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At Issue

With Philip Shaw

The "War on Terror" Manifests Itself on our Border

Tuesday, November 19, 2002

It's been a long time since 19 murdering hijackers took over four planes incinerating almost 3000 people. The intervening "war on terror" has grown quieter now that the Taliban and their client Al Qaeda have scattered and run. But last week, out of no where the Qatar based Al Jazeera network aired an audio tape of a voice attributed to Osama bin Laden. As this week dawned, the American intelligence community labeled the audio tape of bin Laden as authentic.
It was a cold reminder that the "war on terror" goes on. Even more chilling for Canadians was bin Laden's indictment of Canada and other American allies. I can see it now. All those Canadian travelers spread over the earth quietly taking those Maple Leafs off their backpacks. With bin Laden targeting Canada, our boy scout status is clearly out the window.
Our external affairs minister Bill Graham didn't pay much attention to the announcement. He commented on the bin Laden statement but his feeling was that nothing had really changed. Canadians, like anybody else in the "anti-terror" coalition have always had to be vigilant. If Canadians were surprised by bin Laden's statement, it was because he's still alive, not for what he said.
The big Canadian media reacted as if it was the biggest epiphany since September 11th. Media outlets interviewed the manager of the CN tower regarding possible terrorist strikes. Others mused about what would be a Canadian target most vulnerable to terror attacks. Unfortunately, even under a rock somewhere in Afghanistan, bin Laden still has the power to send a chill through western society.
The Bali bombing was obviously an attack on Australian nationals. I've never been to Indonesia, but I have been to Australia. When in Australia, travel agents advertise Bali like Canadian agents advertise Florida or Cuba. It is a Mecca for Australian tourists. Now, in the aftermath of the bombing, the vacancy rate in Bali is close to 97%.
Imagine the same thing in DisneyWorld. It is almost too horrible to contemplate. Unfortunately, that is what terrorism does. It kills people and subsequently frightens people from going about their daily lives. When that happens the economy changes forcing further unforeseen changes in the markets. Israel, Columbia, Sudan and other countries have seemingly lived with it forever. In North America, it's very hard to get used to.
At the local level the "war on terror" has manifested itself on the border. Citizens of Chatham-Kent, especially those in Wallaceburg have always treated the border as a "hiccup". But no more. The Americans have made some big changes, singling out Canadians who were born in places like Iran and Syria. The Canadian government has protested this, but the Americans have held firm. The "hiccup" at the border has turned into
something else.
It was supposed to culminate last week when US Secretary of State, Colin Powell came to Ottawa. He met with external affairs minister Bill Graham to discuss our common border and Canada's role in any future war with Iraq. On the same day, the Americans released Michel Jalbert, a Canadian from Pohenegamook, Que. who crossed 15 meters into the state of Maine to get some gas. Jalbert, a soft spoken unilingual French speaking Quebecer, told his family never to go back to the United States again.
For those of you who don't know where Pohenegamook is take a look at a map of the United States. It is directly above the most northerly point of the continental United States in the state of Maine. I have passed by there a few times. But this border charade could just as easily taken place along the St.Clair river where American and Canadian boaters blur the US Canadian border. That's how jittery the Americans have become when it comes to it's northern border. Can you imagine Canada jailing an American for a simliar offense to Michel Jalbert? I won't go there.
The incredibly unfortunate part of this puzzle is its impetus. From Bali to Wallaceburg to Pohenegamook, our world continues to adjust to the realities of our post September 11th world. And somewhere, in the grainy underworld of global terrorism, the world's most wanted man continues on. It's too bad it can't go back to the way it used to be.



Philip Shaw, farms 830 acres near Dresden, Ontario. He holds a Masters of Agricultural Economics and Business Degree from the University of Guelph and is a well-known commentator on agricultural issues in print, on radio and over satellite in Canada and the United States. In the Chatham-Kent Times, Phil will use his frank and forthright writing style to address political and economic issues from the local to the international stage. He is a keen observer of political life at all levels, reads widely and has travelled the world to gather fodder for his column. See what's At Issue this week.