Prime Time Crime

They say timing is everything.  President Obama said in an interview Friday that ISIS, which he once described as a ‘junior varsity team’ was ‘contained’.  Hours later Murphy’s Law gave him a swift kick in the ass in the form of a terrorist massacre in Paris by some ISIS types who appear to have slipped the leash. 

Mr. Obama can draw some comfort from the old adage that there’s nothing so bad that it couldn’t be worse.  I’m speaking here of our newly elected Prime Minister Justin Trudeau who’s quickly making the President look like he actually has a spine. 

Prior to last month’s election Trudeau promised to withdraw from the allied coalition that’s been delivering air strikes to ISIS positions.  He also pledged to repeal certain sections from the Conservative anti-terror bill that provided for, among other things, stripping convicted terrorists of their Canadian citizenship. 

In keeping with long-standing Liberal tradition, Trudeau, when he isn't rationalizing terrorism (No surprise Justin Trudeaus a Liberal on terrorism), views it as a law enforcement problem that the police & the courts are capable of dealing with.  I’ve got tremendous respect for the Emergency Response Team’s skill, capabilities, and equipment but something like Paris would completely overwhelm them.  Look at the chaos that one lunatic with a single-action rifle caused on Parliament Hill last year.  Now imagine multiple assailants in multiple locations armed with AK-47s and wearing suicide vests. 

If the police are left to deal with this they’d better be given a lot more manpower, more robust gear and a brand-new game plan.  Chiefs across the country need to be taking the long view on this and politicians had better realize that it not only can happen here but it will.   As the Toronto 18 case showed, Islamic terrorism is already here and there’s plenty more on the way, almost certainly among the 25,000 refugees that will be here by year’s end, no matter what.  ISIS may be fanatical but they’re not stupid and they’d never miss an opportunity like this.  Don’t for a second believe Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale’s assurances that these people will all be properly vetted.  Firstly, they don’t have near enough people and less than 2 months isn’t near enough time.  Secondly, vet them against what?       

Trudeau described the Paris attacks as "deeply worrying".  Really?  That’s the best you’ve got?  Not even a hint of condemnation much less any outrage.  Even Obama managed that.  In the last 24 hours airstrikes have killed 2 key figures of an organization of madmen in many ways more evil than the Nazis.  Most would think 'who wouldn't want to be involved in that?' but he's still pulling our jets out.  Perhaps he believes that if we leave them alone they’ll leave us alone.  Franklin Roosevelt believed that in 1939 and on December 7th, 1941 the United States paid a very dear price for his naiveté.  History is full of examples of the folly of trying to appease tyrants.  As a friend of mine once said, those who do usually wind up kneeling in orange jumpsuits wondering how this ever happened.