Close X
Monday, November 25, 2024
ADVT 
National

Harper Ratchets Up Powerful Anti-terror Rhetoric; Just Posturing, Trudeau Says

The Canadian Press, 10 Aug, 2015 10:07 AM
    OTTAWA — Stephen Harper ramped up the anti-terror talk Monday, defending Canada's role in the fight against insurgents in the Middle East and slamming his two main rivals for what he considers their misguided opposition to military action.
     
    With the trial of disgraced senator Mike Duffy set to make its dramatic return to the political stage this week, the Conservative leader is escalating the rhetoric as he depicts his party as the only one capable of keeping Canadians safe.
     
    Harper strongly defended the use of Canadian warplanes against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant — also known as ISIL and ISIS — as he promised Canada would  take in more refugees from the region over the next several years.
     
    Offering safe haven to refugees is not enough, the prime minister said during a campaign stop in Markham, Ont.
     
    "ISIS, left to its own devices, will create millions, tens of millions of refugees and victims on a monthly basis," he said.
     
    "That's why the international community intervened ... President Obama and our allies felt we had no choice. We were witnessing mass slaughter at an alarming, lightning pace that was sweeping across the region."
     
    Harper brushed off the criticisms of NDP Leader Tom Mulcair and Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau, who reject military action and have urged that Canada stick to providing humanitarian aid.
     
    "If your policy is humanitarian assistance without military support, all you're doing is dropping aid on dead people," Harper said.
     
    " That's not acceptable. We're a country that can contribute militarily and in a humanitarian sense, and we are doing both."
     
    Harper says a re-elected Conservative government would bring in 10,000 additional religious minority refugees from Syria and Iraq, targeting refugees in the region who face persecution or the threat of extremist violence.
     
    On Sunday, the prime minister raised eyebrows with a promise to ban travel to regions controlled by terror groups, saying such travel is "not a human right"— a comment he repeated Monday.
     

    MORE National ARTICLES

    B.C. Company's Agile Robots Crawling Where Humans Can't

    B.C. Company's Agile Robots Crawling Where Humans Can't
    What started as a fun project for two techies on Vancouver Island more than 25 years ago has now become an industry leader in robotic crawlers.

    B.C. Company's Agile Robots Crawling Where Humans Can't

    Indian-Origin Journalist Adrienne Batra Honoured in Canada

    Indian-Origin Journalist Adrienne Batra Honoured in Canada
    Adrienne Batra, Toronto Sun newspaper's editor-in-chief, received the "Best Journalist Award" on Friday at 'Parvasi Awards' organised by the Parvasi Media Group.

    Indian-Origin Journalist Adrienne Batra Honoured in Canada

    2 Dead After Car Collides With Moose North Of Quebec City

    2 Dead After Car Collides With Moose North Of Quebec City
    The car jumped the median and crashed into a rock wall after striking the animal around midnight in the Laurentides Wildlife Reserve

    2 Dead After Car Collides With Moose North Of Quebec City

    Party Aims To Give People With Disabilities A Chance To Explore Sexuality

    Party Aims To Give People With Disabilities A Chance To Explore Sexuality
    TORONTO — A party meant to give people with disabilities a chance to explore and express their sexuality is shining a spotlight on an enduring and often ignored barrier for those with physical and mental limitations.

    Party Aims To Give People With Disabilities A Chance To Explore Sexuality

    Suspect In Montreal Double Homicide Turns Himself In To Police Saturday Night

    Suspect In Montreal Double Homicide Turns Himself In To Police Saturday Night
    Police released a video of the suspect entering a bar earlier this week, and had described him as dangerous and possibly armed.

    Suspect In Montreal Double Homicide Turns Himself In To Police Saturday Night

    Keystone Pipeline-Maker Braces For Obama Rejection, Already Planning Next Move

    WASHINGTON — The Canadian company involved in the controversy-plagued Keystone XL pipeline project has begun planning its response to an anticipated rejection of the project by U.S. President Barack Obama.

    Keystone Pipeline-Maker Braces For Obama Rejection, Already Planning Next Move