Terrorism Is a Threat to Canada
Terrorism is a threat to Canada. Canadian’s who receive training in terrorism and related activities can return back to Canada and pose as a risk to the nation’s safety. There are also extremist groups which can influence lone wolf attacks on Canadian soil. Lastly, terrorist hotbeds can endanger the lives of Canadians traveling overseas. This paper will examine, thoroughly, some of the forms in which terrorism exists within the country and abroad.
People who leave Canada and receive training from terrorist organizations overseas and then return to Canada are a threat to our security and wellbeing. Firstly, there are 130 Canadians who are known to have traveled overseas and participated in training exercises with terrorist organizations (“Small but Notable”, 2014, para#2). The Canadians who travelled abroad participated in training, promoted radical views, fundraised, and planned violent attacks (“Small but Notable”, 2014, para.3). Secondly, there are 80 Canadians who returned to Canada after they participated in training related to terrorist activities. Last year (2013) four people were arrested and charged with planning attacks here in Canada (“Small but Notable”, 2014, para.14). Thirdly, terrorism is not new to people in Canada. Historically, numerous terrorist attacks have been committed in Canada (Michael McKenna, 2013, para.2). For example, a bomb was detonated at the Cuban consulate in Montreal in 1972, and it killed a Cuban official. There was also the 1989 shooting at the University of Montreal in which Marc Lupine (an anti-feminist) killed 14 people and injured 10 (Michael McKenna, 2013).
The fact that Canada has allies that are currently in conflict with various terrorist organizations, such as those located in Syria and Iraq, puts the nation’s national security in jeopardy. Canadians have strong ties with the UK, which has recently raised its national threat level (The Spectator, 2014). The Prime Minister of the UK, David Cameron, increased the nations threat level from substantial to severe (The Spectator, 2014). He proposed that police have enhanced powers at the borders, by being able to seize, temporality, passports from people suspected of being connected to terrorism (The Spectator, 2014). Additionally, along with the UK, Canada has recently targeted the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) with airstrikes (CTV, 2014). Which further puts Canada at risk. Recently, ISIS has kidnapped American and British journalists, and killed them, therefore Canadians may succumb to the same fate.
Furthermore, Canada has strengthened its security relations with other nations. French and Canadian Law enforcement agencies have been collaborating in the fight against terrorism as well as sharing information on high-risk