Fishy?

On Monday, I took exception to some of CSIS director Hooper's assertions about "terrorist cells" operating in Canada.

Today, I wake up to this batch of arrests being made in Ontario. The investigation - and arrests - at this point appear to largely be the result of due process, and underscore my fundamental point in Monday's posting - namely that we have processes in Canada for handling such cases, and we should be using them.

CBC's coverage includes some comments from this morning's new conference that bother me a bit:

"For various reasons, they appear to have become adherents of a violent ideology inspired by al-Qaeda," said Luc Portelance, Assistant Director of Operations for the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS).

What bugs me about this is twofold - first is the immediate attempt to associate the business with al Qaeda in the public mind. What we have right now is a group of people who are arrested on allegations of plotting an act of violence. No trials have happened yet, no convictions have been obtained - this is no more than innuendo.

Over here, we have Prime Minister Harper's statement on the matter. Largely a bunch of politicized froth from what I can see.

Now, let's actually put these people on trial and see if due legal process confirms the allegations against them - unlike what was done to these two young men who were caught playing paintball in a Virginia forest, and have been sentenced to life in prison as a result of what I can only politely call a show trial. (which would never have happened if they hadn't been of middle eastern descent I suspect)

I'm not going to speculate on whether there are other groups rattling around in the woodwork - such speculation is pointless and only generates an atmosphere of fear and paranoia that is unnecessary.

Cynically, I fully expect the Harper government to play this up as an excuse to further march in lock-step (goose step?) with BushCo.