who claim to be refugee,but all the fucking pencil pusher do everything to screw up things even losing thousands of immigrants,where they are now we have no fucking idea.

Stormbringer · Post by **Stormbringer** » 2004-02-16 10:57pm

Montcalm wrote:You`re right there if we had a better immigration system we could control who comes in Canada,and stop everyone who claim to be refugee,but all the fucking pencil pusher do everything to screw up things even losing thousands of immigrants,where they are now we have no fucking idea.

I'm not fan of the pencil pushers north or south of the border. But the simple fact is that despite all the hype there are seriously problems with Canadian border security that need to be addressed if we are to maintain the sort of open (read: porous) borders we have now.

Your strawmen doesn't change that and spouting your crap just makes you look like an idiot.

Nathan F · Post by **Nathan F** » 2004-02-16 11:29pm

I know I'm going to catch some serious flak over this, but here goes:

That report might be justified. Let's look at the facts:

Canada has a large, fairly open border with the US, and even the border crossings aren't exactly the highest protected in the world.

Canada has a huge unpopulated land area without a large military or law enforcement presence. Prime places for criminals to fall back to or to regroup at.

Canada isn't viewed as much of a threat when it comes to terrorist hideouts, therefore, it's the logical choice for a terrorist to base from.

Mind you, I do think that it was crossing the line by Congress, and Canada is a fine country, but, the accusations aren't entirely unfounded.

Solauren · Post by **Solauren** » 2004-02-17 12:14am

I think this is a case of 'they have holes, so let's blow them out of porportion'

Large, unguarded border?
Check. That's also by mutual agreement

Lots of undeveloped and open land?
Check. It's called farm and lumber land.

'lose' Immigration policy
Unfortunately. However, look at the Southern US

I still think it's funny they scream at us, when they have like 12 MILLION illegal immigrants or so

Stormbringer · Post by **Stormbringer** » 2004-02-17 12:41am

I think this is a case of 'they have holes, so let's blow them out of porportion'

The article certainly does.

Large, unguarded border?
Check. That's also by mutual agreement

Would you rather we have a shoot on sight policy and close the border totally?

Lots of undeveloped and open land?
Check. It's called farm and lumber land.

'lose' Immigration policy
Unfortunately. However, look at the Southern US

So that means problems should be ignored? Yeah, it could be better and people are trying to make it tighter. But that much desert and that many fence jumping Mexican and it's a tough problem. And the Canadian border is still subject to less scrutiny than our southern border.

I still think it's funny they scream at us, when they have like 12 MILLION illegal immigrants or so.

And were the liberals not fucking idiots and scream racism any time something was done about something more might be done about it.

Howedar · Post by **Howedar** » 2004-02-17 12:43am

Nobody is willing to do anything about it, Stormbringer. Don't try to make it a partisan issue unless you're willing to tell me what the GOP White House and GOP Congress have done recently.

Oh yeah, they're getting in bed with Fox

Stormbringer · Post by **Stormbringer** » 2004-02-17 12:49am

Howedar wrote:Nobody is willing to do anything about it, Stormbringer. Don't try to make it a partisan issue unless you're willing to tell me what the GOP White House and GOP Congress have done recently.

Oh yeah, they're getting in bed with Fox

Actually, I think their policy is pretty lousy too and unfortunately too full of compromise with oft mentioned idiots. That doesn't mean we ought to sweep potential problems under the rug.

Howedar · Post by **Howedar** » 2004-02-17 01:10am

I totally agree. But my point is that it is a bipartisan problem.

Oh, just a little clarification: I was talking about Vicinte Fox, not the TV channel.