Speaking to 2,000 representatives of Canada's business elite here September 24, Prime Minister Jean Chretien pledged the Canadian government's support for Washington's drive to war. Earlier that day Chrétien had met with U.S. president George Bush in Washington. The Star reported that Chretien told Bush, "'You're not alone' in a fight against killers who struck a blow at the values of free and civilized peoples. 'We are with you. The whole world is with you.'"

Chretien reported that Bush did not request Canadian military assistance for the military assault being prepared against Afghanistan. "I said to him that if there is a need, we will be there to help him," he said. The previous day Finance Minister Paul Martin announced that Ottawa had followed Washington's lead and ordered a freeze on the assets of some 27 institutions or individuals identified by Bush as having links to terrorism.

Ottawa has been preparing a new "anti-terrorism" law for some time. As part of the war buildup, Justice Minister Anne McLellan announced September 25 that the legislation would for the first time designate a list of terrorist groups, making it illegal to engage in fundraising activities on their behalf. "We are considering both a definition for terrorist organization and the addition of a list of designated organizations that would be defined as terrorist organizations," she said. McLellan said that the new law would be similar to one introduced this year dealing with criminal gangs. In both cases, she said, it would be legal to be a member of the group, but participation in its activities would be a criminal act.

Ottawa is also speeding up the passage of Bill C-16, which would remove the charitable tax status of organizations that the government claims raise money for so-called terrorists.

Transport Minister David Collenette announced that airports would soon install new advanced detection systems for explosives, and said that his department is tightening security for crop dusters to ensure they are not used by terrorists for biological warfare. However, he rejected proposals to station armed marshals on Canadian planes or to allow pilots to arm themselves.

Mirroring an announcement by U.S. attorney general John Ashcroft that Washington will tighten security along the Canadian border because it is being used by terrorists as a "transit point," Canadian Immigration Minister Elinor Caplan declared she had ordered that refugee claimants be subjected to a tough new screening process. Before the new moves, Caplan had already been preparing a new, more restrictive immigration law.

As a result of the new order, immigration officials are not allowing those claiming refugee status to enter the country until they have undergone extensive security checks. Refugees were previously given basic checks and were often allowed into Canada, even if they did not have valid identification documentation. Caplan also announced that she had ordered her department to speed up plans to adopt a high-tech identity card for landed immigrants in Canada, a move towards imposing mandatory identity cards on all Canadian citizens.

Ottawa's participation in Washington's war drive is responsible for the increasing victimization of workers who are Muslim or of Arab origin.

Since September 11, Nageeb Al-Hadi from Yemen has been held at Toronto's West Detention Center by immigration cops, after his Frankfurt-Chicago flight was diverted following the attacks in Washington and New York. Al-Hadi is charged with uttering a false statement to apply for and use a U.S. passport, as well as fraudulently using a U.S. visa. Even though the cops have not linked him to the attacks two weeks ago, the FBI wants him extradited to the United States.

During his September 25 court appearance, Al-Hadi, speaking through an assigned Arabic interpreter, said he has repeatedly asked for a lawyer since he can't afford one, has been told to sign documents he doesn't understand, and has been denied the use of a phone.

In one attack a Hindu Temple in Hamilton was burned to the ground. In Ottawa, a 15-year old Muslim boy was pulled from his bicycle and beaten unconscious by a dozen youth who blamed him for the attacks in New York. Muslim organizations have advised parents to keep their children out of school.  
 
Thousands of workers face layoffs
In his Toronto address to his big-business supporters, Chretien declared that "the Canadian economy was strong before September 11, and it is strong after September 11.... All of us have an obligation to demonstrate both resolve and confidence in the future," he said.

Thousands of workers facing layoffs are finding out what this "resolve and confidence" is really all about.

On September 26, Air Canada, Canada's largest airline, announced job cuts of 5,000 workers. The carrier is threatening to lay off 6,000 more.

Transat AT, Canada's largest charter airline, has already announced its intentions of eliminating 1,300 jobs and of freezing or cutting the pay of the remaining employees. Also on September 26, Montreal-based Bombardier, one of the world's leading regional jet manufacturers, announced layoffs of 3,800 workers--2,700 of them at its Canadian facilities in Montreal and Toronto.

John Steele is a meat packer and member of the United Food and Commercial Workers union.
 
 
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