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The Daily Illini Online
published Friday, September 14, 2001
One reason the United States is vulnerable to terrorist attacks is the Canadian government's lax policies toward terrorist organizations. While the United States and some other (most recently British) governments have introduced laws restricting terrorist organizations operating in their countries, Canada is known to welcome people (some as "refugees") without checking their backgrounds. Furthermore, they don't have adequate laws against terrorist groups.
Terrorists find Canada as a safe haven for fundraising, for propaganda, to plan terrorist acts in other countries and also as an easy transit point to arrive in the United States. I will not be surprised if investigations into the devastating terrorist acts Tuesday found out the perpetrators had used Canada in some way or the other.
Even some Canadian media seem to be concerned about the Canadian government's attitude toward this problem. For instance, the National Post newspaper editorial on Sept. 8 said, " ... Liberal government is doing little to prevent groups linked to foreign terrorists from raising funds in Canada. Our country's lax policy facilitates bloodshed abroad ... Terrorism should not be financed with Canadian money ... What part of that do the Liberals not understand?"
The U.S. government and citizens should urge Canadians to act. The fight against terrorism will not succeed if Canada remains a weak link.
Sanath Jayasena
graduate student