<http://www.canada.com/topics/news/national/story.html?id=3d7a3fe5-7cee-47e6 -8654-14b0cab485f3&k=93910> http://www.canada.com/topics/news/national/story.html?id=3d7a3fe5-7cee-47e6- 8654-14b0cab485f3&k=93910 Terrorists who face increased security abroad will target Canada: expert Lauren La Rose Canadian Press Thursday, June 22, 2006 TORONTO (CP) - Lax public security in Canada's largest city makes this country easy prey for terrorists increasingly thwarted by the vigilance of other nations around the world, a British counterterrorism expert warned Wednesday. "As other parts of the world become more target-hardened, the terrorists are going to start looking at areas where they're going to have an impact and where it's going to be easier for them to attack," Keith Weston told delegates during the third and final day of a disaster management conference. While praising Canada's "fantastic, open society," the former head of the counterterrorism unit of London's metropolitan police force said he found low levels of security while walking the streets of Toronto. "This is the type of thing, through terrorist eyes, (that) makes you a very target-rich environment." Weston's dire prediction comes on the heels of police thwarting an alleged terror plot in southern Ontario earlier this month that led to the arrests of 17 people. The group, compromised of Canadian residents, is alleged to have planned a series of bombings and terrorist acts. Weston, who now works as a senior research fellow in counterterrorism at the Resilience Centre at Cranfield University in the U.K., insisted the focus of his address was to raise awareness rather than create alarm among Canadians. He devoted much of his address to the preparedness and response measures used by British authorities after the July 2005 bombings in London, and said that Canada needs to develop its own counterterrorist strategy. "We live in a world where (terrorism) is inevitable," Weston said. Such a threat demands greater security measures at the U.S.-Canada border, the U.S. ambassador to Canada told the delegates earlier Wednesday. "Many folks are concerned that we will sacrifice our extraordinary trade and tourism success for tougher security standards," David Wilkins said in reference to a U.S. initiative that will see passports required at all land crossings by January 2008. "There's absolutely no one in my country who wants to impede trade or travel in the name of security, but they are not mutually exclusive - you can have both." Last month, Canada's western premiers and some U.S. governors jointly called for a delay in the passport requirements to allow time to consider and implement alternatives. "This passport initiative will result in more secure borders for both of us, and a border that works smarter and more effectively," Wilkins said. A plan that would see the U.S. and Canada co-ordinating emergency services and personnel in the event of a crisis is also in the works, he added. The ambassador also praised the efforts of Canadian authorities for the arrests of the 17 Ontario terrorist suspects, sentiments he said are echoed by U.S. President George W. Bush. "If anything goes to the heart of disaster management, it's thwarting a potentially devastating terrorist plot," Wilkins said. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Check out the new improvements in Yahoo! Groups email. http://us.click.yahoo.com/6pRQfA/fOaOAA/yQLSAA/TySplB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> -------------------------- Want to discuss this topic? Head on over to our discussion list, [EMAIL PROTECTED] -------------------------- Brooks Isoldi, editor [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.intellnet.org Post message: osint@yahoogroups.com Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. OSINT, as a part of The Intelligence Network, is making it available without profit to OSINT YahooGroups members who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information in their efforts to advance the understanding of intelligence and law enforcement organizations, their activities, methods, techniques, human rights, civil liberties, social justice and other intelligence related issues, for non-profit research and educational purposes only. We believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osint/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
