Terrorist attack in Canadian Parliament
I was waiting for more information about the terrorist attack in Canada today before writing about it, but I thought I’d offer a quick post so you can comment on it if you like.
It seems to me the new pattern is for Muslims—perhaps especially home-grown Muslim converts—to take up the glorious call of ISIS and free-lance in Western countries and go on a killing spree. This was a bold one:
Prime Minister Stephen Harper said in an evening address that Canada would not be intimidated by Wednesday’s “brutal and violent attack” in Ottawa, in which an armed attacker shot and fatally wounded a Canadian Forces member at the National War Memorial before being shot dead in Parliament’s Centre Block.
The slain soldier is Cpl. Nathan Cirillo, 24, a reservist from Hamilton.
Moments after Cirillo was shot at his post by the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, MPs and other witnesses reported 30 to 50 shots fired inside the main Parliament building.
It was confirmed later the gunman was shot dead inside the building, felled by the House of Commons sergeant-at-arms and RCMP, according to MPs’ accounts.
A few thoughts: the soldier guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was apparently unarmed and therefore a sitting duck (although with a surprise attack, being armed would not necessarily have made a difference). The sergeant-at-arms in the House oF Commons, however, whose role I would have thought merely colorful and ceremonial, was apparently armed, as befitting his title.
I just heard on the news that the suspect, Michael Zehaf-Bibeau, had a criminal record. I’m wondering whether this might have been another case of a prison conversion to Islam.
UPDATE:
Bibeau, who was born in 1982, was a convert to Islam and had a history of drug use before he converted, two sources said.
His passport had been confiscated by Canadian authorities when they learned he planned to go fight overseas, a U.S. law enforcement official told CNN’s Susan Candiotti. The official said it was not clear when that happened.
So, did they know he was planning to fight with ISIS or a similar group? And did they just let him go after taking away the passport? Was he not under surveillance?
My prediction is that the left will call this another lone-wolf operation. Certain people such as Zehaf-Bibeau may be acting solo in the actual murders they commit (although there are some reports that Zehaf-Bibeau may have had an accomplice), but they are not alone. They are part of a global movement, and are inspired and encouraged by that movement.
UPDATE 11:04: I’m hearing on Bill O’Reilly from Mark Sutcliffe, a Canadian talk show host, that the Canadian government has almost no security. I find that shocking.
UPDATE 11:17: Several photos of the soldier who was murdered, Cpl. Nathan Cirillo, 24. Heartbreaking, RIP.
At some point we are going to have to treat Islam like we treated communism in the last century. While it is a belief system, it is also a political movement which wishes to dominate the world via violence. Islam has been at war with the West for a thousand years. They never quit. We need to get serious about the survival of our valued way of life.
In general I strongly agree, however re:
“While it is a belief system, it is also a political movement”
Muslims strongly disagree, you present a dichotomy where none exists.
“These descriptions are very ugly, it is offensive and an insult to our religion. There is no moderate or immoderate Islam. Islam is Islam and that’s it.” Recep Tayyip ErdoÄŸan , Turkey’s Prime Minister since 2003 commenting on the term “moderate Islam”
Islam’s tenets are that of which Islam’s political movement consists.
Nothing has been said about whether the Sergeant at Arms was armed as part of his duties. Certainly, he is not overtly armed when in his ceremonial regalia.
I wonder if it is another case of someone near the scene being fortuitously armed, and able to curtail the carnage.
Neo mentioned that the shooter was taken down by him and the RCMP. First I have heard of their role. The TV made the Sgt at Arms to be the hero. I hope that is true; just saying.
A bit off topic, but I recently bought Bear Spray for my daughters and grand daughters to have in their cars; and also smaller charges for those who jog or work at night to have on their person. I told them that if we lived anywhere but California, and if they were not hopelessly Liberal, I would have bought them Concealed Carry training and Ruger 380s. Eyes rolled; but hopefully the Bear (pepper) spray is handy if God forbid they ever need it.
They are indeed part of and, inspired and encouraged by that global movement. The amount of participation by Muslims in that movement closely parallels the demographic percentage of Muslims in a non-Muslim society. The higher the percentage, the greater the percent who embrace ‘radicalism’, for confirmation, look to Europe.
If the shot soldier was on ceremonial guard duty he was a sitting duck-not just by being unarmed but standing at at attention or some other worthless ceremonial throwback that needs to be done away with. I say this as a former soldier.
jon baker:
I heard that he was unarmed. I’m not sure of it, though.
Oldflyer,
Smart move with the bear spray, perhaps with this as backup… easy to carry in a purse, carried openly nobody will give it a second glance but whatever the option chosen having a second line of defense is always wise.
The 15th century Spanish had the answer. Convert, leave or die!
I am sure by now that all are aware of the newer information concerning who this fellow was.
If not, run down Mark Steyn’s web site and read up on it.
I am amazed that so few people anticipated these individual dispersed attacks. Think of the havok raised by the 2 shooters in the DC area. Think what would happen if upscale shopping malls were targetted or summer outdoor concerts or Fourth of July parades across the country. We can not control everything, so we’d better do more to stop the loser jihadis.
“If not, run down Mark Steyn’s web site and read up on it.”
FYI
http://www.steynonline.com/
JB: “some other worthless ceremonial throwback that needs to be done away with”
Ouch, that is rather cold, no?
I say this as a civilian who is thankful for all those who have died for my freedom and peace – standing guard (albeit, ceremonial only) at the tomb of the unknown isn’t a worthless ceremonial throwback.
It is a small, yet significant, symbol that we do value what some have given to the rest of us. A price that we can never repay.
Despite the history of attacks from Islamic terrorists I would never have expected such an attack on a ceremonial guard – never. Of course, now we should expect such attacks. But, to call it something that we should have prepared for is too much of Monday morning quarterbacking, in my opinion.
And, yes, Neo, it is very heartbreaking for this individual man and his family. He, no doubt, considered his duty at the tomb of the unknown to be a great honor and one that no one expected to cost him his life.
I’m in Ontario for work now. A colleague here said he had to tune into CNN to get more information. Their news here has very little good information.
MSM – it’s everywhere.
This has to be tied to the Monday murder of soldiers by islamics. He said that once they canceled the passports, there were threats that they were going to start killing random people. But it seems only the military is in focus.
I said that they should have let them go, revoked their passports, and shot them at the border when they tried to return (treason). I think Parker is rubbing off on me. Regardless, my middle of the road (for being a Canadian) colleague agreed with me.
All of this ‘acting alone’ bull… why is the notion of ‘leadership cells of resistance’ (once applied to the militia movements back in the 90s or so) MIA? If I were a terrorist or wannabee, I know what I would need to do to help further the movement. No one would need to tell me.
Neo:
Technically he was armed. I suspect with just an unloaded weapon for ceremonial purposes:
http://www.thestar.com/content/dam/thestar/news/canada/2014/10/22/hamilton_soldier_dead_after_shooting_at_war_memorial_in_ottawa/soldiers_at_memorial.jpg.size.xxlarge.promo.jpg
peace is war
so a religion of peace is…
this has been a orwellian reminder service announcement
My husband (who served in the USMC) says ceremonial guards, at least in the Marine Corps, typically carry weapons but not bullets. The sergeant-at-arms (hero Kevin Vickers) was armed as part of his job.
The basics on the suspect, according to the Globe and Mail…
Michael Zehaf-Bibeau
-32 years old
-Father is a Quebec businessman who appears to have fought in 2011 in Libya
-Mother is deputy chair of a division of Canada’s Immigration and Refugee Board
-Zehaf-Bibeau intended to travel to Libya and study Islam, but was unable to secure valid travel documents from federal officials
-Zehaf-Bibeau frequently talked about the presence of Shaytan, an Arabic term for devils, in the world
-A friend suspected he “must have been mentally ill”
Full article on the Zehaf-Bibeau at the Globe and Mail is HERE.
More on Vickers, who deserves to be known.
Very good interview of Mark Steyn on this on CBC.
Link here
The constitution is not a suicide pact. And since Islam is a blood soaked,, totalitarian, death cult I don’t see any reason Islam can’t be outlawed. Close the mosques, stop visitation and immigration, deport non-citizen Muslims.
“Moderate” Muslims will never rise up to oppose the “radical” Muslims because the basis of the radical theology is an inherent part of the Koran and Hadith.
Why is it that these attacks, individually carried out but inspired worldwide by known provocations, are treated as “lone wolf” events? And why is it that when certain politicians say things deemed by some to be provocative, it is called a “dog whistle”, regardless of whether anything negative happens as a result?
The law is inside out; the world is upside down.
Jon Baker: Don’t do away with the ceremonial functions. They are very important indeed.
If it is important for the ceremonial soldier to be unarmed, then he should have arms readily available when needed… or he should have a comrade-in-arms covering him.
I do agree that it is dishonorable, in the extreme, to set up a warrior as a sitting duck.
I am amazed that so few people anticipated these individual dispersed attacks. Think of the havok raised by the 2 shooters in the DC area.
Part of that had to do with the Afghanistan and Iraq death grinds that took up most of the jihad’s manpower, leaving the rest of the Western world to think terrorism was something the US is causing. When the US actually started funding AQ after 2008, things become no longer a fantasy any more.
How do we know he didn’t have his hands up, and was just murdered by the sergeant-at-arms?
Was Bibea actually in the process of killing anyone when he was shot? Or did the sergeant-at-arms simply take it upon himself to be judge, jury, and executioner?
Progressive minds demand to know!
The man guarding the Cenotaph was carrying a weapon, with no bullets.
This business of gelding our soldiers has to stop. Both parties in the US have been guilty of it.
Thought experiment: if a neo-Nazi went ape and shot up the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and then got into the Capitol and stalked the pols there, would we be hearing all this bilge about how the Nazi movement had naught to do with it?
Yeah, right.
Rifles used in ceremonial drills are not loaded as a matter of safety. You don’t want to be twirling a loaded weapon.
Even troops used in crowd control rarely have their weapons loaded to avoid Kent State type screw ups.
Mr. Frank:
And as I understand it, had the soldier’s weapon been loaded it wouldn’t have mattered because it was a sneak attack. Also, a loaded weapon in the middle of a crowd like that brings on the problem the guards inside the building faced, which is that they were afraid to fire into the crowd and thus let the perp keep running (although one tried to grab his rifle and either point it down or wrest it away from him).
It’s a very good thing that Vickers was able to get off a good clean shot. I’m not sure if he just was a really good shot, more willing to take risks than the others, saw the situation as more dire (the perp was almost at the door of the House of Commons assembly room itself), or there were fewer other people around at that point.