Last week I had occasion to travel to Mississauga which meant I had to fly to Pearson Airport. I have done this many times before and I wasn’t expecting any trouble. I met a friend and colleague at the airport here and the two of us set off together.
We both made it through security without incident although my friend had to leave his shaving cream behind. He said it was almost empty anyway but I think he was planning to squeeze a couple more shaves out of that tin. However, in the interest of safety he was forced to proceed foamless.
That was the same day Justice John Major released his report on the 1985 Air India bombing. It was a “damning indictment” of air travel in this country, including the comedy of errors that passes for airport security. We didn’t know it at the time but when we got on that plane last week, airport security was no better than it was 25 years ago when 329 Canadians were killed.
I didn’t read the Major report before I left but even if I had I wouldn’t have been concerned. I’ve been flying back and forth to Toronto for years without incident.
Somehow or other I arrived safely every time. I never gave it a second thought.
But the report reveals a troubling situation. This mass murder could have been stopped before it happened if the airports, airlines and Canadian security personnel had done their jobs. Justice Major uses words like “inexcusable failures” to describe the incompetence of all concerned including CSIS and the RCMP. He also noted not much has improved in the last quarter century.
Canadians should be shocked and dismayed by the findings. During the events that led up to the terrorist attack and all through the investigation the performance of Canadian officials was found to be “wholly deficient.” CSIS surveillance was ineffective and important information about the bomb threat was withheld in a playground style turf war.
The RCMP was totally incompetent in this case as they failed to identify, report and share their knowledge of the terrorists. Their measures were poorly thought out and they were unwilling to cooperate or communicate.
The airlines themselves and the airports were sitting ducks for this attack.
They had no idea what type of threat they were dealing with and even the meagre security measures they had in place were never routinely followed.
Those poor Canadians on that flight never had a chance.
What makes matters worse is the fact that many of the deficiencies in aviation security identified in 1985 continue to be urgent concerns to this day. I don’t get it. Haven’t we spent hundreds of millions on airport security in the last 25 years? What did they do with the money?
Ever since 9-11 nobody dares to question the rising cost of security even though Justice Major’s report makes it clear that we aren’t getting much for our money. Governments want to be seen doing something, anything, to fight terrorism even if they know their efforts are totally ineffective.
Nobody was held accountable for failing to protect that Air India plane. Now, years later, this same sorry crew is being paid hundreds of millions more to provide security at the G8/G20. What do you have to do to get fired around here? No wonder Canadians are outraged. We thought we were being protected.
Security experts use the fact that there hasn’t been another attack as evidence that their security measures are working. Is this good security or just good luck? I hate to think that the only reason terrorists don’t blow up more Canadians is because they choose not to.
Canadians are told almost every day about unspecified security threats facing the country. Justice Major has revealed how unprepared we still are in spite of the billions of dollars Ottawa spends to keep up appearances. Are we about to re-live the past?
On the way back home I walked straight through airport security without trouble. My friend was stopped and given a thorough frisking. He was wearing shorts. I guess they were profiling knobby knees. They even checked the soles of his bare feet.
I told him it could have been a lot worse. He didn’t even want to consider the possibilities.
All in all, neither of us felt any more secure on the flight home.
We both made it through security without incident although my friend had to leave his shaving cream behind. He said it was almost empty anyway but I think he was planning to squeeze a couple more shaves out of that tin. However, in the interest of safety he was forced to proceed foamless.
That was the same day Justice John Major released his report on the 1985 Air India bombing. It was a “damning indictment” of air travel in this country, including the comedy of errors that passes for airport security. We didn’t know it at the time but when we got on that plane last week, airport security was no better than it was 25 years ago when 329 Canadians were killed.
I didn’t read the Major report before I left but even if I had I wouldn’t have been concerned. I’ve been flying back and forth to Toronto for years without incident.
Somehow or other I arrived safely every time. I never gave it a second thought.
But the report reveals a troubling situation. This mass murder could have been stopped before it happened if the airports, airlines and Canadian security personnel had done their jobs. Justice Major uses words like “inexcusable failures” to describe the incompetence of all concerned including CSIS and the RCMP. He also noted not much has improved in the last quarter century.
Canadians should be shocked and dismayed by the findings. During the events that led up to the terrorist attack and all through the investigation the performance of Canadian officials was found to be “wholly deficient.” CSIS surveillance was ineffective and important information about the bomb threat was withheld in a playground style turf war.
The RCMP was totally incompetent in this case as they failed to identify, report and share their knowledge of the terrorists. Their measures were poorly thought out and they were unwilling to cooperate or communicate.
The airlines themselves and the airports were sitting ducks for this attack.
They had no idea what type of threat they were dealing with and even the meagre security measures they had in place were never routinely followed.
Those poor Canadians on that flight never had a chance.
What makes matters worse is the fact that many of the deficiencies in aviation security identified in 1985 continue to be urgent concerns to this day. I don’t get it. Haven’t we spent hundreds of millions on airport security in the last 25 years? What did they do with the money?
Ever since 9-11 nobody dares to question the rising cost of security even though Justice Major’s report makes it clear that we aren’t getting much for our money. Governments want to be seen doing something, anything, to fight terrorism even if they know their efforts are totally ineffective.
Nobody was held accountable for failing to protect that Air India plane. Now, years later, this same sorry crew is being paid hundreds of millions more to provide security at the G8/G20. What do you have to do to get fired around here? No wonder Canadians are outraged. We thought we were being protected.
Security experts use the fact that there hasn’t been another attack as evidence that their security measures are working. Is this good security or just good luck? I hate to think that the only reason terrorists don’t blow up more Canadians is because they choose not to.
Canadians are told almost every day about unspecified security threats facing the country. Justice Major has revealed how unprepared we still are in spite of the billions of dollars Ottawa spends to keep up appearances. Are we about to re-live the past?
On the way back home I walked straight through airport security without trouble. My friend was stopped and given a thorough frisking. He was wearing shorts. I guess they were profiling knobby knees. They even checked the soles of his bare feet.
I told him it could have been a lot worse. He didn’t even want to consider the possibilities.
All in all, neither of us felt any more secure on the flight home.
