The FLQ group known as the Camille Laurin cell has written another letter to Jean Charest, and French President Jacques Chirac. Like the first letter sent out by this cell, they have named February 15 as the date their bombing campaign will begin.

In this weeks letter, they specifically mention highways and high-traffic areas as targets along with airports and crowded shopping malls, adding "a combination of vehicles, letter bombs, remote-control explosive devices will be used and most of these devices are already in place."

The RCMP is mum on the situation. RCMP Corporal Luc Bessette said "We have no indication that they are able to carry out what they threaten. Is it a hoax? That's possible. Is it real? That's possible too. The RCMP takes seriously all threats against our citizens." They have also indicated that they're working with CSIS on this threat.

The timing of the threats may be important as well. With a federal budget about to drop in mid-March, the FLQ cell may be hoping to effect a Federal election which could follow, or the Provincial election to soon follow as well in Quebec.

Interestingly, the federal budget is alleged to contain an extra $2 billion for Quebec in equalization payments. That, along with the Canadian governments recognition of the Quebecois as "a distinct nation within Canada", may blind Quebecers to the "anglo-saxon imperialism" which motivates this cell.

If the RCMP finds anybody connected to this threat, they should be treated like the terrorists they are, and not like the terrorists in Caledonia.

Labels: Bloc Quebecois, Canadian Justice, Quebec, RCMP, Terrorism

The numbers speak volumes.

Those who think Afghan President Hamid Karzai is a lost cause should think again. So says the evidence from a recent poll of what Afghans think, five years after the fall of the Taliban. "The current Afghan government retains broad support," concludes the survey by Charney Research, with 68 per cent of Afghans approving Karzai’s work.
(snip)
While the Taliban are active throughout south and west Afghanistan, their suicide bombings and attacks on schools and government buildings are not winning them any supporters. Nearly 90 per cent of Afghans have unfavourable views of the Taliban, with 76 per cent saying they have "very unfavourable" views. The only thing with a worse rating: Osama bin Laden.
(snip)
Another indication of the trauma of Taliban rule is that 85 per cent or more Afghans are thankful for the US invasion, grateful for the presence of North Atlantic Treaty Organisation troops in the country and prefer the Karzai government – despite its inability to provide law and security or stamp out corruption – to the Taliban.

All the while Jack Bin Layton, Gilles Duceppe and Stephane Dion talk about how the mission is a failure. They want to quit now that we're on the verge of victory. The Taliban are hated in Afghanistan, and they need to be exterminated.

Oh, and is this what it looks like to "force our lifestyle" on another culture? Because I think they like it.

Labels: Afghanistan, Bloc Quebecois, Dead Dictators, democracy, Fun With Polls, NDP, politics, Stephane Dion, Stephen Harper, Treason

The treasonous Gilles Duceppe is making wild threats about toppling the government over military operations in Afghanistan. Not surprisingly, he's got support from other opposition parties.

Bloc Quebecois Leader Gilles Duceppe warned Monday he might table a non-confidence motion if the mandate of Canadian soldiers in the wartorn country doesn't change.

And the other opposition parties suggested they might join a Bloc effort to that effect in the new year.

Duceppe is only making these threats because Quebec is starting to send a lot more troops over. He is not concerned with the well being of Canada's reputation on the International stage. His only concern is not losing more seats in Quebec come next election.

Fortunately for Duceppe, the Liberal Party has just elected another coward in Stephane Dion. Dion has also expressed skepticism about the War in Afghanistan, saying, "We'll wait to see (the motion) before making a choice."

The NDP's position on Afghanistan is quite clear. Jack Bin Layton can't cut-and-run fast enough. His policy is unilateral withdrawal, and possible peace talks with the Taliban.

These are the three parties that are currently screaming bloody murder about a $5M cut to the "Status Of Women". Yet they have no problem sending every woman in Afghanistan back into the stone age. Not to mention all of those schools we've built, they'll all be promptly destroyed.

Either way, I don't think Duceppe, Dion, or Jack Bin Layton have the guts to fight an election over the Afghan War. Since Layton started spouting off about unilateral withdrawal, the NDP's popularity has dropped by six percent. If Canadians do decide that they want out of Afghanistan (and I don't think they do), surely they wouldn't decide to elect the Liberals - who got us into Afghanistan in the first place. Which leaves the Bloc, who only runs candidates in Quebec.

So the only party that would actually gain from making the Afghan War the main election issue, is the Bloc. That being said, neither the Bloc, or Liberals have presented any kind of an alternative strategy in Afghanistan - while the NDPs plan is offensive to most Canadians. Dion will have a tough time articulating any kind of "alternative strategy" in Afghanistan, since he was sitting in Cabinet when the Liberal government committed our troops to the mission.

Duceppe is bluffing, however. And I think Harper should call him on it.

Labels: Afghanistan, Bloc Quebecois, Dirty Liberals, politics, Stephane Dion, Treason