Paris attacks make it harder for Justin Trudeau to be liberal

Politically, Justin Trudeau will be under pressure to back off from plans to end Canada’s combat role in Iraq and Syria, loosen anti-terror laws and bring in 25,000 refugees immediately.

Thestar.com
Nov. 14, 2015
By Thomas Walkon

The attack on Paris has changed much for Justin Trudeau.

Friday’s terror outrages against the French capital don’t have to derail the new prime minister’s ambitious plans to scale back anti-terror laws, welcome thousands of Syrian refugees and extricate Canadian fighter planes from the war against Islamic State (ISIS) militants.

But they make all of this politically more difficult.

On Thursday, as he prepared to head off to the G20 summit in Turkey, an upbeat Trudeau talked of showcasing his optimistic style of governance.

“I’ll be talking about the fact that in order to create more global growth, particularly in support of the middle class around the globe, we have to be investing in our countries’ future,” the prime minister told reporters.

At a time when Syrian refugees are flooding into Europe, Trudeau said, Canada could demonstrate to the world that welcoming such newcomers is not a problem but an “opportunity to create growth for the economy.”

That was Thursday.

By Friday night, following news that terrorist attacks in Paris had killed more than 100, the prime minister was more subdued.

Asked whether the attacks would cause his government to reconsider its approach toward anti-terror laws or the air war against ISIS, Trudeau said only that until more is known it would be “too soon to jump to any conclusions.”

That is a logical position to take. Whether it is politically viable is another question.

Politically, those behind the well-co-ordinated attacks have made it near impossible for the West not to respond.

As with the 9/11 attacks against New York, the importance of the Paris massacres lies not in the number killed. Terrorists in Africa and the Middle East routinely kill more innocents.

Rather it is in the propaganda value of the target chosen.

For like New York, Paris is an iconic city, a symbol of western civilization. To strike at Paris is to strike at a place beloved.

In 2001, the U.S. response to 9/11 was to declare a war on terror. Then U.S. president George W. Bush didn’t have any choice politically. Americans wanted blood.

That desire, however, led the U.S. and many of its allies into 14 years of unending war — in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, and Iraq again.

Like Bush, French President Francois Hollande has declared war. He, too, has no choice politically. His voters want revenge.

Where this demand for vengeance will lead is uncertain. Hollande blames ISIS, which has claimed responsibility for the attacks.

France is already taking part in the U.S.-led bombing mission against ISIS. Indeed that, according to a communiqué attributed to the Islamic State, is one of the reasons why Paris was targeted.

But Hollande is signalling that his country will up the ante anyway.

If France does expand its part in the war against ISIS, will Trudeau be able - politically - to reduce Canada’s combat role at the same time?

Or will he feel compelled to send in more “advisers” on the ground?

If, as reported by a French newspaper, one of the slain Paris terrorists carried a Syrian passport, will Trudeau be able - politically - to bring 25,000 Syrian refugees to Canada by Jan. 1?

Immigration Minister John McCallum had suggested that in order to meet this ambitious deadline, some of these refugees might be vetted for security purposes only after they reached Canada. Is that still politically doable?

On Friday night, the prime minister repeated his promise to strike a balance between protecting Canadians from harm and safeguarding civil liberties.

During the election campaign, the Liberals said that balance could be reached only if Canada’s current anti-terror laws were loosened.

Is that where the Trudeau government still stands? Will it take a reasoned approach towards fighting terror? Or will it let itself be spooked?

There are many in the security establishment who would use Paris as a rationale to both expand the war against ISIS in Iraq and Syria and tighten anti-terror laws here at home.

Ironically, that’s what the terrorists want as well. They want to draw western “crusaders” further into the Middle Eastern quagmire. They want western governments to demonize Muslims.