Angry in the Great White North

On September 20, only nine days after the anniversary of 9/11, Janine Krieber spoke to students at Queen's University on "Terrorism, Ideology and the State". Janine Krieber is the wife of Liberal Party leader Stephane Dion. This was an official Liberal Party event, presented by the local riding association, and announced in the Upcoming Events list of the official federal Liberal Party website:

Location: Dunning Auditorium, 94 University Ave., Queen's University
Date: September 20, 2007 TO September 20, 2007
Time: 07:00 PM To 08:30 PM

Description: Dr. Janine Krieber will be giving a talk based on her research on terrorism. Dr. Krieber is a professor at Collège Militaire Royal de St. Jean. She teaches international relations, military strategy and the sociology of conflicts. Her research topics include international conflict, terrorism and political violence, peacekeeping operations, conflict management, intelligence organizations and identity-related conflicts. Dr. Krieber is Quebec representative on the board of directors of the Canadian Association for Security and Intelligence Studies, and is married to the Leader of the Opposition, Stephane Dion. Presented by the Kingston and the Islands Federal Liberal Association. Admission by donation, free to all students.

Here is a partial transcipt of what Janine Krieber said:

...keeping in touch with people, and be sure that they will answer the next second. For example, I have a BlackBerry in my purse, and I'm pretty sure it's a real good tool for terrorists, because they are always on, always....

She's pretty sure that a terrorist would benefit from using a BlackBerry?

I'm not sure what is more surprising:

• That Janine Krieber thought it would make sense to bad mouth Canada's best known home-grown success story. The BlackBerry is used by movers and shakers at the highest levels of government, finance, and industry throughout Canada and the United States.
• That Liberal Party communications people thought it would make sense to allow Janine Krieber to speak, apparently off the cuff, at an event put on by the Liberal Party. Since when did she become an official spokesperson?
• That Janine Krieber, an alleged expert in terrorism, and presumably a person who instructs Stephane Dion in understanding terrorists and their threat to Canada, is "pretty sure" a Blackberry would be a "real good tool" for terrorists. Why? Because a BlackBerry is always on. Huh? What sort of insight is that supposed to be? Can't the Kingston and the Islands Federal Liberal Association find a terrorist expert who sounds a bit more, well, expert?

The Liberal Party thinks the BlackBerry is an enabler of global terrorism!

Way to land the 519 vote.