After intercepting “test run” packages in September, American security officials predicted that Yemen-based terrorists would attempt to send packaged bombs to the U.S. by way of commercial aircraft.
That sombre prediction proved accurate with the discovery of Chicago-bound packaged bombs a week ago, in cargo aircraft in Dubai and the UK.
Proof: terrorism continues to be a dominant global risk theme in the 21st century.
General Michael Hayden, former CIA director, believes that attack attempts won’t stop. U.S. counter-terrorism measures may force a reduction in intensity, but with an increase in frequency.
Hayden: “As a measure of our success, Al-Qaeda plots and attacks against the United States are almost certainly going to be less complex, less well-organized, less likely to succeed, less lethal when they do succeed and more numerous and more difficult to detect.”
Hardly a comforting message.
Hayden continues: “The question for US citizens and business is how much of your commerce, your convenience and your privacy are you willing to give up…so that we have a higher probability in detecting (attacks)?”
How long until we in Canada are forced to encounter similar questions?
Our problem: unlike the U.S., there exists very little terrorism coverage in Canada, and no system of government backstop should an attack occur on Canadian properties, businesses and infrastructure.
Tags: airline, economy, environment, risk, safety, terrorism
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Graham Robinson
November 8, 2010 at 4:33 pm
The American people should consider the words of the founding fathers.
“They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety”
Benjamin Franklin
I am convinced that the security danger is not as high as it is made out to be but I am not willing to give up my freedom for security. The lattest example is the “Enhanced Pat Downs”. This is gone to far in my opinion.
pl
November 9, 2010 at 3:45 pm
Like Most Canadians- We dont feel a threat from terrorism. ??? We also Know our neighbours, the americans
will Protect us ???
MB
November 10, 2010 at 12:35 pm
One of the marks to the end of the Roman Empire posited by the English Historian and British Member of Parliament Edward Gibbon in his book The Decline of The Roman Empire was that there was an increased desire to live off the state. Are we there? Will we give our freedom and live off the state in exchange for security?
SD
November 11, 2010 at 9:52 am
I think that terrorism will always exist in our ever changing world and that Canadians will continue to hang onto the shirt tails of the United States.
HG
November 11, 2010 at 10:10 am
At this time I do not feel there is a treat from terrorism in Canada. I feel safe in my country.
jp
November 11, 2010 at 10:21 am
Terrorism is a very unpleasant thought on it’s own, and then to think of the lack of coverage there would be should an attack occur in Canada is beyond frightening.
HC
November 11, 2010 at 4:56 pm
How do you decide between privacy and security?