Aug 12, 2016
CBC News – Aaron Wherry
What Aaron Driver means for the debate on amending Bill C-51- Case of ISIS sympathizer comes amid outstanding question of anti-terror laws
Aaron Driver is the terrorist killed on Wednesday by the RCMP in Strathroy, ON. The Driver threat of bombing a populated center has sparked a number of immediate concerns from the threat to the community that he posed living under a peace bond, to neighbourhood safety, to adequacy of funding to the RCMP for surveillance operations, to the Liberal government’s promise to revise the provisions of Bill C-51, especially in the light of the alert’s origin with the FBI, and not the RCMP. Craig Forcese, a law professor well versed in C-51 “says he hopes for a “more nuanced” conversation after the contentious debate about C-51. He laments that some assume new terrorism laws are simply good.” http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/wherry-aaron-driver-c51-1.3716909 (The link references several other articles on the issues.) Related article: Toronto Star – Tonda Maccharles and Alex Ballingall RCMP, FBI combine to stop terror attack in Ontario https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2016/08/11/rcmp-fbi-combine-to-stop-terror-attack-in-ontario.html Related article: National Newswatch – Canadian Press Transcript of Aaron Driver’s martyrdom video released Thursday by police – with Video http://www.nationalnewswatch.com/2016/08/11/transcript-of-aaron-drivers-martyrdom-video-released-thursday-by-police-with-video/#.V6znxfnyuUk Related article: CBC News – Rick McConnell and Andrea Huncar ‘I wanted to die myself,’ says father of Aaron Driver http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/aaron-driver-father-speaks-1.3717517 Related article: Globe and Mail – Leyland Cecco, Tu Thanh Ha and Mahnoor Yawar – Foiled threat in Strathroy, Ont., shows limits of controlling aspiring terrorists http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/suspect-killed-as-rcmp-counter-alleged-terror-plot/article31375034/ Related article: Ottawa Citizen Jason Fekete & Marie-Danielle Smith Liberals still plan to repeal parts of counterterrorism powers brought in by Harper government http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/national/liberals+still+plan+repeal+parts+counterterrorism+powers+brought/12120117/story.html Related article: The Guardian (UK) – Ashifa Kassam Vancouver police confirm use of ‘stingray’ surveillance technology https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/aug/10/vancouver-police-confirm-stingray-surveillance-technology
Globe and Mail – Steven Chase
Nature of peacekeeping no longer fits demands of conflict zones: Sajjan
The contemporary challenge around the use of Canada’s military used to be whether our forces are combatants or peacekeepers. National Defence Minister Sajjan seems to have introduced a new consideration, namely, the conflict zones in the world are no longer suitable for peacekeeping. He says: “… the job in conflict-ravaged countries is potentially more dangerous these days and said he prefers the phrase “peace support operations” to describe the task Canada is preparing to embrace in one or more places in Africa.” http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/nature-of-peacekeeping-no-longer-fits-demands-of-conflict-zones-sajjan/article31364202/ Related article: Globe and Mail – Derek Burney and Fen Osler Hampson Put Canada’s interests first when it comes to peacekeeping http://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/put-canadas-interests-first-when-it-comes-to-peacekeeping/article31382190/
The Walrus Magazine – September 2016
The September edition of Walrus is not yet available on line (http://thewalrus.ca/?gclid=CMCr75aAvM4CFYSFaQodvr4HSg ) but for those involved with justice issues is well worth the time. Jonathan Kay offers an analysis of the COSA operations (p. 66) in The Better Angels; The Boys from the Chocolate Factory offers a commentary of Canada as a marijuana super power; Jessica Johnson examines the Ghomeshi Effect. Going Broke in Legal Aid by Brese Davis looks at “the high cost of cheap justice.” Forever Soldiers looks at the problems around the ‘warrior class’ returning to Canada from combat missions.
The Guardian (UK) – Paul Farrell, Nick Evershed and Helen Davidson
The Nauru files: cache of 2,000 leaked reports reveal scale of abuse of children in Australian offshore detention
Already exposed as a method by the Australian government to discourage the arrival of immigrants by boat, the leak of these files, likely in defiance of more government regulations about who, including doctors, can disclose what happens on Nauru Island, now reveals the staggering extent of abuses perpetrated by the Australian government. The abuses, especially involving the children in detention, include assaults, sexual abuse, self-harm attempts, child abuse and living conditions. https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2016/aug/10/the-nauru-files-2000-leaked-reports-reveal-scale-of-abuse-of-children-in-australian-offshore-detention
Ministry of Justice (UK)
Story of the Prison Population: 1993 – 2016 England and Wales July 2016
This 18 page report traces the growth of prison population since 1993 and explains how the significant increase in number of inmates came about. In the UK, the prison population almost doubled since 1993, a statistic that was replicated in many other countries. https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/541667/prison-population-story-1993-2016.pdf