TORONTO, June 13, 2013 — Today, the Honourable Vic Toews, Minister of Public Safety, released the 2013 Public Report on the Terrorist Threat to Canada, delivering on the commitment in Canada’s Counter-terrorism Strategy to update Canadians annually on the evolving terrorist threat environment.
“As recent events have demonstrated, terrorism poses a real threat to Canada, and remains a prevalent global problem. That being said, successful terrorism arrests and prosecutions in Canada have shown that our national security agencies are working effectively with partners and communities, and that our counter-terrorism strategy is working,” said Minister Toews. “Evolving conflicts abroad continue to shape the nature of the terrorist threat to Canada, and we will continue to monitor these threats and explain their impacts to Canadians. We remain firmly committed to the safety and security of Canadians.”
The 2013 Public Report on the Terrorist Threat to Canada updates Canadians on how the terrorist threat has changed in the last year. The Public Report notes that:
- Global violent extremists, particularly al Qaida and its affiliates, remain the leading terrorist threat;
- Evolving conflicts abroad, such as that occurring in Syria, continue to shape the nature of the terrorist threat to Canada. State support for terrorism also remains an ongoing concern; and
- Homegrown violent extremism remains a threat in North America, and extremists in Canada have been involved in attempts to recruit supporters, raise funds or acquire other forms of support.
The Public Report also identifies some of the measures the Government of Canada has taken in the last year to address these threats. Some examples include:
- Passing the Combating Terrorism Act, which provides more tools for law enforcement to help in the investigation of terrorism offences and creates new offences of leaving or attempting to leave Canada for the purpose of committing certain terrorism offences;
- Creating Canada’s 5th Integrated National Security Enforcement Team, or INSET, in Alberta, led by the RCMP, and staffed by employees from the Canada Border Services Agency, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, and local law enforcement, following those already established in other major cities across the country;
- Passing the Protecting Canada’s Immigration System Act, which improves our ability to counter human smuggling and deter terrorists and foreign criminals from entering Canada;
- Listing al Qaida in Iraq, the Haqqani network and the Taliban in Afghanistan, as terrorist groups under the Criminal Code, making it a crime to knowingly participate in, or contribute to, any activity of these entities for the purpose of enhancing the ability of the entity to facilitate or carry out a terrorist activity; and
- Funding projects through the Kanishka Project to increase our understanding of the recruitment methods and tactics of terrorists.
We have also made progress to strengthen security in collaboration with the United States. Initiatives outlined in our Beyond the Border Action Plan are jointly addressing threats to our citizens and our way of life while facilitating the lawful flow of goods and people across our shared border.
Building Resilience Against Terrorism: Canada’s Counter-terrorism Strategy sets out how the Government as a whole organizes its efforts to prevent, detect, deny and respond to the threat of terrorism, and provides a framework to guide future efforts. The Strategy sets out a clear approach for addressing terrorism, with a focus on building resilient communities that challenge and reject the ideas and values associated with violent extremism and work together to mitigate the impacts of a terrorist attack.
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Information:
Julie Carmichael
Director of Communications
Office of the Minister of Public Safety
613-991-2924
Media Relations
Public Safety Canada
613-991-0657
