While we play a waiting game with terrorists and in light of the recent attacks on England and Egypt, it makes me wonder if we are slated to be the next victims.
For a time, Canadians believed that a terrorist attack was something that happened to other countries and other people, but since we too are supporting the United States endeavours in the Middle East, this is a question that has troubled me since the first bombing of London’s subway system on July 7. Also, since Canada’s borders are quite lax in the ousting of ‘unfriendlies’ this too has made me wonder. I had heard recently from one of our national news broadcast services that there are at least 300 ‘possible’ terrorists in and about our nation which the government has NO idea where they are located. How scary is that?
With that being said, hopefully CSIS (Canadian Security Intelligence Service) is on top of most of what’s going on here and around Canada and as early as 1999 they had plans in place for sorts of terrorism. In light of the recent London bombings, the government has made even more changes to the border crossings (Canada shares the longest undefended border in the world with the US) and changes in budget to mirror these changes elsewhere in other departments.
But I guess my question to our Canadian government and maybe even our neighbours to the south is, why are we as a nation more reactive instead of proactive? Without living in terror on a daily basis, is there more that can be done in order to aid our personal security as well as our national security? And what about Canada, will we be the next victims?
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Article comments
1 - mjh
Although Canada is certainly not off the list and the more offensive role that it has decided to play in Afghanistan has probably increased the risk, I think that this is the wrong question. The more active role that Canada can take is to be very active in supporting the aspirations of the Palestinians, to remain firm in not involving itself in Iraq, and to maintain a strong national broadcasting network that presents citizens with a balanced viewpoint on international conflicts as they arise. Finally, it is essential that Canada remains a tolerant society. The election of Harper's Conservatives, and the intolerance that they represent, are the greatest threat to the security of the Canadians.
2 - Mark Edward Manning
It will certainly teach a lesson to those who claim that England got attacked soley because of Iraq. France, too, is on a high state of alert. Security is Paris is routinely on maximum level (my French tutor confirmed that to me) - and the French opposed the Iraq War too.
Canada took part in Afghanistan, of course (that must be what you're thinking of when you say Canada has joined the U.S. in Middle East endeavors). But, again, I ask who decried Afghanistan at the time it happened? Plenty did, but only now has it become very convenient to refer to the fact that Bush and Blair took their nations into two wars.