Canada's Terrorism Wars, the Harper Way

Whispering in the Wind (WITW 67) March 4, 2015

Prime Minister Harper’s anti-terrorism legislation (Bill C-51) has dominated the headlines for the past month with a good portion of the general public accepting the prime minister’s dangerous rhetoric and somewhat vague, misleading intentions.  Given present circumstances, the war against terrorism as practiced by ISIS movement in Iraq, Syria, Nigeria and Libya, is well justified by any stretch of the imagination.  However waging a war in Canada against “terrorism” needs and requires a much clearer understanding of what is considered terrorism, what is insurrection and what is legitimate dissent under the constitution.  Further, consensus is necessary between politicians and the general public as to the meaning of home grown terrorism and radicalization – as Justin Trudeau put it months ago, Canadians need to understand the “root causes” of terrorism amongst young people, if Canada is to battle the scourge of home grown terrorism, a scourge that has already blanketed a good number of other, less developed nations in the Middle East and Africa. 

Canada’s Terrorism Wars, the Harper Way

October 6, 2014, Prime Minister Harper’s “majority” government decides to join a consortium of nations lead by the United States and conduct air strikes against the extremist ISIS movement in Iraq.  Soon after the Canadian mission began, ISIS operatives target Canada as an enemy and ripe for retaliation.  The Harper government is committed to review the mission against ISIS in April, 2015.  October 20 and 22, 2014, two uniformed Canadian soldiers are killed by extremists in Quebec and Ottawa – the two culprits are also killed and later identified as loners with apparent ties to Islamic extremism.  January 30, 2015, Mr. Harper’s government tables Bill C-51 in the House of Commons.  The Bill is supported by Prime Minister Harper’s Conservatives and by Justin Trudeau’s Liberals (with important, serious reservations).  Leader of the Opposition, Thomas Mulcair calls the bill “reckless”.  Bill C-51 is currently at the committee stage for review and to hear from expert witnesses.  The most damaging criticism of Bill C-51comes from a group of experienced experts in political leadership and legal insight - the open letter criticizing C-51 was signed by; four former prime ministers (Jean Chretien, Paul Martin, Joe Clark. John Turner), five former Supreme Court Justices, seven former Liberal solicitors general and ministers of justice, three past members of the intelligence review committee, two former privacy commissioners, and a retired RCMP watchdog.  The letter, in part reads:  “Protecting human rights and protecting public safety are complementary objectives, but experience has shown that serious human rights abuses can occur in the name of maintaining national security.”  The letter goes on to say that Bill C-51 as it currently reads, will have “…a profoundly negative impact on Canada’s reputation as a rights-respecting nation.”  It’s time for Prime Minister Harper to recognize that he is head of a parliamentary democracy and not the head of a “majority” government that seems to have only one purpose – staying in power.