LILLEY: Terror suspect let into Canada because security not a priority

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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau wants you to know that his government is taking the case of Ahmed Fouad Mostafa Eldidi very seriously. In case you’ve missed the news, Eldidi is the father part of the father-son duo facing charges after their arrest two weeks ago for what authorities said was a terror plot.

Police alleged that the pair were planning an attack on Toronto, aimed at the city’s Jewish community, and had pledged allegiance to ISIS, the Islamic State terrorist group. None of the allegations against them have been tested in court.

Well, it also appears that the senior Mr. Eldidi was previously associated with ISIS and can be seen in a video dismembering a man nailed to a cross.

Yet somehow, after taking part in these alleged crimes in 2015, Eldidi and his family were allowed to settle in Canada and become citizens.

That is what Trudeau was asked about Monday during a news conference, and it’s an issue he claims his government is taking seriously.

“This is obviously a very serious situation that the Minister of Public Safety is ensuring there are a full follow up and understanding on exactly how this happened,” Trudeau said.

“I know investigations are ongoing, and the minister will share all that we learned, in the appropriate moment.”

Let me save Trudeau the time and effort: Eldidi was allowed into Canada because we didn’t vet him properly. He was allowed into Canada because as a country, we don’t take national security as seriously as we should.

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That’s not a partisan shot at the Liberals, as the Harper government didn’t take national security as seriously as it should have, either, but at least the Conservatives understood it was an issue.

Cast your mind back to late 2015 when the newly elected Trudeau government was looking to fulfill their promise to bring in more than 25,000 people fleeing the war in Syria, a war that included ISIS. Their original plan was to scoop up as many people as possible, fly them to CFB Trenton, and then begin the vetting process.

This was a horrible idea for many reasons, including the fact that the moment someone sets foot on Canadian soil, the Charter applies. As I argued then, the original government plan could see ISIS members or figures in the Assad government entering Canada claiming to be refugees.

Whether Eldidi came to Canada through that program or not, we have someone alleged to be affiliated with ISIS who got in and now, according to police, wanted to bring that violence to Canada.

The Trudeau government only instituted a proper vetting process under extreme pressure.

In the 1990s, we allowed perpetrators of the Rwandan genocide to come into Canada and continue to intimidate and terrorize the people who came here to escape. Today, we have high level agents of the terror-sponsoring Iranian regime living in places like Toronto and Vancouver.

We don’t take national security and vetting seriously; we are too trusting.

Just look at the same news conference where Trudeau was asked about this case, he also had to answer about the resignation of the new head of the Canadian Human Rights Commission. Recently appointed Birju Dattani resigned on Monday after questions were raised about past statements made by the man which were widely seen as anti-Semitic.

Consider also that this is the government who gave a vile racist money to teach broadcasters their anti-racism strategy. They didn’t remove him from his position until it became public, even though fellow Liberals had been warning cabinet for months.

So, no, when it comes to someone like Mr. Eldidi, it certainly appears the Liberal government didn’t vet him. It’s true that work is done by bureaucrats, but the rules, the direction, and the emphasis on what is important comes from the top. With the Trudeau government, security is not important.

The report will be filed in coming weeks, little of it will be made public, but we will be told this is a learning opportunity for us all.

Hopefully, what the public learns is to vote this incompetent government out of office.