Roundup: A recanted confession

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It was not unexpected that we would get a level of histrionics and performative outrage in Question Period yesterday regarding the revelations that a Canadian ISIS returnee had spoken to a New York Timespodcast about his experiences killing while in Syria. (Never mind that this was the second time they raised this issue, but it never got traction when they tried on Tuesday). But amid the dramatic meltdown that completely distorted the situation – citing his description of the killing as “gleeful” when it was apparently anything but (note: I have not listened to the podcast myself because there aren’t enough hours in the day, but this is basing it on the accounts of those who have), and how it’s a complex and nuanced situation of someone who was recruited and who wasn’t a front-line fighter, but was in the “morality police.” And then, hours later, when contacted by the CBC (who had interviewed him years earlier, when he said he didn’t kill anyone), he recanted the tale he told the Timespodcast, citing that he turned a third-person account into a first-person one possibly under the influence of drugs, as the Postinterview was within three weeks of his return to Canada after a spell in Pakistan where he began abusing substances to cope with trauma. And yes, CSIS and the RCMP have been in touch with him.

First, some thoughts from people who know what they’re talking about:

https://twitter.com/MrMubinShaikh/status/995047235946676224

https://twitter.com/MrMubinShaikh/status/995048194802413568

https://twitter.com/MrMubinShaikh/status/995106705267666944

https://twitter.com/StephanieCarvin/status/995063490866905088

https://twitter.com/StephanieCarvin/status/995063493035409408

https://twitter.com/StephanieCarvin/status/995063494901874690

https://twitter.com/StephanieCarvin/status/995063496847970304

Other observations: We keep getting from the Conservatives this false notion that the Prime Minister welcomes back former terrorists with hugs, cheques, and that they send them away to poetry classes, all of which is complete bullshit, and conflates a number of issues that is not helpful in any of this. The Omar Khadr settlement is not because of anything he is alleged to have done as a minor while in Afghanistan, but because he was tortured by the Americans with the full knowledge of our intelligence agencies in breach of his Charter rights. That’s kind of a big deal. And those “poetry classes” are derisive attempts to conflate rehabilitation with de-radicalization in the Countering Violent Extremism programme, which is extremely valuable because it prevents them from becoming terrorists. But instead, we get demands that, in order to look tough, both distort the situation and that would in all likelihood jeopardise actual criminal investigations if they were seriously acted upon. Was the news of this podcast “confession” concerning? Yes. But does a half-cocked meltdown that completely misrepresents the whole situation help? Nope. In fact, it probably does more damage in the long run, feeding the paranoia of the likes of the Quebec mosque shooter, who radicalized by internalizing these very kinds of irresponsible messages. Not that the Conservatives care if there are points to be scored.

Good reads:

  • Justin Trudeau and Philippe Couillard announced joint funding for a rail bypass around Lac-Mégantic, so that they won’t have to deal with down trains any longer.
  • With the looming deadline, NAFTA ministers headed back home for the weekend. Meanwhile, Democrats are saying they won’t be rushed to pass any deal.
  • The government is considering 24 new marine protected areas in the Maritimes.
  • Here’s an interview with a BC First Nations chief who addressed the Kinder Morgan shareholder meeting.
  • Government Leader in the Senate Peter Harder, says they’ll sit into the summer to pass Bills C-45 and C-46. Too bad he’s not doing his job to negotiate that.
  • The government has again rejected Senate amendments to the transport omnibus bill. The reason? That they “respectfully disagree” with them. Okay then.
  • A contract staffer in the Senate circulated a falsified report pushing for ways to delay the cannabis bill because he was personally opposed to it. He’s been fired.
  • Erin Weir has declared himself to sit as a member of the CCF – a pre-NDP party that is more in line with socialists (and indeed communists) while he sits in exile.
  • Kevin Carmichael delves into the job numbers released yesterday, and how they demonstrate a more robust economy than they might suggest on the surface.
  • Lindsay Tedds explains why returning to Alberta’s previous model of a “flat tax” is really only a boon to the very wealthy.
  • Tristin Hopper walks us through the reasons why it’s not economical to build more oil refineries in Canada.
  • Andrew MacDougall suggests the Conservatives are missing an opportunity to lower income taxes and do something for the environment by opposing carbon taxes.
  • With more stories of women as harassers coming out of Parliament Hill, Susan Delacourt remarks that this is an issue of power, not gender.
  • Colby Cosh denounces the BC government’s plan to run a blank cheque referendum on an unspecified version of proportional representation as sham democracy.

Odds and ends:

Stephen Harper is apparently writing a book about populism and the future of conservatism.

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