Terrorists Need Passports Too

A Canadian citizen, Algerian born Fateh Kamel, who arrived in Canada in 1987, has been denied a passport from the Canadian Government on the grounds that he is a threat to the national security of Canada or another country. Kamel is a convicted terrorist. In 1999 he was arrested in Jordan and extradited to France, where he was convicted of plotting to bomb the Paris Metro and other targets and was imprisoned for eight years. He allegedly has a connection to Ahmed Ressam, who is in prison in the US for plotting to blow up Los Angeles Airport, and to Al Qaeda. A Canadian Judge, Simon Noel, has ruled that the order violates Kamel's rights as a Canadian citizen and has ordered the federal government to amend the law accordingly within six months and to then grant him a passport.

Their are two separate but equally important issues here.

1. Should a convicted terrorist be issued a Canadian passport? Does issuing a passport in these circumstances undermine the value of a Canadian passport?

Will other countries be unwilling to accept travellers with a Canadian passport when they become aware that the government is knowingly issuing them to convicted terrorists?

2. In Canada, judges are appointed, not elected. Should unelected officials be making our laws? Are judges not meant to interpret and enforce existing laws rather than actually making new ones or forcing the government to rescind existing ones?

These two issues need to be addressed before Canada loses all credibility in the international community. The rumor that Canada is becoming a haven for terrorists does not seem quite so far-fetched as it once did. Prime Minister Harper needs to act quickly and decisively on these issues.