Replies

I stand corrected. Thanks recce guy. I didn't take the time to check that out. I was just remembering that being reported in the months following 9/11. You're right. That was later shown to be not accurate. But I double-checked about Mokhtar Haouari, who tried crossing into the US from Canada with 130 lbs of explosives with the intent on detonating them at LAX and that checks out. http://archives.cnn.com/2001/LAW/07/05/millennium.plot.trial/

The point was not to blame Canada, but simply point out that at least in one case that we know of (I mistakenly thought two) terrorists have attempted to attack the US via Canada.

I lived there for four years. I was actually living there during 9/11. Canadians were wonderful in their show of true sympathy and support during those days. But very soon afterward (within days) several newspaper editorials began with the "US made their bed" garbage. Radio personalities followed suit. And soon I noticed an air of a general feeling of "it's not our problem, we don't need to worry about being attacked." I guess its hard to blame them. Afterall, they haven't been attacked. We have and how many of us really believe that it will happen again?

I found the following on the Canadian Security Intelligence Service website: http://www.csis-scrs.gc.ca/en/priorities/terrorism.asp

"Terrorism
Many Canadians may be surprised to learn that, with the exception of the United States, there are more terrorist groups active in Canada today than in any other country in the world. Their presence can be attributed to Canada’s proximity to the United States, one of the world’s pre-eminent terrorist targets, but also to the fact that Canada is an attractive place to live and do business because of its openness, and its respect for human rights and freedoms. With so many terrorist groups in Canada, people might wonder why the media are not reporting the occurrence of serious violence in Canada on a regular basis. While some Canadians have been victims of large-scale terrorist attacks—most notably in the 1985 bombing of an Air India flight from Toronto and the 2001 destruction of New York’s twin towers—Canada, as a country, has not often been targeted specifically for attack. For this reason, many people have come to equate terrorism with the violence and tragic events that occur in foreign countries.

The most visible aspect of terrorist activity is physical violence; however, the absence of violence here at home does not mean the absence of terrorist activity. Most activities in Canada support actions elsewhere linked to homeland conflicts, and are relatively subtle in nature. These activities include:

providing a convenient base for terrorist supporters and operatives;
fundraising;
lobbying through front organizations;
propagating hate and ideologies that incite and perpetuate violence;
recruiting fighters for wars and conflicts abroad;
procuring weapons and materiel;
coercing and manipulating immigrant communities;
facilitating transit to and from the United States and other countries; and
other illegal activities "

I probably was guilty of Canada-bashing in my initial post. That's not helpful. I do have my doubts (more so after witnessing the aftermath of Katrina) that the US govt and Canadian govt are really adequately prepared (in a coordinated way)to thwart an attack of the Superbowl. I hope I'm wrong but I see this as a unique challenge that hasn't yet been faced.