Compilation 1: Canadian Government Was Warned Repeatedly about Terrorists in Canada -- Tamil Tigers, Medievalism Out of the Middle East

I intended to post these earlier but various events intervened. The substance is important.

Note one sentence today:

Canadian passports are a hot commodity in Sri Lanka.

List of Articles that follow:

* Canadian Government Was Warned Repeatedly about Terrorists in Canada -- Tamil Tigers
* CSIS warned Ottawa of terror fronts -- Tamils reject report, deny any part in covert operations -- Canadian government 'suckered' -- or 'complicit' in return for votes?
* CULTURAL HERITAGE -- "neither I nor the Minister of Finance [Paul Martin] attended a Tamil Tiger event. We attended a cultural event of the Tamil community of Toronto."
* Keeping a war on hold? -- A rare visit to rebel Tamil Tigers territory in Sri Lanka following the tsunami's carnage -- "jockeying over the delivery of aid and control of the refugee camps"
* Canadian government cozies up to terrorists -- "Mr. Karygiannis said that from what he's seeing, northern Tamils are “more than willing” to go to Colombo to have their immigration applications processed."
* CSIS irked by block on Tamil Tigers ban -- Insiders say Foreign Affairs Minister Bill Graham thwarted the move by the spy agency.
* Terrorism: Kevin Sorenson, MP Crowfoot -- Member of the Subcommittee on National Security -- June 2003 -- This government cannot say it was not warned.

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CSIS warned Ottawa of terror fronts -- Tamils reject report, deny any part in covert operations -- Canadian government 'suckered' -- or 'complicit' in return for votes?

The CSIS report, which was distributed to other federal government departments and agencies, says that between one and two million dollars is raised here each year for the Sri Lankan guerrilla group, making Canada one of the largest contributors worldwide, and alleges that some of the money is being channelled to the LTTE's weapons procurement arm in Thailand.

The leaked report is the latest suggestion that Canada has become a crucial support base for some of the world's most notorious terrorist organizations.

CSIS warned Ottawa of terror fronts -- Tamils reject report, deny any part in covert operations Stewart Bell, National Post, Dec. 9, 2000

Note the date.

TORONTO - Eight non-profit organizations and five companies are operating in Canada as fronts for the Tamil Tigers terrorist group, according to secret intelligence documents that provide the first official confirmation that the Liberal government has received explicit warnings that the country is being used as a base for murderous operations overseas.

The Canadian Security Intelligence Service report, distributed internally this year and obtained by the National Post, shows that several organizations and businesses within Canada are suspected by the government of being linked to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), Sri Lankan insurgents who specialize in suicide bombings and political assassination.

When the report's core allegation was put to them, the named non-profits denied being fronts and said the money they raise in Canada is used to assist the 700,000 victims of war displaced by fighting in the jungles of northeast Sri Lanka.

[. . . . ] The CSIS report, which was distributed to other federal government departments and agencies, says that between one and two million dollars is raised here each year for the Sri Lankan guerrilla group, making Canada one of the largest contributors worldwide, and alleges that some of the money is being channelled to the LTTE's weapons procurement arm in Thailand.

The leaked report is the latest suggestion that Canada has become a crucial support base for some of the world's most notorious terrorist organizations. Despite being labeled as "LTTE Front Organizations in Canada," some of the groups on the CSIS list receive federal, provincial and local government grants totalling millions of dollars and have hosted Canadian politicians at their functions.

The Tigers have traditionally raised money through the use of front groups such as the World Tamil Movement (WTM) and Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO), which collect money for humanitarian purposes, the report says. "However most funds raised under the banner of humanitarian organizations such as the TRO are channeled instead to fund the LTTE war effort." [. . . . ]

"The LTTE operates like a multinational corporation with a network ... all over the world. This network consists of commercial companies and small businesses set up in Malaysia, Singapore, Bangladesh, China and some Western countries," CSIS says. It also includes political offices, procurement offices and aid and humanitarian organizations in at least 40 countries. [. . . . ]

The secret document listing the alleged fronts was obtained from a source outside CSIS, which does not publicly disclose its targets. [. . . . ]

There is more, if you link.



CULTURAL HERITAGE -- "neither I nor the Minister of Finance [Paul Martin] attended a Tamil Tiger event. We attended a cultural event of the Tamil community of Toronto."

Note that this comes from Hansard, May 31, 2000.

CULTURAL HERITAGE

Mr. Ted White (North Vancouver, Canadian Alliance): Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Minister of Finance said that although he had Irish blood running in his veins that did not mean he was a member of the IRA, but if the finance minister started attending IRA cultural events, you can bet we would have some pretty tough questions for him.

The fact is CSIS, the U.S. state department and security analysts in Australia and Scotland all say that the FACT is a fundraising front for the Tamil Tigers.

How can the minister continue to defend his attendance at a FACT event in the light of that evidence?

The Speaker: [. . . . ] I ruled this type of question out of order yesterday. [. . . ] but if she would like to respond, the hon. minister. [Ed's emphasis. That the government really controls the appointment of the Speaker . . . . so . . . . useful.]

Hon. Maria Minna (Minister for International Cooperation, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, yes, I do want to answer because neither I nor the Minister of Finance attended a Tamil Tiger event. We attended a cultural event of the Tamil community of Toronto.

I lived for decades under the accusation that the Italian Canadian community was Mafiosi and part of the Mafia. I will not tar the whole of the Tamil community in the same manner.

Mr. Ted White (North Vancouver, Canadian Alliance): [. . . . ] Mr. Speaker, during the 35th parliament, this government was warned repeatedly by CSIS and what was formerly the Reform Party that the Babar Khalsa Sikh charity in B.C. was raising money for terrorist activities overseas. It took years to get the Babar Khalsa charitable status cancelled. Now it looks like the finance minister is repeating history, this time in connection with the Tamil Tigers.

If the FACT has done nothing wrong, will the Minister of Finance please stand now and say that he supports an inquiry into the activities of that group in Canada?

Hon. Paul Martin (Minister of Finance, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, Tamil Canadians are making a contribution to this country in virtually every segment of our society. We will build Canada only by embracing new communities, not by shunning then. [. . . . ]

Keeping a war on hold? -- A rare visit to rebel Tamil Tigers territory in Sri Lanka following the tsunami's carnage -- "jockeying over the delivery of aid and control of the refugee camps"

Keeping a war on hold? Bay Fang

KALLADY, SRI LANKA--The cease-fire has held for almost three years, but here in the sandy courtyard of the Ramakrishna Mission Girls' School, a Sri Lankan Army officer and a Tamil Tiger rebel are fighting--albeit over a package of milk. Lieutenant Alwis, 25, glowers at 20-year-old Kalairasan. "I am in charge of this camp!" he shouts in Sinhalese, which a policeman then translates into Tamil. Kalairasan turns away, frowning. Though the officer instituted a food distribution system when he took charge of the camp three days ago, a Tamil woman had come to Kalairasan, the Tiger representative, asking for some milk beyond her ration amount. He got it for her from the camp's central supply. "If we let that guy [Alwis] distribute everything, people will think all the food is from the Army!" the rebel grumbles.

On the island nation of Sri Lanka in the Indian Ocean, the December 26 tsunami may have swept away families and homes, but the hostilities and distrust brought on by 20 years of civil war remain. Since the disaster struck these shores, leaving at least 30,000 dead and over 100,000 homeless, the Sri Lankan government and the rebel group, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, have been jockeying over the delivery of aid and control of the refugee camps. The Tigers initially tried to channel all relief in Tamil areas of the north and east through their own aid organization, denouncing the government for favoring areas under its control in the south. The government, citing the need to provide security, decreed that the military would run the hundreds of refugee camps, including those in Tamil areas. [. . . . ]

Some also believe the Tigers could be exaggerating the aid shortfall in hopes of getting more help from the international community--and, perhaps, to draw world attention to their independence ambitions. [. . . . ]

Now the new Minister Volpe is going to fast track the entry of . . . . . Guess.




Canadian government cozies up to terrorists -- "Mr. Karygiannis said that from what he's seeing, northern Tamils are “more than willing” to go to Colombo to have their immigration applications processed."

Importing Liberal votes? Sgro may be gone but new Minister Volpe will carry out this Liberal vote getter. Shame!

Sri Lanka says Ottawa cozies up to militants Colin Freeze, Jan. 14, 05

[. . . . Former] Immigration Minister Judy Sgro [said] that Canadian visa officers could be sent to Tamil areas to find disaster victims with close relatives who want to immigrate to Canada if those people have difficulty getting to Colombo to file their applications.

But W.H. Wiswa Warnapala, the deputy foreign minister of Sri Lanka's Sinhalese-dominated parliament, said that would irritate his government, which waged a bloody, 20-year civil war with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam until a ceasefire two years ago. [. . . . ]

CSIS irked by block on Tamil Tigers ban -- Insiders say Foreign Affairs Minister Bill Graham thwarted the move by the spy agency.

CSIS irked by block on Tamil Tigers ban -- Insiders say Foreign Affairs Minister Bill Graham thwarted the move by the spy agency.

OTTAWA -- Canada's spy agency is frustrated that Foreign Affairs Minister Bill Graham has blocked adding the Tamil Tigers to the country's list of banned terrorist groups, it was reported yesterday. Insiders say the Canadian Security Intelligence Service had recommended that the Tigers be included when the federal cabinet moved to ban five other groups, including the Sikh extremist organization Babbar Khalsa, believed to be responsible for the 1985 Air India bombing.

But officials said cabinet sided with Graham, who objected to outlawing the Tamil Tigers, who use suicide bombings, car bombs and assassination squads to wage a war of independence, for fear it could jeopardize tenuous peace talks with the Sri Lanka government.

Check today's National Post headline. The government is still using that line. How long will this go on?

However, a senior official at Foreign Affairs said Graham is concerned that declaring the Tamil Tigers a terrorist organization would prevent its leaders from attending Sri Lankan peace talks held in other parts of the world. [. . . . ]

The fact that they vote Liberal (Check the Toronto ridings of the new Minister of Immigration Volpe -- and of ex-Minister Sgro.) would have absolutely NOTHING to do with this, of course -- or is it the travel perquisites?




Terrorism: Kevin Sorenson, MP Crowfoot -- Member of the Subcommittee on National Security -- June 2003 -- This government cannot say it was not warned.

Kevin Sorenson, MP Crowfoot: Terrorism June 5, 2003

Mr. Kevin Sorenson (Crowfoot, Canadian Alliance): Mr. Speaker, . . . . I must question why the statement was made.

The Solicitor General, other than tabling the Canadian Security Intelligence Service public report, provided us with absolutely no new information or updates on the status of security in this country. Repeatedly the Solicitor General stated:

We must acknowledge that Canada is threatened by terrorism. Recent events remind us that Canada is not immune from the threat or from acts of terrorism.

The Solicitor General and the government should have recognized this long before September 11. Canada is not immune and was not immune from terrorism.

I stood in the House together with many of my Canadian Alliance colleagues months prior to September 11 condemning the government and questioning it for its failure to take the threat of terrorism and the threat of organized crime in this country seriously. Since 9/11 we have repeatedly demanded that the government improve the intelligence capability of our security forces by providing them with the much needed resources to do their job effectively.

[. . . .] Bill C-36, the anti-terrorism act, received royal assent in December 2001. It is a year and a half later and only 26 entities are listed as terrorist organizations, while the United Nations' list includes and identifies some 200.

[. . . . ] the Solicitor General should be doing much more, such as identifying and listing the entities at a much faster rate and significantly increasing the resources to both CSIS and the RCMP. The government should be tightening airport and port security. It should be providing CSIS with the power and the authority to operate abroad rather than relying and piggybacking on other foreign countries for intelligence information.

As a member of the Subcommittee on National Security, I have repeatedly questioned witnesses regarding whether or not the powers of CSIS should be expanded, or whether a new and separate agency should be established based on differing opinions and different individuals coming forward with different ideas regarding this.

In 2002 Richard Fadden, the former deputy clerk of the Privy Council, publicly questioned if it was “time to think about a formalized capacity to collect foreign intelligence”.

Although the director of CSIS disputes it, many experts claim that CSIS is limited by law from taking an offensive stance with overseas espionage, relying primarily on the help of spy services from other countries for its external intelligence. Furthermore, a federal study concluded that Canada needs overseas units to intercept and obstruct criminals and/or their illegal commodities from reaching Canadian shores.

The former foreign affairs minister, and one of the Liberal leadership hopefuls, is on record as stating that rather than expanding foreign intelligence capabilities to CSIS, he would prefer a separate agency established within foreign affairs, much like the United States' Central Intelligence Agency. [subject to the need for votes, then]

A number of security experts have strongly suggested that the government establish a formal ministry of national security headed by a single cabinet minister with foreign intelligence capabilities. This recommendation was made in respect to concerns raised in 1996 by the Auditor General that there was within our national security information systems “a pattern of inadequate information to support front line officials responsible for national security”. In other words, put it under one cabinet post, under one portfolio.

Many concerns have been raised regarding the lack of coordination and cooperation within the 17 different federal departments and agencies with national security responsibilities. Yet, the present Solicitor General and other solicitor generals have failed to address the Auditor General's 1996 findings. The Solicitor General has failed to initiate the debate regarding establishing a new national security ministry. He has failed to provide our security forces with the power and capabilities to collect foreign intelligence.

. . . we rely on foreign countries. . . . we have no, or very little, capability to gather our own information.

Therefore, I take great exception to the Solicitor General's statement that CSIS has significantly increased its information exchange with its partners. [. . . . ]

I take great exception to the Solicitor General coming to the House today and making a statement on security that provides absolutely no new information, no new announcements and no new updates as to the state of security in this country.

Terrorism

Mr. Kevin Sorenson (Crowfoot, Canadian Alliance): Mr. Speaker, according to a November 2002 RCMP report, 8,000 Tamil Tigers involved in extortion, intimidation, and the smuggling of migrants are operating in Toronto. CSIS estimates that the Tamil Tigers raise millions of dollars each year to help fund and purchase weapons to carry on their war back home.

How much more evidence does the Solicitor General need before he adds the Tamil Tigers to Canada's list of terrorist entities?

Hon. Wayne Easter (Solicitor General of Canada, Lib.): LTTE was listed under the United Nations suppression of terrorism regulations and its assets can be frozen and seized.
[Freeze assets, but get those Liberal voters into Canada.]

Mr. Kevin Sorenson (Crowfoot, Canadian Alliance): Mr. Speaker, they are still not added to Canada's list of entities. Perhaps the problem is that this is the same group that the former finance minister helped support with his attendance at one of their fundraisers.

Canadian passports are a hot commodity in Sri Lanka. They are a hot commodity for profiteers who are sending illegal immigrants to Canada. When will the Solicitor General take seriously the claims of Sri Lanka and put a stop to the dangerous activities--

The Speaker: The hon. Solicitor General.

Hon. Wayne Easter (Solicitor General of Canada, Lib.):[. . . . ] understand the amount of effort that Canada is making both within Canada and around the world to cut the financing of terrorist groups and to address the terrorism issue.

Note that he did not say he had outlawed this terrorist group--nor that Liberals courting votes would stop attending their fundraisers. Did terrorists contribute to the Liberals' election campaign?




Were waves the fault of 'infidels'? -- "Today, the West must protect itself from the medievalism of the Middle East."

Were waves the fault of 'infidels'? Salim Mansur, January 12, 2005

[. . . . ] The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), based in Washington, has been providing since 1998, as its Web site notes, "timely translations of Arabic, Farsi, and Hebrew media."

This service of reporting -- unedited and uncensored -- what is said by those who shape public opinion in the region provides a window to the thinking of the people there.

A review of MEMRI's recent translations of statements relating to the Asian tsunami in the Arab media is at once shocking and revealing of the mindset of many religious, academic and political leaders of the Arab-Muslim world.

An Egyptian correspondent, Mahmoud Bakri, writing for Egypt's weekly magazine Al-Usbu', developed an ingenious, conspiracy-laden theory for the disaster. Bakri posed the question "Was (it) caused by American, Israeli, and Indian nuclear testing on the day of horror?"

Then he answered: "... although so far it has not been proven that secret Indian-Israeli nuclear testing is what caused the destructive earthquake, there is evidence that the recent nuclear tests, the exchange of nuclear experts between India and Israel, and the American pressure on Pakistan regarding its nuclear cooperation with Asian and Islamic countries -- all these pose a big question mark regarding the causes of the severe earthquake in Asia."

These words illuminate the minds of the people who utter them and of those who accept. [. . . . ]

This medievalism, often in the guise of Islam, rages in fury at the world beyond itself. It extols the virtues of suicide bombers, blames Jews and infidels for the ills of the world, and declares war on the West.

There is a lesson in this. It took Europe centuries to escape the fanaticism and impoverishment of the medieval age.

Today, the West must protect itself from the medievalism of the Middle East. [. . . . ]