quote:
U.S. says Canada cares too much about liberties
Terrorism report also says too little spent on police
Jim Bronskill, with files from Janice Tibbetts
The Ottawa Citizen
Thursday, May 01, 2003
The United States says the lack of funding for police and restrictive privacy legislation in Canada are frustrating probes of political extremists.
The comments in an annual report on international terrorism were the latest critical remarks from the U.S. apparently aimed at prodding Canada to bring its security measures in line.
The State Department report on global terrorism for 2002 suggests that while Canada has been helpful in the fight against terrorism, it doesn't spend enough on policing and places too much emphasis on civil liberties.
It says "some U.S. law enforcement officers have expressed concern" about Canadian privacy laws.
The U.S. officers feel those laws, as well as funding levels for law enforcement, "inhibit a fuller and more timely exchange of information and response to requests for assistance," the report says.
"Also, Canadian laws and regulations intended to protect Canadian citizens and landed immigrants from government intrusion sometimes limit the depth of investigations."
Under the U.S.-Canada Terrorist Interdiction Program, known as TIP, Canada records about one "hit" of known or suspected terrorists a week from the State Department's visa lookout list. The initiative involves software that enhances the ability of border officials to collect, compare and analyse traveller data, allowing them to identify and track people of interest.
Spokesmen for the Solicitor General's Department were not available to comment on the report.
The U.S. observations come amid heightened tension between the two countries following Washington's public expression of disappointment that Canadian forces did not join the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.
In releasing the report, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell said although there has been great progress in the last year, terrorism still "casts its grim shadow" across the globe.
The number of terrorist attacks dropped to 199 in 2002 from 355 the previous year. Still, Mr. Powell noted, assaults occurred in every region of the world, claiming 725 lives. Terrorist bombings in Bali last fall killed about 200 people from two dozen countries, including Canada.
Despite the report's criticism of certain Canadian practices, it included effusive praise for the federal government's overall efforts to work with the U.S. in the fight against extrem-ism, calling the relationship "a model for bilateral co-operation on counter-terrorism issues."
Seven American law-enforcement agencies have posted officers to Ottawa and other Canadian cities, while a number of Canadian personnel are assigned to the U.S.
The report also notes Canada's passage of anti-terrorism legislation, its move to create a formal list of terrorist organizations and participation in various international anti-crime forums.
The comments follow State Department remarks in a March report on narcotics and money laundering that urged Canada to ensure privacy protection measures do not prevent the timely sharing of financial information that might be critical to police investigations.
The same report took issue with Canada's move to make possession of small amounts of marijuana a ticketing offence rather than a criminal one. "This will not only harm Canadian society, but have consequences for the United States as well," the report said.
Justice Minister Martin Cauchon reiterated yesterday that legislation to decriminalize marijuana will be tabled soon, while Canadian Alliance Leader Stephen Harper said the move would inflame tensions with the U.S.
"Now would not be the time to irritate trade relations and we've already had plenty of warning that this would do just that."
quote:Great point. In Africa right now over 8000 people die per day because of AIDS. Ten percent of the world's people live in Africa, but it is home to 90 percent of the world's HIV-infected children. More than 5.5 million children in eastern and southern Africa, at the epicenter of the epidemic, have lost their mothers or both parents to AIDS. AIDS orphans consequently need to drop out of school to care for a dying parent or to care and provide for younger siblings. During the World Summit Canada was pushing for more aid to help contain this epidemic but because of the "war on terrorism" it was put off. People in Africa are being forgotten by the rest of the world and leaving their children to live in poverty with inadequet health care. So what happens as they grow up with no hope and learn of how noone made an effort to help them?
For one, improving foreigh policies could help. Fighting poverty is another... If we give people hope, and get rid of the need for people to take extremist measures, maybe we'll have less terroist acts.
-Mike
Certified Mad Doctor and HoP High Priest of Nutella
A buckuht n a hooze! -Valura
Your life is ending one minute at a time...
So live it.
Some Jarhead last night: "this dumb a$$ thinks hes fireproof"
Your life is ending one minute at a time...
So live it.
Some Jarhead last night: "this dumb a$$ thinks hes fireproof"
thats right i look like an albino ape that has had a bad day.. go ahead say something stupid... i dare ya !
Your life is ending one minute at a time...
So live it.
quote:Ever heard of Echelon?
isnt worth the cost to put tabs on everybody in the US. Trust me, I work for those penny pinchers. The US hates to spend money especially if they think it might be wasted.
Some Jarhead last night: "this dumb a$$ thinks hes fireproof"
thats right i look like an albino ape that has had a bad day.. go ahead say something stupid... i dare ya !
Some Jarhead last night: "this dumb a$$ thinks hes fireproof"
quote:Ray, how is spinning glowsticks putting anyone's life in danger?
Originally posted by Raymund P.:
Is your right to spin glowsticks at a club worth the cost of a life?
Do you have to go to a club to spin glowstics? No hell no, hell I go outside my barracks and spin, I am sure you can get your buds together and go spin if you wish. Hell bring a CD player and have your own damn music!
You dont need drugs to have fun
You dont need to be a club to have fun
You dont need to have glowsticks at a club to have fun
-Mike
Certified Mad Doctor and HoP High Priest of Nutella
A buckuht n a hooze! -Valura
quote:Because between the 2 countries there is an agreement called NAFTA which allows the "free trade" of goods between, Canada, US and Mexico. According to the WTO, who handle trade disputes, has said it's illegal to put tarrif which have cost thousand of Canadians their jobs and in turn hurts our economy. Shouldn't both countries have the responsiblity to eachother to uphold agreements? It's like making a promise one day and the next break it because it doesn't blend well with your day.
Why should any country allow trade from another country that hurt its econimy?
quote:I live in Canada so no I have never heard that.
Ever hear the phrase, "Buy American made"?
quote:So because you might piss someone off you should do nothing and piss everyone off? That makes no sense. Even a little help is very appreiated by third world countries, giving some opportunity to get back on their feet. Even as individuals taking the time to learn about what the people are going through and trying to help other individuals in small ways goes a long way.
Canadian Guy, please come up with a plan to end poverty, that wont piss anybody off. If you can do that I will do my damndest to follow it up.
quote:Because between the 2 countries there is an agreement called NAFTA which allows the "free trade" of goods between, Canada, US and Mexico. According to the WTO, who handle trade disputes, has said it's illegal to put tarrif which have cost thousand of Canadians their jobs and in turn hurts our economy. Shouldn't both countries have the responsiblity to eachother to uphold agreements? It's like making a promise one day and the next break it because it doesn't blend well with your day.
Why should any country allow trade from another country that hurt its econimy?
quote:I live in Canada so no I have never heard that.
Ever hear the phrase, "Buy American made"?
quote:So because you might piss someone off you should do nothing and piss everyone off? That makes no sense. Even a little help is very appreiated by third world countries, giving some opportunity to get back on their feet. Even as individuals taking the time to learn about what the people are going through and trying to help other individuals in small ways goes a long way.
Canadian Guy, please come up with a plan to end poverty, that wont piss anybody off. If you can do that I will do my damndest to follow it up.
Some Jarhead last night: "this dumb a$$ thinks hes fireproof"
quote:When your example mentioned tarrifs and lumber trade disputes and the orginal post was about US/Canada relations you can see why I used NAFTA as an example. I don't know what the details of every countries trade agreements are but a law abiding country (whatever country that may be) should not dishonour those agreements just because they feel like it. Both countries have a responsibility to eachother to repect that.
Secondly, I was talking about every country not the US and Canada in particuler.
quote:I got your point the first which is why I asked "So because you might piss someone off you should do nothing and piss everyone off?" What would you do? I think that people around the world expect that you save everyone but working with existing organization and listening to the international community is a good start.
Theird, If I help Country A with their poverty, either by giving them money or some other form of aid, I might piss off Country B. That is breeding a possibility for some sort of jelous reaction. Be it an attack on Country A or my country.
quote:This I don't understand at all. I always thought greed was the need to posses more then you needed or required.
You cant lift someone up with out pissing someone else off. It is called greed and every human myself included suffers from greed of some sort.
Some Jarhead last night: "this dumb a$$ thinks hes fireproof"