Hugh Mackenzie
Huntsville Doppler
I wish I didn’t have to write this one…but I do. I had another commentary planned for this week but I scrapped it. I just couldn’t get past Paris.
Actually, in the past few weeks we have had three bold-faced terrorist attacks by ISIS; the downed Russian airplane in the Sinai Desert, the bombings in Beirut (which were almost ignored by western media) and the catastrophic events in France. Hundreds were killed in each of these well planned attacks. Furthermore, ISIS has gone out of its way to say this is only the beginning.
I have to wonder how much longer we can ignore what is happening in this changing world and believe we should do little or nothing about it, but wring our hands and say “We are with you”, when in fact we are doing next to nothing.
Now before we get too far, let me be clear about a few things. This is not a rant about Prime Minister Trudeau. He is just on the job and the world has changed since he took office. Nor is this an attempt to disparage Canada’s plans to bring as many refugees here as possible from the war torn Middle East. Many of these people are in dire straits and we need to do our full share in accommodating them. Further, I am not suggesting we should live in fear or go off half cocked. That would be the worst thing we could do.
But things have changed. We need to listen to what we are hearing.
French officials are reporting that at least two of the Paris bombers came to Europe as refugees. One was found with a Syrian Passport. There is no doubt that in countries terrorized by ISIS, radicalized citizens are involved. However, there is also no doubt that they are recruited, trained and armed by ISIS and radicals are also being infiltrated into western countries through the refugee process. The Prime Minister of Britain has recently said that two out of every 100 refugee migrants are actually ISIS fighters and a recent European poll has indicated that 13 per cent of refugees support ISIS.
This does not mean that Canada or any other country should give up on legitimate refugees. It does mean that there should be full recognition that the refugee crisis is a huge opportunity for radical Islam groups such as ISIS to plant their people where they want them and where they can do the most damage. And so, we should balance our empathy with caution and take the time to make sure the migrants we bring to Canada are genuine refugees who want to make our country better, not destroy it. It is also an opportunity to examine whether this is the right time to dilute Bill C-51, a bill supported by the Liberals when they were in opposition, when it provides increased intelligence and security measures for Canada.
The events of the last few weeks should also make Canada rethink whether now is the moment to withdraw CF-18 War Planes from the allied coalition. The President of France has said that ISIS has declared war on his country, but the reality is that it has declared war on the entire Western World. The greatest declared enemy of ISIS is the United States. There should be no doubt that they are on a very short list for attack. Indeed, most countries around the world, including Canada, have no idea if or when they will be the next target. This is not to live in fear but rather to address it. Even former Liberal Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson, a Nobel Peace Prize winner and renowned international peacemaker, has said that in order to achieve peace, sometimes it is necessary to fight for it.
The first step in achieving peace is to stop the war in Syria and bring ISIS there and elsewhere in the Middle East to their knees. It has been going on for too long and become a breeding ground for international terrorism. Canada has an ability to play only a small military role in ending the war in Syria but it is an important symbolic one. We continue to have one of the best reputations and economic record in the world. People look up to us. Ending the war in Syria has to happen and Canada needs to be there when it does. If we do not support our allies with meaningful measures, when the chips are down, then we will lose much of our influence on the world stage. This could have a devastating effect for Canada.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is between a rock and a hard place. He made certain promises during the recent election campaign related to our role in the Middle East and our domestic security. He may have even been right at the time. It doesn’t matter now. What does matter is what happens next. Trudeau could not have expected to face a defining moment in his leadership just weeks into his term. But here it is and what the Prime Minister will decide will define him and also define Canada.
An interesting point re Putin’s considering Canada’s resolve in the Arctic in light of Trudeau’s apparent lack of backbone. What will our allies think? I cringe at the conversations that may be taking place re Canada in the capitals of Nato countries and elsewhere in the world.
Trudeau’s decision to withdraw from an active combat role in Iraq will have negative consequences for his reputation as a reliable partner on security.
• Allies, and more importantly opponents, will see Canada as weak and unreliable
• Our military trainers will be less credible with the Peshmerga forces
• We will weaken our ability to protect our own trainers
• Our overall military will become less motivated and less confident
• If Putin had any reservations about his designs on the arctic, he will have less now
Listening to “Cross Country Check up” on Sunday I found it interesting how the opinions on Syrian Refugees had changed from before the Federal Election. Even recent immigrants were calling in saying Canada has to be careful and thorough with its security checks. Harper was always in a no win situation with voters but he did the right thing with respect to Canada’s security. He knew that “fast tracking” refugees would make voters happy but far too risky… …and trying to explain this to Canadian voters would not go over well. It would be seen as cold hearted and pointing his finger at the refugees as the source of the problem. Immigration has always been a “money maker” for Canada. We welcome more immigrants per capita than any other country. I applaud Mr. Harper for not being short sighted and yielding to public pressure.
The sadistic atrocities ISIL has committed (public beheadings and burning and drowning people in cages) have matched or exceeded anything that has gone before them. Clearly there is no chance of any negotiated settlement with an out that their leaders could agree to. The only option is to defeat them and try to place their leaders before the international criminal court.
In the 28 days since the Canadian federal election, ISIL killed 398 innocent civilians in the Egypt-based attack on a Russian airliner, the bombing in Beirut, and the attacks in Paris. These attacks show the reach that ISIL has achieved, but they will also serve to precipitate a final push for their defeat.
This dramatic change of circumstances provides more than enough justification for our new government to reconsider their pre-election stance on two issues. There could not be a worse time for Canada to damage our reputation by abandoning our allies in combat. We must stay the course with our military contribution. Small as it is, something is much better than nothing. We must also put as much emphasis on the security aspect of settling refugees as we do the urgency side. Canadians will never forgive even an inexperienced government for serious errors in judgement.
I feel that I must follow up my previous comments with a challenge to any readers of this blog who may wish to tut tut at my attitude and call me ignorant for expressing such unCanadian views.
Take the time to read the article on page 10 of the Monday November 16
National Post. It is available on line.
This article should be required reading for al
Canadians who hope Canada will remain a place of peace into the future.
The only thing saving us from the expansing chaos and infection we see in Europe today is the natural barrier of the Atlantic. If it were not for that fortunate situation we would be overrun as well.
The idea that we should quickly import large numbers of migrants is very dangerous. Small numbers of actual refugees, yes. Emphasis on actual and small numbers. We will ignore this at our peril.
Jim Boyes
Is ‘Trudeau ready yet?’ Hopefully this trip will educate our Prime Minister.
Hugh,
I disagree entirely that he world has changed since Trudeau took office.
Terrorism certainly was front of mind in Europe during the period of our recent federal election campaign. I know this because I was there. France was on a high security alert during the past six months. The world certainly hasn’t changed, the media and the public here had simply forgotten what threats actually continued to lurk as their attention wandered.
Attempting to give Trudeau or others a pass on their soft attitudes simply adds to the problem. Trudeau’s promises to withdraw our CF18 activities against ISIS were and naive and wrong just pandering to the pacifist Qubec
and NDP voter. Too bad that more Canadians didn’t agree with me that it was a shameful display.
To say that Trudeau may have been correct “at the time” (he made these promises during the campaign) is just simply incorrect.
Canada needs to stand shoulder to shoulder with our allies and do our full part in destroying ISIS. The days when we can be satisfied with a stance as a peacekeeper are long past (if they ever existed). We have been warriers in past crisis and must be again. I hope Trudeau has the wisdom to admit his mistake during the campaign and declare that Canada will agressively support France in it’s time of need and attack ISIS with determination.
The world has changed right enough. It is an increasingly dangerous place and we must never take our eye off the ball or cut the enemy any slack. Like it or not we are at war.
Thank God that the defining moment wasn’t an attack in Toronto as it could well have been. Would we want our attacks on ISIS to be ended then?
It is a question that aught to define us all.
Jim Boyes