Tony At 10: TERRORISM; NOVEMBER 20, 2015

THE MESSAGE:

Most people in the civilized world are sickened and appalled at the recent events that took place in Paris. It is impossible for me to fathom an individual, so deprived of love and nurture in his or her early stages, as to have such callous disregard for the sanctity of human life. Is it a reasonable reaction to ignore this reality by closing our hearts and minds to those in the world who have little or no hope of a meaningful life. Do we, as citizens of a free and peace loving country, have an obligation to correct the problem? Many believe that terrorists can never be completely defeated. Is this where it ends? Resettling Syrian refugees will take years and entail significant costs. But the prosperous nations of the world must share the burden of doing so and resist the temptation to simply say, No, not here. In the meantime, while admitting those seeking peace and freedom, it must be recognized that evil organizations promoting war and killing, must be eradicated quickly in the name of justice.

A COMMON REACTION TO THE ACTS OF TERRORISM IN PARIS:

The only adequate measure, after the killings in Paris, is military action by the armies of the West to eliminate ISIS and its strongholds in Syria and Iraq. They can no longer be allowed to control territory and have the ability to organize, finance, direct and plan their savagery. Deploying NATO forces on the ground is mandatory in order to crush ISIS in Syria and Iraq.

“This cannot be just another summit. Friday night in Paris the peoples of the free world were attacked by terrorists,” said Donald Tusk, president of the European Council, the political body of the European Union. “We all expressed solidarity but words are not enough. Today it is time to act,”.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said here that the response to the attacks, “....Needs to be robust, but always within the rule of law.”

The crisis even appears to have brought together Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The two leaders have been at odds over Russian aggression in Ukraine but they huddled for 30 minutes here Sunday.

It may be argued that, after the drawn out and ineffective Western actions in Iraq and Afghanistan, it is reasonable to question the strategy of such intervention. Will such action have the effect of winning more recruits for ISIS ?

Stemming the exodus of refugees from Syria must be an important part of any comprehensive plan to end the Syrian war. Building new barriers to keep them out with the absurd argument that Muslims are inherently dangerous could provide propaganda benefits to the Islamic State. ISIS has drawn recruits around the globe by offering a cause and a home to Muslims who feel marginalized and scorned.

PARIS ANTI-REFUGEE BACKLASH

How will European politics and peoples' attitude be affected in terms of accepting Syrian refugees, or any refugees for that matter?

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has renewed her demand for compulsory sharing of refugees among European Union countries and insisted that the migrant crisis is a challenge for every nation in the 28-member bloc.

Authorities in the Polish capital, Warsaw, have banned a protest against Muslim refugees that was planned for the city centre, saying it is driven by hatred. The decision follows a government announcement that Poland can accept more refugees that the 2,000 originally declared.

Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka says his government’s opposition to mandatory quotas for accepting migrants in the EU member states has not changed.

IN THE USA

After the Paris murders, more than half of U.S. governors have pledged to block the refugees from entering their states, because the Paris terrorists included a man who had entered Europe with a Syrian passport. Republicans fixated on the administration's plan to admit refugees into the United States. They believe it is a risky proposition that needs to be stopped.

Donald Trump, open to shutting down mosques as part of the fight against Islamic State militants, reiterated recently that the idea should be "studied." Ben Carson offered similar sentiments about Muslim clerics. Obama countered by saying his strategy for defeating the Islamic State is working and that turning away Syrian refugees based on religion would be Un-American.

CANADIAN RESPONSE TO PARIS ATTACKS

During the political debates, the now Prime Minister Trudeau kept referring to Harper's "Politics of fear." The Federal Liberal plan, backed by Premiere Wynne stating that Ontario would soon admit 10,000 refugees, is to bring into Canada 25,000 Syrian refugees.

Trudeau insists that Canada's role in fighting ISIS will be in the capacity of military trainers which the country is best suited to do. His plan is to recall Canadian Jets from Allied bombing missions in the Middle East.

Some Canadian political leaders were calling for vigorous action against terrorism including continued involvement in military action against Islamic State militants.

Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard said the world was facing a crisis in the wake of acts that "defy imagination" and he warned the democratic world was facing a mortal enemy that "threatens us too, even if we're some distance from Paris." Couillard, who approved of the former Conservative government's decision to undertake airstrikes in the Middle East in October 2014, called for a strong multilateral response to the crisis. When asked directly if he supported a renewed military combat mission, he said it would depend on what the international community asked, although his personal support for military action hadn't changed.

Saskatchewan's premier, Brad Wall, voiced similar sentiments, "Yesterday's attack was a deadly reminder that there are people in the world who do not share our values and who will stop at nothing in their attempts to impose their twisted, evil ideology through violence, destruction and death,"

"They must be defeated. There truly is no other option," said Wall who also indicated he supports Canada continuing to take part in air strikes against militant members of the Islamic State and the Levant.

A few reactionary responses to the Paris attacks by citizens against innocent Muslims have taken place, such as the beating of a woman in Toronto by two cowardly males and the burning of a mosque in Peterborough.

THE QUESTION: