Mr. Chairman, it is a pleasure to speak to the motion which states that the committee take note of the international actions against terrorism. It is unfortunate that we have to address this issue at all, but the reality is such that we had the terrible and horrendous events of September 11. They drove home the reality of this international threat and therefore it is necessary that we have this debate.
Canadians have always been proud to make an international contribution from the Boer War at the end of the 19th century to this new war on terrorism at the beginning of the 21st century.
Among our finest moments of distinguished service during the second world war were Vimy Ridge, the liberation of Holland and Italy, and Canada's role in the landings at Normandy. Many historians believe that those terrible years were the time when Canada truly achieved nationhood.
While military capability and involvement are not the only measure of nationhood, it is the critical issue in the face of the kind of evil that Canadians face in our world. Whether it is the events of September 11, genocide based on ethnic or tribal hatreds, or even belligerent nations with philosophies contrary to our own, the dangers faced by our citizens at home and abroad have grown and not shrunk in recent years.
We are beginning to realize that international terrorism has consequences not only for people from far off lands but for our own families too. It is important to remember that among the many thousands of innocents who died at the World Trade Center were many Canadian mothers and fathers, sisters, brothers, sons and daughters.
It is also important to recognize that we are just as vulnerable in Canada to bioterrorism as the recent victims of anthrax in Florida and New York. Even on the Hill today alarms were raised, security forces were called and there were emergency responses on at least three different occasions.
Unfortunately we are vulnerable in a number of other areas too. National security and defence ought to be the number one priority for any national government. Unfortunately we have taken this priority less and less seriously since the end of the second world war, to the point that we are barely able to make a minor contribution to this new war effort.
It seems that our contribution to the current military coalition may not be sustainable for more than about six months. While we are proud of the dedicated crews of our warships, the pilots of our planes and the elite soldiers of our joint task force two who are being deployed, it seems plain that we have too little in the way of resources, both troops and equipment, to make the kind of contribution that should be expected of us.
Our navy is short about 400 technical personnel. We are sending one of only two supply ships, which means that we will forgo normal operations on one of our two coasts. Based on our experience with East Timor, our air relief operations may be extremely limited. Our aging Sea King helicopters may pose a greater threat to our pilots than to terrorists.
The time to begin to reinvest in our military is certainly now. We must invest in new supply ships, in replacing our older Hercules aircraft and in the immediate purchase, or lease if necessary, of new helicopters. We need to bring our troop strength up substantially, including beefing up our joint task force 2.
September 11 has exposed the many years of neglect our military has suffered. We need to reinvest in our military and to restore morale and funding. We need to supply our fighting soldiers with the very best of equipment.
The enemy we face in terrorism is a new and uncertain threat to Canada. We should all be aware of the chilling words of Osama bin Laden who said recently “We have thousands of young men who are as eager to die as Americans are eager to live”.
We are dealing with a ruthless and evil mindset. There is no reasoning with this type of mentality.
There are those in other nations of the world who have dealt with terrorism for decades. They have learned through bitter experience the brutality, the carnage and the horrendous atrocities unleashed by terrorist mindset. Perhaps we can learn from their experience.
I would like to quote former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who describes in his recent book
Fighting Terrorism: The Top Ten Measures for Fighting Terror.
First, on the international scene, sanctions should be imposed on suppliers of nuclear technology to terrorist states. We need to eliminate the supply of such things as laser triggers and enriched uranium from western nations, China, Russia, et cetera, to countries such as Iraq and Afghanistan.
We should also be more concerned about other potential weapons of mass destruction. For example, it is clearly possible to buy many biological warfare agents by mail order.
Second, diplomatic, economic and military sanctions should be imposed on terrorist states themselves. Canada has a been a participant in invoking this measure in the past. We need to join with the international community in isolating those nations that harbour and collaborate with terrorists.
Third, we need to neutralize terrorist enclaves. While the United States and our current international coalition are engaged at the present moment with Afghanistan, it is clear that much more will have to be done if we are to reduce the threat of terrorism and enhance the security of our citizens and our world.
Fourth, we need to freeze financial assets in the west of terrorist regimes and organizations. We encourage their governments to take steps in this regard, but there are many other terrorist organizations that must be added to the current list.
Fifth, we need to share intelligence. While the intelligence Canada possesses about various terrorist groups may be considered less than important because the groups may pose little threat to Canada or have seemed to in the past, the information may be extremely valuable to other countries that are attempting to protect their citizens, particularly our neighbour to the south. We should be assured that intelligence sharing with other nations will indeed benefit Canada as well.
Sixth, we need to revise our legislation to enable greater surveillance and action against organizations inciting violence, subject to periodic renewal. Such a proposal includes outlawing terrorist fundraising and fund transfers, investigating groups preaching terror and tighter immigration laws. In Canada this will require also the enforcement of such laws.
Seventh, we need to actively pursue terrorists. It is easy to do when we have the events of September 11 fresh in our minds. Will we be as committed a year or a decade from now? It has been said over and over that this will be a long war. It is a different kind of war and it certainly appears that is exactly what it will be.
Eighth, jailed terrorists should not be released. They need to serve their full sentences. The punishment must fit the crime.
Ninth, special forces should be trained to fight terrorism. Again we need to beef up our joint task force 2. We also need to ensure that security personnel at airports, borders, ports, public institutions and other potential targets are properly trained to prevent and defend against terror.
Tenth, we need to educate the public. We need to clearly describe terrorist threats, the immorality of what they are doing and the necessity of resisting them. Probably nothing will be as eloquent as the events we witnessed on September 11 in helping all our citizens understand and drive home the reality of this threat.
This is advice from the nation with the most experience in combating terrorism. We support the government's response to the call to join the international coalition. We wish our troops, our forces Godspeed, divine protection and a safe return.
Tomorrow we will begin debate on the government's new anti-terrorism legislation that was tabled just this morning. We welcome this initiative and the debate. As we have declared in our national anthem, O Canada, we stand on guard for thee. We must now ensure that we fulfill that mandate to protect our citizens at home and abroad. We must take our place among the nations in resisting and defeating this virulent enemy.