British Envoy Blasts Canadian Military Spending

[Blackleaf]

British Envoy Blasts Canadian Military Spending

By AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, OTTAWA

Britain’s high commissioner to Canada has chided his host country for falling behind its allies in per capita military spending, adding to a chorus of criticisms from the United States.

“It must have been uncomfortable to be saved from last place in defense spending by Luxembourg,” David Reddaway told a luncheon meeting of the Royal Commonwealth Society in Winnipeg on May 18.

This follows a series of pleas by the United States, worried that terrorists might launch attacks on its soil from Canada, for Ottawa to improve its border security and military capabilities.

Such criticisms are not well-received by the majority of Canadians, who do not see themselves as terrorist targets, despite their close ties to the United States.

The Canadian government is seeking to boost its military spending by 13 billion Canadian dollars ($10.3 billion U.S.) in a budget to be voted on the night of May 19, Reddaway acknowledged, but fears persist in the United States.

Britain’s high commissioner also distanced his government from the Chicoutimi submarine tragedy that killed one submariner and injured eight others on its maiden voyage under Canadian stewardship off the coast of Ireland last October.

“If you leave the door open in rough seas, you get some consequences,” Reddaway said in response to audience questions the same day its sister sub set sail off Canada’s west coast for the first time since the tragedy.

The Chicoutimi was one of four British diesel-powered submarines purchased by the Canadian Navy in 2000. It was crippled in open seas by a fire after water rushed in through two hatches that were left open to allow crew to fix an air vent in the vessel’s tower before diving.

All four subs remained docked until this month when a Canadian naval board of inquiry concluded the blaze was an unfortunate accident, dismissing suggestions the British had sold Canada faulty subs.

“All I can say as a non-submariner is, ‘Shut the door,’ ” Reddaway said.

http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?F=861672&C=america

[Shaftsbury]

“It must have been uncomfortable to be saved from last place in defense spending by Luxembourg,” David Reddaway told a luncheon meeting of the Royal Commonwealth Society in Winnipeg on May 18.

First of all nobody told us it was a race!

Secondly I don't find it embarrasing at all to be near last place when it comes to military

spending, but what I do find offensive is when they take the money and buy crap with it.

[Thanato]

Canada is not like the United States and Britian, our economy isnt dirven by War. We are a peaceful nation, we wage peace not war. Though when called apon Canada will do her duty.

Currently Canada has some of the best soldiers in the world, and some of the best equipment. Its just not in the quintity everyone needs.

~Thanato

[AztecInca]

Well that paints a nice picture of the world we live in ,where countries are criticised for not spending enourmous amounts on defence by other nations. Sad, trully sad......

[Celumnaz]

http://www.lifesafety.ca/documents/ls0009.htm

Canada - Tracking The Terrorist Threat

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Brad Johnston

Posted: 16 Apr 2004   

Terrorists have no interest in Canada, right? With the notable exception of the National Post, there has been scant media focus on potential domestic security threats. Ottawa, for its part, has remained highly secretive about what, if anything, may be transpiring on the national security front. The government has regularly, for example, downplayed statements from CSIS and the RCMP of alleged terror activity going on inside Canada.

Canadians, it turns out, may be labouring under a false sense of security. Below, a brief chronology of terror-related stories concerning Canada: 

 

• Vancouver Police Chief Causes Alarm With Terrorism Remarks  (April 2004) Appearing on a local radio program Police Chief Jamie Graham suggested the Vancouver could soon become a target of terrorism. "If I was to tell your listeners what our intelligence is telling us and what I know, I tell you there would be some sleepless nights," he said, "I would ask that you invite me back on your show a month from now and we'll talk about nothing but terrorism. Because once you start down this road, I'd like to be able to give your listeners a lot of detail." The RCMP in British Columbia offered no comment on Graham's remarks.

• Security in Ottawa Suddenly Boosted (April 2004) Security around the Canadian Department of National Defence (DND) has suddenly been boosted. The DND has now barred access to a roadway that runs underneath part of its headquarters with concrete barricades and metal barriers. It's the first time the road has been closed since the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. The department has also increased security at the entrance of all DND buildings around Ottawa and security checks on those wishing to enter the buildings have been tightened. CTV News has also reported that helicopter surveillance over the entire city has been increased. A military spokesman in Ottawa indicated that the new measures are not a response to any specific recent threat, but observers have noted that the upgraded security comes less than one week after chilling comments were discovered on an al-Qaeda website which ranked Canada as fifth on a list of nations that they intend to attack.

• Canada Designated by al-Qaeda to be Top-5 Target  (April 2004) U.S. researchers have issued a frightening warning for Canada. An online Arabic manual for the al-Qaeda terrorist network, called al-Battar Military Camp, now explicitly supports assaults on Canadians. It says Canada is the fifth most important "Christian Terrorist" target, coming after Americans, Britons, Spaniards and Australians. The disturbing guide encourages attacks on businessmen, politicians, scientists, soldiers and tourists. The 'al-Battar' publication first appeared in January 2004 and has produced several issues. It has been described as a How-To manual for islamic terrorists. Bin Laden himself has explicitly threatened Canada on at least two occasions in the past eighteen months. Of the countries that Bin Laden has personally ever singled out, only two have yet to be attacked - Canada, and Jordan. Security experts believe that Bin Laden intends to make good on those threats.

• Ottawa Software Developer Charged with Terrorism (March 2004) An Ottawa man has become the first person charged under Canada's new anti-terrorism laws when police raided a number of sites in and around the capital. Mohammad Momin Khawaja, 29, is accused under the Anti-Terrorism Act of participating in the activity of a terrorist group and facilitating a terrorist activity. According to an RCMP news release some of the activity may have taken place in London, England. Observers have speculated that Khawaja's arrest may be linked to the recently foiled UK plot to detonate an osmium tetroxide and ammonium nitrate bomb inside a building in that country.

• Auditor-General Slams Government's Security Failures  (March 2004) In her report, Sheila Fraser questioned the efficiency of Canada's intelligence-sharing apparatus, and revealed that this country's airports aren't secure and its passport controls are dangerously weak. "The government as a whole failed to adequately assess intelligence lessons learned from critical incidents such as Sept. 11 and systematically follow up on needed improvements," Fraser wrote.

• Canada Announces New Terror Funds for Seaport Security (March 2004) Bolstering security at marine ports will be among the priorities for $605 million in new cash for Canada's defences against terrorism. A more focused approach to analysing threats and additional efforts to shore up border security are also among the initiatives outlined in the recent federal budget. The $605 million, to be spread over five years, will go to marine and cyber security, intelligence, border protection, and better coordination of systems, threat assessments and emergency response. The Canadian government has reportedly spent approximately $8 billion on upgraded security since the 9/11 attacks.

• Canadian Family Proud of Their Terrorist Links  (March 2004) A Canadian family that has long denied ties to al-Qaeda now admits that they are not only terrorists, but believe it's noble for them to die for the cause. Abdurahman Khadr admitted to CBC-TV's The National this month that some of his brothers and his father fought as al-Qaeda terrorists and that they even stayed with Osama bin Laden. And his mother and sister, interviewed in Pakistan, said they were proud of their family's connection to the terrorists behind the September 2001 attacks. The patriarch, 57-year-old Ahmed Said Khadr, who was born in Egypt but became a Canadian citizen, was killed fighting Pakistani forces in October. One of his sons, 14-year-old Karim, was wounded in the battle and is in a military hospital in Rawalpindi, paralysed from the waist down. Another son, Omar, was captured by U.S. forces after an attack in Afghanistan and is being held at the American jail in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Abdurahman Khadr, who was released from the U.S. jail and eventually returned to Toronto last year, says he wants to be a peaceful Muslim. The rest of the family is expected to return to Canada to seek tax-payer funded medical care for Karim.

• Canada Still Home to Many of the Worst Terror Groups (March 2004) The world's "most notorious" terrorist groups continue to operate in Canada, says a classified intelligence report written 2 years after the Candian Parliament gave police new powers and funding to dismantle the country's deadly terror networks, reports the National Post. In a 22-page assessment of the security threats facing the nation, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) said international terrorists are still using the country as a base for waging worldwide political and religious violence. "Terrorism of foreign origin continues to be a major concern in regard to the safety of Canadians at home and abroad," says the Oct. 10, 2003, report, titled "Threats to Canada's National Security." "Canada is viewed by some terrorist groups as a place to try to seek refuge, raise funds, procure materials and/or conduct other support activities. ... Virtually all of the most notorious international terrorist organizations are known to maintain a network presence in Canada.".

• Suicide Bombers Coming to North America  (March 2004) A document reportedly discovered during a recent Israeli army raid on some West Bank financial institutions found payrolls being set up for terrorists trained to commit suicide attacks, not just in Israel but in Europe and North America. Israel has reportedly shared the information with the intelligence agencies of friendly countries. The operation is part of the "global war" on terrorism and terrorist financing, an Israeli army statement said. Although suicide bomb attacks are common in Israel, they have been rare in Europe and unheard of in North America to date.

• Canadian Flights Have Been Threatened (February 2004) Robert Wright, national security advisor to Prime Minister Martin, told the National Security and Defence Committee Monday that there have been specific warnings about some Canadian civil airliners. He said the threats have been dealt with by police, but urged the senators to approve new legislation that will give police advance information about passengers on domestic flights and international flights to non-U.S. destinations. Information on passengers flying to the U.S. is already provided to American authorities. Few details about the most recent threats were released, although some committee members acknowledged that there have been planes that have been diverted as recently as within the past 60 days.

• Anthrax Scare Closes Local Post Office  (February 2004) Toronto Police, firefighters, the hazmat team and ambulances all responded to a postal outlet at Dufferin and Lawrence during morning rush hour this month after workers at the facility complained a suspicious package was leaking. They were evacuated and examined by paramedics before being given the all clear. Officials on the scene said it was the markings on the package that initially sparked suspicion. It contained warnings saying 'For personal use. Not Anthrax.' Protein tests run on the item have proven negative, but experts have sent the package away to a provincial lab for testing. There was no word on who the package had been addressed to.

• Ottawa Targeted in Plot Linked to al-Qaeda (February 2004) According to a U.S. Library of Congress report completed in July of 2003, South American-based terrorists linked to the Al-Qaeda group allegedly plotted an attack on Jewish targets in Ottawa in 1999 to undermine Middle East peace talks. The plan to launch assaults on various unnamed landmarks in the Canadian capital, as well as in cities in Argentina and Paraguay, was thwarted by police and intelligence authorities. Few details about the plot have been released, but the roundup of suspects apparently took place just a week after the arrest in Washington state of Ahmed Ressam who had planned to blow up much of Los Angeles International Airport.

• Secret Canadian Report Warns of Terrorist Plots  (November 2003) Canadian police and security officials have been quietly warned that al-Qaeda terrorists might try to contaminate food or water with deadly toxins. A secret intelligence report distributed to key federal authorities by the Privy Council Office expresses concern that al-Qaeda extremists could use lethal substances such as ricin and botulinum in a terrorist campaign. A declassified version of the document was obtained by The Canadian Press under the Access to Information Act. Toxins, some more powerful than the strongest nerve agents, can be made from a variety of readily available plants, fungus, bacteria or animals, the report says. "They have considerable potential as terrorist weapons for isolated incidents causing small-scale casualties along with public panic and disruption." The February 2003 report, Ricin and Botulinum: Terrorist Use of Toxins, was compiled by the PCO's intelligence assessment secretariat, a division bolstered following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States by Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network. The study was prompted by the discovery last January of ricin, a plant toxin made from castor beans, in a London apartment, as well as the retrieval last year of al-Qaida training manuals on the production and use of toxins. The report by PCO, the prime minister's top advisory body, was distributed to senior security officials at federal organizations including the RCMP, CSIS, Health, Defence, Immigration, Foreign Affairs and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. Several portions of the document, notably a section entitled Implications for Canada, were withheld under provisions of the access law pertaining to international affairs and security.

• El Al Flight Diverted From Toronto After Missile Threat (October 2003) A missile threat led to the diversion of an El Al flight from Toronto's Pearson airport to nearby Hamilton this month. The flight, with 180 passengers aboard, let Toronto-bound passengers off in Hamilton before continuing to Los Angeles. The return flight to Israel also landed at Hamilton instead of Toronto. the plane was diverted again because El Al believed the threat against the plane continued. The Canadian government would not give details about that threat, but an Israeli source told Canadian Press that it involved a surface-to-air missile. The RCMP, CSIS, Transport Canada and Peel regional police are investigating the threat.

• Canada Not Immune From Airline Terror Says Government (September 2003) The Canadian government shares U.S. fears about the chance of air hijackings in Canada, says Deputy Prime Minister John Manley. Manley told the media he's been in touch with Tom Ridge, the U.S. Homeland Security chief, about American fears that terrorists could try again to use planes "as bombs." Manley said Canadians shouldn't think they're exempt from such dangers. "We know from experience that sometimes the targets are Canadian so if there's something at risk, we're not immune from it," he said. "It could well be a Canadian target. The impact of an aircraft being used in that manner would be very significant." American authorities issued a new security advisory recently. Among the possibilities raised in the bulletin was the hijacking of planes that fly over or near the United States but aren't scheduled to land there. That description fits flights originating in Canada or Mexico. Canadian Solicitor General Wayne Easter stated 'it's not beyond the realm of possibility Canada could be targeted by al-Qaida or other groups'.

• 19 Men Arrested in Toronto as Possible Threats to National Security  (August 2003) A man enrolled in a flight school, where training involves flying over the Pickering nuclear power plant, is one of 19 people being held in a Toronto-area jail while federal officers investigate possible links to terrorist groups. Police from several forces acting in partnership with Citizenship and Immigration Canada conducted pre-dawn raids throughout the Toronto area last week, arresting some of the men on alleged immigration violations while others are now being held without any charges being laid but as a possible "threat to national security." RCMP, Toronto, Halton, York and OPP officers carried out the arrests. Under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, the federal government can detain without charges any landed immigrant or foreign national who is considered to be a threat to national security. An immigration official confirmed the arrests but had no further comment. Most of those arrested were students or refugee claimants and all were born in Pakistan. Officers with the multi-jurisdictional Public Security and Anti-Terrorism unit (PSAT) claimed it was a pattern of behaviour of a larger "group" that authorities held to be suspicious, according to a four-page summary outlining "the reasons for detention" and dated Aug. 19. It was submitted at the detention review hearings this week and obtained by The Star. "PSAT officers determined that based on the structure of this group, their associations and connected events, there is a reasonable suspicion that these persons pose a threat to national security," the document states. The arrests followed a seven-month investigation called "Project Thread." The group is rumoured to have also collected schematics of Toronto's CN Tower, along with other prominent Canadian and American sites.

• Protest Groups Possible Security Threat According to CSIS (June 2003) In its 2002 annual report the Canadian Security Intelligence Service states that some Canadian animal rights, anti-globalization and white supremacist groups may pose a terrorist threat. The report also claims that Canada is a target for terrorist activity because it supports the U.S. anti-terrorism campaign. Canada's spy agency listed religious extremism as its top terrorist concern. "The Canadian Security Intelligence Service… is aware of emerging terrorist threats and tactics that could have severe consequences for Canadians," according to Solicitor General Wayne Easter.

• Ottawa Targets Suspected Terrorist as Threat to National Security (May 2003) The Canadian government said this month that it will take the necessary steps to deport a Montreal man who has been described as a national security risk and is reportedly suspected of having links to terrorist groups tied to Al-Qaeda. Adil Charkaoui, a Moroccan native now living in Canada, was arrested this week in Montreal by a national security enforcement team. He was detained on a security certificate, part a rarely used section of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. Federal Immigration Minister Denis Coderre explained the use of the certificate. "It's for security reasons that we think we have to use this extraordinary measure," he said. "We think this person is inadmissible and we're now awaiting the co-operation of a judge." Montreal media reported Thursday that 30-year-old Charkaoui is suspected of having links to members of an Al-Qaeda cell active in Montreal at the end of the 1990s. He is also reportedly suspected of going to Al-Qaeda training camps in Afghanistan.

• Algerian Immigrant Arrested in Ottawa for Links to al-Qaeda  (December 2002) A man arrested in Ottawa has links to a senior member of the al Qaeda terrorist network, Canadian intelligence authorities allege. Mohamed Harkat was awaiting orders to carry out a terrorist attack and his presence in Canada suggests other al Qaeda associates are in the country, the Canadian Security and Intelligence Service (CSIS) concluded in court documents released in December. CSIS alleges that Harkat trained in the same terrorist training camp as Ahmed Ressam, who was arrested in 1999 while attempting to cross into the United States with a carload of explosives destined for the Los Angeles airport. Harkat, 34, also allegedly had contacts with Abu Zubaydah, who U.S. officials say recruited and controlled al Qaeda operatives around the world. The latter is believed to be a top lieutenant in Osama bin Laden's network and was arrested last March in Pakistan. The agency said Harkat arrived in Canada in 1995 from Asia and was granted refugee status in 1997 after convincing federal officials he was carrying a fake Saudi passport for fear of persecution by the Algerian government. Canadian authorities are considering deporting Harkat.

• Canada and Australia Warn of Phillipines Terror Threat (November 2002) Canada and Australia are warning about a possible upsurge of terrorist activity in the Philippines. As a result, the Canadian Foreign Affairs department is advising Canadians not to travel to the Philippines until further notice. The Canadian Embassy in Manila has also been closed temporarily to everyone except for urgent consular assistance. Meanwhile, Australia has closed its embassy in the Philippines and beefed up security at home after receiving specific terrorist threats.

• U.S. Border Security: Threat From Canada (August 2002) The Center for Immigration Studies has published a report on Canada's asylum policy and an assessment of the security issues it poses for the United States. "Canada's Asylum System: A Threat to American Security," by former Canadian Ambassador James Bissett, is available on line at: http://www.cis.org/articles/2002/back402.html

• Canada Warns Facility Operators About Posting Information on the Web (January 2002) The Canadian Office of Critical Infrastructure Protection and Emergency Preparedness (OCIPEP) has issued an advisory warning owners/operators that their operations or facilities may be placed at risk by sensitive information that is made available to the public on the Internet or through other means. OCIPEP recommends that critical infrastructure owners/operators review their procedures for making information public in light of how such information could be misused by actors with malicious intent.

• Toronto 9/11 Terror Link (December 2001) One of the suspected Al-Qaeda suicide pilots who crashed an airliner into New York's World Trade Center in September had direct links to Toronto, police authorities have been told. About a dozen residents of a Toronto apartment highrise have told the RCMP that Marwan Al-Shehhi, 23, lived at a Jameson Ave. building as recently as last spring. And they were all reportedly able to pick him out of a selection of 200 mugshot photos that the Police asked them to view. American authorities have determined Al-Shehhi was aboard United Airlines Flight 175 when it crashed into the south tower of the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, of this year. The RCMP had originally been questioning some tenants of the building in connection with the arrest of refugee claimant Nabil Al-Marabh, who lived in the same building in a unit rented by his uncle. Al-Marabh, 35, is currently being held in a New York jail, accused by the United States of channelling cash and documents to the suicide pilots. The investigation into Al-Marabh's activities in Toronto has also led to the detention of a man named Hassan Almrei, accused by authorities of being a threat to national security. No further details are available and the RCMP has declined to comment publicly on the investigation.

• Toronto a Hotbed For Bin Laden's Sleep Cells (November 2001) Canadian police and intelligence authorities say Toronto is a staging ground for Al-Qaeda terrorist activity and as many as five followers of Osama bin Laden will be charged here in coming weeks. A police source told the media that authorities were 'stunned by the large amount of Al-Qaeda activity here' - from fundraising, recruiting and counterfeiting of documents, etc. Dozens of intelligence officers from other forces have also now been assigned to assist the RCMP probe Toronto-based suspects and their possible roles in terrorist activity. Two refugee claimants, Nabil Al-Marabh, 35, of Toronto, and Hassan Almrei, 27, of Mississauga, have already been arrested and charged for alleged roles in the Sept. 11 attacks in the U.S. The RCMP said their list of suspects is growing as they examine a "motherlode" of evidence seized from four Toronto-area addresses following Al-Marabh's arrest in Chicago. Several of Al-Marabh's phone calls were reportedly traced to the Syrian-born Almrei, who was arrested in Toronto this month on a National Security Certificate stating he's a security threat. Other Al-Marabh calls were traced to suspects at a Woolner Ave. apartment and a Toronto copy shop, police sources have told media. Police are also investigating financial transactions made by Al-Marabh in the Toronto-area and to suspected Al-Qaeda members in the United States. Al-Marabh, who reportedly lived in Canada for six years, is described by U.S. police as a "bin Laden lieutenant" in North America. CSIS has alleged that Al-Marabh provided logistical support, funding and other services to the U.S. suicide pilots who destroyed the Trade Center. Canadian police have also joined U.S. officers in trying to track down several young men they believe were recruited here by bin Laden supporters and probably underwent training at his camps in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Sudan. "The Service believes there are supporters of bin Laden and his terrorist network in Canada," CSIS told the federal court. "Almrei is associated with individuals connected to the bin Laden network who have lived, or are living, in Canada."

[Shaftsbury]

Well that was an interesting post but I'm not sure what the point was. Some of those examples indicated that Canada had already, or was in the process of increasing it's security.

There are other methods of dealing with terrorists than putting highly visible and highly vulnerable soldiers and equipment around every building.

I think you will find that a few dollars spent in the areas of surveillance and Intelligence gathering will go a lot further than bombs and missiles, especially when you can't readily identify your targets.

[Celumnaz]

Who would build border missles? Ok, as long as your security is *tight*. Even knowing that many of the worlds most notorious terror cells are represented and train in Canada who use it "as a base for waging worldwide political and religious violence".

"Canada is viewed by some terrorist groups as a place to try to seek refuge, raise funds, procure materials and/or conduct other support activities.

What is it, 400 miles of open border? Longer stretch than Mexico. The US isn't known for leaving it up to other people for security. Always bites us, even when we leave it up to our own Govt. it bites us. Minutemen are headed north I believe.

[Shaftsbury]

I have no objection to beefing up our borders and entry points, I don't like the idea of terrorists operating in Canada any more than you do.

But I think the idea of spending tons of money on military hardware to do it, in our case would be a waste.

The other thing about terrorists in Canada is that they didn't walk here! Somebody allowed them to get on a plane or boat and sent them here.

[thirteen]

luxembourg?? to funny !! ,hey, canadas like those freinds you have who never pitch in for beer or pizza but the first ones to dive in, SMART TOO SMART can you say FREE LOADERS

[Thanato]

If we were to put an immediat end to Terrorism in Canada we would activate the Emergincy Messures Act. But that would be cutting off the toes of the 'Enemy' and also p***ing off ALOT of Civilians, because a Police State would be imposed, Martial Law etc.

But if you could follow the money trail from these terrorists in Canada you will find the Head and then send in the JTF-2.

~Thanato

[The Silver Thong]

Not to start anything here, but really come on the U.S. and Canada share the worlds longest open boarder in the world, 400 miles times that by 3. The problem wouldn't even exist if not for the al-qaeda. I wonder who trained and funded the Taliban ( binladin) al-qaeda. The U.S. did !! they helped create this terror organization.

Now look how that effects relations between nations of ALL. I feel the U.S. should definitely be acountable for creating this problem and there for they should fund the fixing of this problem. I don't want to pay more taxes for more weapons that prior to 9/11 wasn't needed.

It's time the C.I.A. takes responsibility for training and funding Binladin, therefor creating the al-qaeda/taliban. Come U.S. stand up and say sorry !!

Peace