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Thread ID: 3782 | Posts: 3 | Started: 2002-12-01
2002-12-01 02:26 | User Profile
[url=http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&cid=840&ncid=721&e=10&u=/nm/20021129/wl_canada_nm/canada_hizbollah_col]Jewish Group Sues Ottawa, Wants Ban on Hizbollah[/url]
By David Ljunggren
OTTAWA (Reuters) - A prominent Jewish organization said on Friday it had launched a law suit against the Canadian government to try to force it to outlaw the political wing of the Lebanese guerrilla group Hizbollah.
Canada this week added six groups, including the Palestinian militant movements Hamas and Islamic Jihad, to a list of entities banned for involvement "in terrorist activity." But it made no move on Hizbollah, whose military wing it banned in late 2001.
Ottawa is resisting pressure to outlaw the political wing, which Foreign Minister Bill Graham has described as a legitimate movement.
The government said on Friday that the law suit, filed by B'nai Brith, would have no effect.
B'nai Brith said the suit asked Canada's federal court to force the government to ban all of Hizbollah, and it took out full-page newspaper adverts strongly criticizing Graham.
"The government of Canada continues to provide protection, comfort and aid to terrorists operating in this country," said Frank Dimant, executive vice-president of B'nai Brith Canada.
"The enemy must be identified and the enemy must be eradicated and we as Canadians must stop the lifeline of funding for such terror," he told reporters, accusing Canada of having sheltered Nazi war criminals after World War Two.
The leader of Hizbollah on Friday urged Palestinians to ignore international criticism of suicide attacks and keep up the armed struggle against Israel.
Solicitor-General Wayne Easter, who is responsible for deciding which groups should be banned, told CBC television he would only act when he was sure he had enough evidence.
"In terms of the decisions I have to make it (the law suit) isn't going to either affect me in terms of speeding up or slowing down the decisions I have to make," he said.
"When I put forward an entity (to be banned)...I want to do it with full confidence in my own mind of the facts and without being fogged up by political persuasions."
Although Easter has declined to say whether Ottawa is considering a ban on Hizbollah, National Revenue Minister Elinor Caplan said such a move was on the cards.
"As I understand it the process is ongoing and as soon as there is sufficient information and evidence to support a listing, the decision will be made," she told reporters.
The Canadian Alliance opposition party has long lamented what it sees as Ottawa's failure to crack down on Hizbollah and other similar groups.
"Just why is it that Canadian citizens have to sue their government in order to protect their own safety?" Jason Kenney asked Graham in parliament. Graham did not reply and it was left to Easter's deputy to brush off the question.
B'nai Brith lawyer David Matas said Hizbollah was trying to project itself in a better light and seemed to be taking its cues from Graham.
These accusations and the newspaper adverts clearly irritated Graham, whose staff pointed out that under Canadian law the solicitor general is responsible for deciding decides which groups should be banned.
"B'nai Brith does good work but it should get its facts straight," a spokeswoman for Graham told Reuters.
A spokeswoman for the Israeli embassy said Israel agreed that all parts of Hizbollah should be banned in Canada.
"The enemy must be identified and the enemy must be eradicated and we as Canadians must stop the lifeline of funding for such terror," he told reporters, accusing Canada of having sheltered Nazi war criminals after World War Two.
"We as Canadians," what a laugh, this statement coming from the People of the Multiple Passports ™. And, for good measure, he tosses in the obligatory reference to World War Two to get the goyim moving. A patented political cattle prod, itz!
I'm waiting for a ban on terrorist groups like the B'nai B'rith.
2002-12-01 02:58 | User Profile
The soil is waiting, and its embrace is just gettin' colder, fellas.....
2002-12-02 03:14 | User Profile
the People of the Multiple Passports ââ¢
Another classic.