Should Canada shoulder some blame for terrorist activities?

0 Comments | Insight on the News, July 15, 2002

John Berlau's investigative report ["Canada Turns Into Terrorist Haven," June 24] contains a lot of criticism of Canadian immigration and refugee policies based on the comments of former Canadian security and immigration officials who have not held office for at least 10 years. Unfortunately, the article does not contain comment from those currently in office who have made major changes in our policies both before and after Sept. 11.

Had the writer talked to contemporary authorities he might have included the following points:

* In 2001, Canada received roughly 26,000 refugees. Sixty percent of these arrived at land borders and airports from the United States. For the first four months of 2002, that figure has jumped to 72 percent.

* Canada strongly believes that the best way to strengthen North American security is to interdict the bad guys before they can fly to North America. It is for that reason that Canada is expanding its network of overseas interdiction officers. As a result of this program nearly 8,000 persons were denied boarding on flights to Canada in 2001.

* On June 28, Canada's new Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, passed Nov. 1, 2001, will come into force. It contains new grounds for inadmissibility; strengthens authority to arrest security threats; speeds up removals by eliminating appeals for security threats; contains tougher penalties for possessing, using or dealing in documents; and allows for suspending or terminating a refugee claim when a person is found to be a security threat.

These are just some of the many steps that Canada has taken which Berlau chose to ignore. Canada sees itself as a staunch ally of the United States in the fight against terrorism and has clearly demonstrated its commitment to winning this war.

Peter M. Boehm
Minister of Political and
Public Affairs
Canadian Embassy
Washington

John Berlau indeed did speak at length with Canadian government officials about Canada's security problems, but the promised on-the-record call from an official spokesman for Canadian immigration never came.

INSIGHT wonders, however, if Mr. Boehm really means to suggest that Americans and landed immigrants here are escaping to Canada in growing numbers as refugees! Or is he saying that those rejected as refugees here slip across the border or grab a plane to be accepted in Canada? Very odd, indeed.-- Ed.

Your article takes Canada to task for its immigration rules, and you may be correct. However, do not use this to save face for the bungling and incompetence of the FBI and CIA. No matter where these terrorists came from, Sept. 11 could have been prevented. Don't blame Canada. Look at your own country and you will find the blame.

Graham McPhee
Vancouver, British Columbia

Canadians should feel some culpability for what has taken place regarding terrorist activities. I have the highest regard for my Canadian neighbors, and I know most them do not condone the security problems with which their central government has saddled them.

Frank Burckhardt
via the Internet