Bre-X, Air-India Warning, Insecure Border, Mandatory Minimum Sentences, RCMP-Zaccardelli, CNR, ADSCAM & More

White collar crooks: U.S. hits them hard -- If Bre-X had happened stateside, corporate heads would be jailed Diane Francis, Financial Post, Mar. 22, 05

[. . . . ] Meanwhile in Canada and Europe, the myth is that white collar criminals should not get long prison sentences because their misdeeds are not violent and don't harm people -- except investors who lose money.

There's also a failure to hold the financial, legal and accounting intermediaries responsible unless they were proven to be part of the fraud. [. . . . ]

And yet no one has been charged or even investigated in Canada for Bre-X because the case would be too expensive for the cash-starved Mounties. [. . . . ]

Is that last sentence not a terrible admission? To whose benefit is it to underfund our security services?

Search: the most just in the world, former CEO of WorldCom, white collar crime, investment banks and regular banks, Bre-X, $9-billion plus, a violent act, financial intermediaries




Canada warned Air India a target: report CTV.ca News Staff

A former Indian spy says he warned Canada about threats to India's national airlines just two months before the Air India bombing, The Globe and Mail reports.

In a new book about his time in the Indian Intelligence Agency, Maloy Krishna Dhar says the warnings were based on his undercover activities inside British Columbia's Sikh community. [. . . . ]

Dhar also alleges that Parmar was under the patronage of Pakistan's intelligence agency, Inter-Services Intelligence, in 1981.

Search: Talwinder Singh Parmar, Ujjal Dosanjh, McLellan, Open Secrets, India's Intelligence Unveiled

Bagchee Online -- author search: Open Secrets: India's Intelligence Unveiled, Maloy Krishna Dhar

Open Secrets-India’s Intelligence Unveiled - is the story of an intelligence operator, who devoted nearly 30 years in the country’s prime intelligence ...
Book Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Manas Publications
Year of publication: 2005
Bagchee Item ID: B29130

Canuck border patrol urged March 22, 2005, Maria McClintock, Ottawa Bureau

AN ESTIMATED 1,600 cars managed to "blow by" Canadian customs booths to get into the country illegally last year, according to a government report. As well, there are at least 200 unguarded roads connecting Canada and the U.S. that operate on the honour system where travelers are supposed to report to the nearest border crossing.

Customs and Excise Union president Ron Moran called for the creation of a Canadian border patrol service, mirroring the U.S. model. [. . . . ]

Search: CEUDA, Bill C-26




Guards blow whistle on border crossing -- Thousands don't check in, union officials allege Mar. 22, 05, Elizabeth Thompson, CanWest

OTTAWA - Thousands of vehicles are crossing into Canada illegally each year without stopping at Customs, according to new figures to be revealed today. Moreover, the government is hiding it from Canadians, says Ron Moran, the head of the union representing Canada's 5,000 customs officers.

He says statistics from the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), obtained by the union, show roughly 1,600 vehicles blew past customs stations from the United States into Canada in 2004.

However, that's only a small proportion of the vehicles customs officers believe are illegally running the border. According to RCMP cameras, 250 vehicles a month -- roughly 3,000 a year -- cross over at two unprotected and unpatrolled roads near Stanstead in Quebec's Eastern Townships alone, says Mr. Moran.[. . . . ]

Search: closing of RCMP border detachments in Quebec, no authority beyond, A border patrol, customs officers, spokeswoman for the border agency




Ottawa should study mandatory minimum sentences, mp says Mar. 22, 05, CanWest

OTTAWA - Conservative MP Rob Merrifield, who represents the Alberta riding where four RCMP officers were shot to death earlier this month, called on the federal government yesterday to consider mandatory minimum prison sentences for some violent offenders. [. . . . ]

Mountie probe asks: were four officers ready? -- Training under investigation: RCMP release partial chronology of day of ambush Adrian Humphreys, Mar. 22, 05, CanWest

[. . . . ] The officers were not shot during two separate time periods, nor were they shot outside the quonset hut and then dragged back inside the structure by Roszko, he said.

"Crosses on the property do not mark graves. No bodies are known to be buried on Roszko property," Supt. Cheliak added.

He said Roszko was spotted with three firearms by a member of the RCMP emergency response team moments after shots were fired inside the quonset.

Roszko had a fully automatic rifle with a 20-round magazine, a semi-automatic pistol and a long-barrelled weapon slung over his shoulder, Supt. Cheliak said. [. . . . ]

Police cannot plan for insane acts: RCMP CTV.ca News Staff, Mar. 22, 05

[. . . . ] "There is no possible way to plan for or manage the insane behaviours of an individual who has crossed the line from criminal to stalker, from suspect to enemy," he said.

Zaccardelli reiterated that Roszko wasn't there when police arrived, but had crept back on to the farm where he ambushed the four officers.

The commissioner said changes would likely be recommended after a review of the shootings.

He also called on the judicial system to re-examine how it handled Roszko, who had several serious charges against him dropped over the years. [. . . . ]

H&K, HK91, Caliber 308 Semi Automatic, Assault Rifle Cat.# ZZ10304...$2795


RCMP say James Roszko heavily armed the day he murdered 4 Alta. Mounties March 21, 2005

EDMONTON (CP) - James Roszko was armed to the teeth with a fully automatic rifle and two other firearms the morning he massacred four Mounties in his farmyard, police confirmed Monday.

[. . . . ] John Roszko, the killer's brother, said there was likely no way police could have prevented the slaughter.

He said the four officers didn't have a chance against his brother, who spent years preparing for the day when he could exact vengeance on the RCMP he believed were persecuting him.

"This was his property, This wasn't something he planned on the spur of the moment," said the older brother. "This was something he was thrashing around for many, many years."

He said Roszko had purchased the rifle in the U.S. back in the 1970s and had converted it from semi-automatic to fully automatic fire. [. . . . ]

One could ask why John Roszko, the killer's brother, didn't report this to police previously, but I suspect not much would have happened to James Roszko before he killed; then it was too late. Threats, people's genuine fears and common sense don't seem to be taken into account so I doubt he would have received any more than a rap on the knuckles for having illegal guns. His sentence would have been short enough--or nonexistent--so he could threaten with harm or death anyone (or their families) who reported him; that would end any action on their part.




2 flyers nailed in huge hash oil bust March 22, 2005, Tom Godfrey, Toronto Sun

A BRANTFORD COUPLE has been charged after 52 kilos of hash oil -- hidden in 25 four-litre plastic jugs -- was found in luggage at Pearson airport. Police say a man and woman were trying to slip into the country among thousands of vacationers using the airport during the busy March break travel season. [. . . . ]

Search: crowds, Montego Bay, $2.3 million, free trip




Adscam probe hits snag Brian Daly, Mar. 21, 05

MONTREAL (CP) - Three men implicated in the disgraced federal sponsorship program asked Monday for a publication ban on their testimony at an inquiry - a move backed by Quebec prosecutors.

The province's attorney general agreed with lawyers for former federal bureaucrat Chuck Guite and advertising executives Paul Coffin and Jean Brault that testimony by the defendants could taint potential jurors in their criminal trials. [. . . . ]

"You need solid evidence that without a publication ban, there will be irreparable harm," said Bantey, who is representing The Canadian Press, the Globe and Mail, the Montreal Gazette, Le Journal de Montreal, Montreal La Presse, Quebec City Le Soleil and the CBC.

"In this case, I don't think the petitioners have made that proof to you. It is merely speculation." [. . . . ]

CNR's Harrison got paid US$16M Financial Post, Mar. 22, 05

Hunter Harrison, the chief executive of Canadian National Railway Co., was awarded more than US$16-million in salary and compensation last year, compared to US$2.53-million in 2003. [. . . . ]

Israel trip highlights northern security worries -- 'Terrorism can happen here' March 22, 2005, Isabel Vincent, National Post

Security concerns in the frigid reaches of Northern Ontario would seem to have little in common with threats of terrorism in Israel, but after a working tour of the Middle Eastern country, a group of Canadian law enforcement officials are convinced that more needs to be done to beef up security in the region.

"In the north we have a lot of infrastructure that could be quite vulnerable to a terrorist attack," says Wes Luloff, chief of the Nishnawbe-Aski Police Service in Thunder Bay, Ont.

"There are hydro gridlines and oil pipelines that could be attacked here," he said.

Mr. Luloff and close to 30 other police chiefs from across the province were part of a week-long security briefing in Israel earlier this month. [. . . . ]

Search: trauma facilities, surveillance systems, high-tech, auxiliary police volunteers, culture of volunteering, senior citizens, emergency drills




The Politically Correct Aspect of Choosing a National Council President -- or being told how to vote in order to achieve that end

First, I resent this title -- pitting white collar against blue collar -- as if that were sufficient to consider.

Tories divided in electing a president -- Gay Quebec lawyer loses top job to Manitoba plumber Don Martin, National Post, Mar. 22, 05

MONTREAL - It ended as a dead heat for the party presidency -- and a massive Stephen Harper headache for the Conservative leader holding the deciding vote.

A gay Montreal lawyer with strong backing from former Progressive Conservatives fought to an unexpected draw against a Manitoba plumber with deep Canadian Alliance credentials in weekend elections for the powerful Conservative presidency.

[. . . . ] After all, the optics of electing Montreal's Brian Mitchell were politically dreamy. Putting a younger bilingual Quebecer in the party's top spot would have been the perfect counterbalance to having an Alberta leader and a western MP powerbase. And Mitchell's out-of-the-closet sexuality preference would have ensured any homophobic charges against the Harper-led Conservatives were a very tough stick. [. . . . ]

What do you think of that title? It is as though a bilingual gay lawyer, Mitchell, must win out over one who does a blue-collar job, Flett. Surely, we are more than the work we do. I realize Mr. Mitchell was expected to be a shoe-in as President of the National Council, backed as he is by NB Premier Lord--so I have heard--and backed also by Lord's choice for member of the National Council, Mr. Leblanc a francophone from Moncton. Rumour has it that Mr. Leblanc ran only to take votes away from Richard Bragdon of Fredericton, and to ensure that Quebec and Acadian concerns were uppermost. The rumour is that Leblanc will last on National Council only long enough to get his name out in public and to get the nomination to run as a federal MP. That is not a reason to run for National Council.

Also, just because people want traditional marriage does not make them homophobic. Most of us have family and / or friends who are gay. Many simply find gay marriage illogical.

More significantly, the grassroots get their backs up when someone is handed to them on a silver platter as a perfect candidate for anything. They want to make up their own minds. Mr. Mitchell may have been an exceedingly good candidate for President, but many had never heard of him previously. Only those who scoured Free Dominion or a few other sites would have read of him. Being told to vote for a member of the National Council who would support the Presidency of Mr. Mitchell rubs people the wrong way -- and they vote accordingly. Many balk at the very idea of being told how to vote -- even if it might seem politically astute -- and that has nothing to do with feelings about Quebec pro or con. It's the democratic process and an individual's decision to make.




Environments of Hate: Indoctrination in the Arab World and Propaganda Advocacy in America’s University Classrooms Prepared Remarks of Brigitte Gabriel, Middle East and Academic Integrity on the American Campus, Columbia University in the City of New York, March 6, 2005

Ms. Brigitte Gabriel is founder of the American Congress for Truth. Born and raised in Lebanon she was wounded during the war in Lebanon. She moved to Israel in 1984’ and became a prominent Middle East news anchor before marrying her American husband and coming to he United States. She owns her own TV production company. In her capacity as head of ACT, she is a frequent lecturer on the Middle East to college and university and general audiences in America.

Where is objectivity in the Arab world when they claim that the destruction of the World Trade Center was a CIA/Mossad plot? Where is objectivity on campuses when similar claims and distortions are made? Can there be objectivity when advocacy and hatred is involved? Professor Richard Bullet was right when he coined the term “advocacy education.” How can a student get the facts by which to make a decision when professors advocate in their courses using ideological distortions to force form opinion instead of providing objective information for students to form their own opinions?

The lies that Arab society tried to teach me as a child in Lebanon are the same as those spread under the guise of academic freedom on the Morningside campus of Columbia. [. . . . ]

As a Middle Easterner brought up on this patent "Israel is a racist state" propaganda, I discovered it is total hate inspired nonsense. [. . . . ]

"Many Canadians feel that the program's current ability to screen out criminals from among legitimate immigrants or refugees is poor," the document says. "Moreover, Canadians feel that the program is not quick enough to deport those whose refugee claims are rejected."

Behave or risk citizenship, poll finds -- National security: Majority say those committing serious crimes should have status revoked James Gordon, Mar. 21, 05, CanWest

OTTAWA - Three out of four Canadians would support revoking the citizenship of people who obtain it and go on to commit serious crimes, new polling data suggests.

A recent Ipsos-Reid survey, conducted on behalf of the Department of Citizenship and Immigration, also indicates more than a third of respondents (35%) deem the measure appropriate even if the offenders are born in Canada. The quandary of what to do with them isn't addressed.

[. . . . ] Topping the list of circumstances under which people believed citizenship should be revoked were national security-related offences (38%) such as terrorism and treason, and violent crimes (37%) including murder, rape and crimes against children. [. . . . ]

The Khadr boy returned to Canada for medical care but he had lived with his terrorist family abroad for years. Let him be sent back! I have no compassion for him or his family. Should I?




Vegetable oils linked to violent behaviour; Study finds they may counter the calming effects of fish -- Study finds they may counter the calming effects of fish Tom Blackwell, National Post, Mar. 21, 05

Do murderers simply eat the wrong things?

A surprising new study of crime and diet trends in Canada and four other countries suggests that homicide rates climb as people consume more linoleic fatty acid, a nutrient found in common bean, seed and grain oils.

U.S. scientists behind the study suspect linoleic fatty acid dampens the impact of omega-3 fatty acids found in fish, which seem to stave off violent behaviour.

More research is needed to confirm the latest findings. [. . . . ]

Cash flows at oilsands trust -- Positioned to pay debt Claudia Cattaneo, Financial Post, Mar. 21, 05

Barely a year ago, Marcel Coutu, president and chief executive of Canadian Oil Sands Trust, had to own up to the biggest of oilsands sins -- a big cost overrun and a delay to complete a major expansion of the Syncrude Canada Ltd. project in Northern Alberta.

The expense of adding 100,000 barrels a day of production to 350,000 b/d had ballooned a stunning $2.1-billion to a cost of $7.8-billion, after partners realized they had underestimated the scope and complexity of expanding an existing facility. As well, completion was kicked back by more than a year to mid-2006. [. . . . ]

With a market capitalization of more than $7-billion, Canadian Oil Sands is the largest trust in the Canadian energy sector. As the owner of 35% of Syncrude, it's the largest of seven partners in the world's largest oilsands project. It's also one of only three major pure oilsands plays. The other two are publicly traded companies: Suncor Energy Inc. and Western Oil Sands, a partner in the Athabasca oilsands project led by Shell Canada Ltd. [. . . . ]

Search: finding people to build and man





South American trade deal? Why bother Jean Daudelin and Sean Burges, Mar. 21, 05, Financial Post

Jean Daudelin is an assistant professor and Sean Burges a postdoctoral fellow at the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs at Carleton University.

Should Canada diversify its export markets by signing a free trade agreement (FTA) with Mercosur, the South American trade bloc made of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay?

Annette Hester of the Latin American Research Centre at the University of Calgary thinks so, and it does sound like a great idea. Canada's two big trade negotiations -- the FTAA and the Doha round of the WTO -- are paralyzed. Brazil, the dominant market in Mercosur, needs market access, it is a huge market and our bilateral relations are in disrepair. Remember Bombardier-Embraer? The Brazilian "mad cow" that never was?

What better way, indeed, to diversify trade, fulfill a foreign policy ambition and repair a potentially valuable bilateral relationship?

There is only one problem: It won't work.

Mercosur is sick. Its member countries don't even trade freely among themselves. [. . . . ]

Gypsy Law brings accusations of 'racism' but is it not property rights, both public and private, that are being violated?

'Gas chambers' row over Tory gipsy law George Jones, Political Editor, Mar. 22, 05

A Labour backbencher claimed last night that Tory proposals to curb illegal gipsy sites had "the whiff of the gas chambers about them".

[. . . . ] The pre-election skirmishing reached new levels of bitterness, with Labour saying that Michael Howard, the Tory leader, lacked the qualities to lead the nation. The Tories have rattled Labour by highlighting a series of populist issues, including the furore about travellers illegally occupying land then installing roads and electricity before applying, retrospectively, for planning permission.

Mr Howard promised that the Tories would give councils powers to remove caravans swiftly from illegal sites and introduce a new power of arrest backed by fines and prison for a new criminal offence of trespass on public and private land.

[. . . . ] Mr Howard, whose grandmother died in Auschwitz, did not respond. Last month Labour withdrew posters portraying him as a flying pig and a Fagin-like character after claims of anti-Semitism. [. . . . ]

Note the irony. Is anyone else tired of the term 'racism' being applied so often?

Here in Canada, in a situation where police had reason to question anyone in the area, police searched the car of a couple of men and found illegal guns, Yet, the term was used to get them off -- even though they had illegal guns.

Related articles on the Telegraph site:
21 March 2005: Howard proposes giving police the power to close illegal gipsy camps
12 March 2005: Call for law to ban illegal gipsy camps
19 February 2005: Blair vows not to exploit Howard's Jewishness





Man sentenced for crimes he may commit: judge March 17, 2005, Mia Vare, CP

COURTENAY, B.C. (CP) - A man who has fantasies of murder and cannibalism has been sentenced to two years in prison for a string of offences, including decapitating two cats, but also for crimes a judge believes he's likely to commit in the future.

Judge Keith Libby ruled that protection of the public was the most important consideration in sentencing Dwight Barnes. And in a move that invited the defence to appeal, Libby said the prison term reflected what Barnes might do in the future, rather than what he had done.

"I am prepared to sentence him for the crimes he may commit," Libby said Wednesday. "I'll give you your grounds for appeal now." [. . . . ]

If you think this is not right, read the rest of the article before deciding.





U.S. Undocumented Population Surges Mar. 21, 05, GENARO C. ARMAS

WASHINGTON (AP) - The nation's undocumented immigrant population surged to 10.3 million last year, spurred largely since 2000 by the arrivals of unauthorized Mexicans in the United States, a report being released Monday says.

The population of undocumented residents in the United States increased by about 23 percent from 8.4 million in the four-year period ending last March, according to the analysis of government data by the Pew Hispanic Center, a private research group.

That equates to a net increase of roughly 485,000 per year between 2000 and 2004. The estimate was derived by subtracting the number of unauthorized immigrants who leave the United States, die or acquire legal status from the number of new undocumented immigrants that arrive each year. [. . . . ]

Search: "undocumented", 35.7 million, porous U.S.-Mexico border, al-Qaida terrorists, attrition by enforcement, those states accounted for 61 percent, the fastest-growing states





Critics of Ottawa's plan for 'no fly' list fear it may clear the way for racial discrimination Mar. 22, 05, Allan Woods, National Post

A planned Canadian "no fly" list will lead to an increase in what amounts to government-legislated racial discrimination, a coalition of opposition politicians said yesterday. They were reacting to comments by Transport Minister Jean Lapierre who said the government was working to establish the list, which would ban travellers deemed to be a risk to airline security. [. . . . ]