"We're in all the way when it comes to dealing with this problem of terrorism," he said on CTV's Question Period. He added that the sending of warships, aircraft, a special forces commando unit, and 2,000 armed forces personnel to the region is part of a "multidimensional response" by Ottawa to the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon September 11.

The other "dimension" is an omnibus "anti-terror" bill placed before the federal parliament October 15 that constitutes an expansion of the rulers' attack on the rights of working people in Canada. The Liberal party government wants the legislation passed by Christmas.

The bill, introduced by Justice Minister Anne McLellan, contains sweeping new police powers to bug telephones and monitor Internet communications, similar to those the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) now has for intelligence gathering.

Under the new law police can obtain warrants for open-ended wiretaps of telephone, wireless, and online communications. As is the case with criminal warrants, they would not have to notify the subject and reveal their interception.

The bill amends the Criminal Code, the Official Secrets Act, and the National Defence Act, and paves the way for proscribing groups and individuals as terrorists. This process has already begun with the adoption by Ottawa of the U.S. government's list used for seizing the assets of "terrorists."

According to the Toronto Globe and Mail, the legislation defines terrorism as "an action taken for political, religious, or ideological purposes that threatens the public or national security by killing, seriously harming or endangering a person, causing property damage likely to injure people or by disrupting an essential service or facility." The designation of who is or isn't a terrorist is made in the same way "national security risks" are identified under immigration law--by ministerial certification before a judge in secret.

Other aspects of the bill include:

• The creation of a new criminal offense outlawing fund-raising for "terrorist groups," bringing Canadian law in line with the UN Convention of the Suppression of Terrorist Fund-raising.
• The creation of new Criminal Code offenses relating to the targeting of public places, transportation systems, government or infrastructure facilities with explosives or other lethal devices, bringing law into line with the UN Convention on Bombing.
• Making it a crime to be "part of a terrorist organization," and stipulating tough penalties for acts allegedly committed as part of such organizations. As well, those accused of terrorist acts abroad can face prosecution in Canada or extradition.
• Amending the Official Secrets Act to prohibit public disclosure of information to foreign states and "terrorist groups," that can threaten essential infrastructure.
• Assigning a new role for the Communications and Security Establishment (CSE), the highly secretive intelligence-gathering agency that comes under the Department of National Defense. CSE specializes in electronic espionage, monitoring radio and other transmissions, and is responsible for intercepting foreign intelligence.

Ottawa has already targeted immigrants and workers fleeing conditions in other countries. On October 12 the government announced measures that will result in the detention of more people claiming refugee status and longer periods of time in security clampdown. A $49-million package of measures includes funds for 100 new immigration cops at border points, increased efforts to deport "illegal" immigrants, and new so-called fraud resistant "Maple Leaf" identity cards for landed immigrants. The card will have a magnetic stripe that can contain "biometric information" such as iris and fingerprint scans.

The federal cops--the Royal Canadian Mounted Police--will also be given $55 million to create new border and national security teams, and to equip itself with new technology.  
 
Critics of the war not intimidated
The crackdown on workers' rights has encouraged harassment of critics of Ottawa's war policy. Sunera Thobani, a University of British Columbia (B.C.) professor, has been vilified in editorials across the country following a speech she gave October 1 at an Ottawa conference on the criminal justice system and women. In the talk she opposed the war drive against Afghanistan and said that the September 11 attacks need to be understood within the context of a U.S. foreign policy "soaked in blood." She is the subject of a B.C. resident's hate-crimes complaint to the police.

However, the government campaign has not intimidated opponents of Ottawa's war drive. Seventy-five delegates to the October 12–14 National Conference and annual general meeting of the National Action Committee on the Status of Women (NAC) adopted a resolution condemning Washington and Ottawa for a war that aims to "consolidate their imperialist domination of this region of the world." The resolution also accused Ottawa of "whipping up the racist anti-Muslim campaign with increased security measures it is adopting in the name of fighting terrorism." The resolution calls for an end to the bombing of Afghanistan and the withdrawal of "all imperialist troops" from Central Asia and the Middle East. NAC is the umbrella organization for organizations outside of Quebec that fight for women's rights.

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