Mounties double the number of staff dedicated to fight against terror
The RCMP has doubled the number of Mounties on counter-terrorism investigations, with 130 of those officers hunting for possible suspects who may have aided Michael Zehaf-Bibeau’s murderous rampage, RCMP Commissioner Bob Paulson told parliamentarians Friday.
In response to what Paulson said is a steadily rising threat of terrorism on Canadian soil, 600 officers and staff are now assigned to counter-terrorism operations, an increase of 300 positions since October.
“I’ve not seen a tempo and pace of (counter-terrorism) operations like this. It is an unprecedented alignment of our resources,” he told the committee.
He added: “People don’t need to be afraid, people need to be engaged, people need to be aware. But make no mistake, it’s a growing presence, not only in Canada but in our partner countries at a level that is challenging us all.”
Paulson told MPs he believes Zehaf-Bibeau was clearly involved in a terrorist activity as defined by the Criminal Code.
“If Zehaf-Bibeau had not been killed but rather taken into custody, we would have charged him with terrorist offences. The RCMP believes on the evidence that Zehaf-Bibeau was a terrorist.
“It’s not relevant to us or our investigation what kind of a terrorist Zehaf-Bibeau was, or if he was a particularly intelligent, sophisticated, influential or personally disciplined terrorist. To us it all turns on the evidence we collect which we compare against the statute.”
What’s more, there are no impediments in current criminal law hampering the RCMP’s ability to investigate the case, he said.
The same committee on Tuesday is to begin hearing testimony on the Conservative’s disputed antiterror Bill C-51, which would give exceptional new powers to Canada’s spies, government and the RCMP to counter a broad range of “threats to the security of Canada.”
A day after Zehaf-Bibeau struck, Prime Minister Stephen Harper told the Commons that an existing government initiative to strengthen laws dealing with the surveillance, detention and arrest of national security suspects would be “expedited.” Two months later, he unveiled Bill C-51, which the government has since repeatedly linked the need for with the Oct. 22 attack.
Paulson Friday tried not to be drawn into the fierce political debate. “I really don’t want to sort of use this incident specifically to ... justify that,” he told reporters after his committee appearance.
Members of the three major political parties were quick to seize on Paulson’s comments to support their positions on C-51.
Conservative MP Roxanne James, the parliamentary secretary for public safety, said C-51 will better protect Canadians against the rising extremist danger. But when pressed by reporters, she was unable to explain what specific measures in the bill would have stopped Zehaf-Bibeau.
“I can’t comment on whether one particular measure would have made a difference, but obviously as a government we’re concerned about national security.”
NDP public safety critic Randall Garrison, whose party has said it will vote against C-51, said Paulson’s remarks undermine one of the government’s key arguments for the legislation. “What we heard very clearly was the RCMP commissioner saying the existing legislation was adequate to deal with this incident, both in terms of investigating and charging.”
Liberal public safety critic Wayne Easter said the video makes the case for C-51.
“Nobody can deem for sure that it would have made a difference” with Zehaf-Bibeau, he said. But, “the sharing of information between departments and agencies would be an important tool. There are measures that would enhance Canadian public safety.”