Commentary
Those who work in national security in Canada have a crucial task: to safeguard our country from various threats. These threats range from common criminal activities like assaults, thefts, fraud, and violence (which are more related to public safety than national security) to actions that truly jeopardize our nation’s well-being and integrity: espionage, foreign interference, community influence and repression, and terrorism.
These threats typically arise within our borders. Countries such as Russia and China send agents to steal our secrets and undermine our democracy. Regimes like Iran may attempt to intimidate opponents, sometimes issuing threats of harm if their activities continue. Terrorists aim to plan and carry out attacks within our country to instill fear and terror among the population, all in the name of an underlying ideology.
Additionally, Canada is part of alliances such as NATO and the Five Eyes, where we share intelligence with partners to help protect their citizens. It is crucial for our security agencies to ensure that no Canadians leave the country to harm our allies. In the past, several Canadians have been involved in Islamist terrorist attacks abroad, which strains bilateral relations.
Without concrete data, it is challenging to determine if the perpetrator’s brief visit to Ontario in 2023 is linked to the New Year’s Day attack. However, the mere possibility of a connection has serious implications, as seen in past incidents.
In December 1999, Ahmed Ressam attempted to cross the Canada-U.S. border to bomb Los Angeles Airport, earning him the moniker the Millennium Bomber. Thankfully, he was intercepted by a vigilant American border officer. Had his plan succeeded, it could have had catastrophic consequences on our relationship with the United States.
Even though the New Orleans attacker was American, any individual with ties to Canada successfully executing an attack on U.S. soil could have severe repercussions, especially with Trump assuming the presidency.
It is undoubtedly a significant responsibility. I extend my best wishes to them.
Views expressed in this article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
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