Posted on 08/31/2005 4:25:58 PM PDT by F14 Pilot
OTTAWA -- Contrary to claims by U.S. politicians and media commentators, Americans don't regard Canada as a safe haven for terrorists, a new federal study suggests.
Some Canadians, however, erroneously believe that the 9/11, 2001 terrorists entered the United States through Canada.
"While there was very limited awareness of what Canada has been doing on the national security front, participants did not share the same views as some American media . . . that Canada is a 'safe haven for terrorists,' " says a report based partly on focus groups in Washington, D.C.
"In fact, for the most part, views of Canada lean positive, although there is appreciation of some of the irritants, e.g., military, missile defence."
The findings are contained in a $103,000 report by the polling firm Ekos Research Associates for Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada.
Ekos conducted two focus groups in the American capital earlier this year with what it called "informed" U.S. citizens of higher-than-average socio-economic status. One group consisted of Democrats, the other of Republicans.
Although the findings cannot be considered conclusive, "they provide a good initial overview of some of the attitudes that exist about Canada in the area of national security," Ekos said in its March 2005 report, obtained by The Canadian Press.
The Americans were generally satisfied that Canada takes security seriously, although some said immigration is too lax and there isn't enough support for the military.
The groups were also asked about the origin of any terrorists operating in the United States. Most said such terrorists would likely be home-grown or would enter from Mexico. No one cited entry from Canada as the greatest threat.
That attitude stands in sharp contrast with promoters of the U.S. Minuteman Project, which is trying to find volunteers to help patrol the Canada-U.S. border
(Excerpt) Read more at canada.com ...
Clearly, these are the same americans who were supposed to move up there if Bush won.
But terrorist are welcome to the point of having provinces approve of sharia law.
Canadian Intelligence (CSIS) Director Jim Judd testified recently before the Senate committee reviewing Canada's anti-terrorism legislation, he noted there were now suspected terrorists in Canada that "have had no discernible previous link of any kind with the terrorist networks." Canadian intelligence experts believe that converts to Islam in the country are becoming a major source of Al-Qaeda combatants and pose a risk to security.
An intelligence report from Canada's spy service, released to a daily said "there is a direct threat to Canada and Canadian interests from Al-Qaeda and related groups," and that those groups are attempting to expand their support in Canada. "Converts are highly prized by terrorist groups for their familiarity with the West and relative ease at moving through Western society," the recently declassified Canadian Security Intelligence Service report said.
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