Saturday, July 23, 2011

The 2011 Norway attacks



CE
Date22 July 2011
15:26[citation needed](CEST)
TargetNorway political leadership (Oslo)
Labour Party Youth(Utøya)
Attack typeBomb and shooting
Death(s)87+[1]
Injured90+
Perpetrator(s)Unknown
Suspected perpetrator(s)Anders Behring Breivik

The 2011 Norway attacks consisted of a bomb explosion that occurred in Regjeringskvartalet, the government quarter of OsloNorway, on Friday, 22 July 2011 outside the office of Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg and other government office buildings[2] and a subsequent shooting incident on the island of Utøya in Tyrifjorden,Buskerud. A Norwegian man, 32-year-old Anders Behring Breivik, was arrested for the shooting at Utøya.[3] The international community expressed its support for Norway and condemned the attacks. There were at least 87 deaths in the attacks, most of them shooting victims at the Utøya youth camp.[4][5][6]

Contents

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[edit]Oslo explosion


Map of the area of the explosion. Red building:Government building. Orange area: Position of a destroyed car, not the site of the explosion.Purple building: Oil Ministry building.

Office of the Norwegian Prime Ministerwith blown-out windows shortly after the explosion.

Military and civilian rescue personnel near government buildings on 22 July.
Reports initially suggested that car bombs[7] exploded outside the office of Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg and other government office buildings such as the Oil Ministry[7] and Ministry of Finance,[7] with many windows blown out. There are mixed reports as to whether there might have been several explosions.[8] Stoltenberg was unharmed in the blast.[9] Norway’s finance minister, Sigbjørn Johnsen, was on holiday in Denmark at the time.[10] The blast was heard at least 7 kilometres away.[7]
The street surrounding the area affected by the explosion was filled with glass and debris following the explosion. The wreckage of a car was sighted near one of the affected buildings. A giant cloud of white smoke was reported as a fire continued to burn in the Oil Ministry. Following the explosion, police cleared the area and searched for any additional explosive devices.[11] Police urged people to evacuate central Oslo.[12]

[edit]Casualties

Seven deaths have been confirmed from the Oslo blast,[9] with fifteen people injured[13][14] and eleven seriously.[15] A doctor at Oslo University Hospital said hospital staff were treating injuries to people's heads, chests and abdomens.[16]
State Secretary Hans Kristian Amundsen said that fewer people than usual were in the area because the bombing took place on a public holiday, which may have mitigated the death toll.[9] Also July is the main vacation month for most Norwegians.[17]

[edit]Impact on transportation

All roads into Oslo downtown area were closed as security officials evacuated people from the area and warned Oslo residents to stay away from the city center and limit their usage of mobile phones due to concerns of another potential terrorist attack.[18] Public transport in and out of the city was also halted,[19] with an email communication with the BBC from a traveller indicating that police checks were in operation on the road to Oslo airport.[20] Police also conducted searches of cars at the airport,[21] though it remained open.[22] All trains[clarification needed] have been shut down after a suspicious package was found close to the tracks.[23] The offices of TV 2 were evacuated after a suspicious package was found outside the building.[24]

[edit]Utøya shooting massacre

Approximately two hours after the Oslo explosion,[9] Anders Behring Breivik[citation needed] was about 40 kilometres (25 miles) northwest of Oslo, to the lake of Tyrifjorden, where he took a ferry to the island of Utøya[citation needed] and the location of[9] the Labour Party'sannual Workers' Youth League (AUF) youth summer camp. Once there, he engaged in a random shooting spree amidst the campers before finally being apprehended. Police believe the two incidents are related.[9][25]
While dressed as a police officer, Breivik asked people to gather round him before indiscriminately firing his weapons,[26][27] killing and injuring numerous people. He first shot people on the island and later started shooting the escaping people in the water.[28] A spokesman for the National Police Directorate under the Ministry of Justice and Police reported that most of the casualties were youths of about 15 and 16 years old;[29]according to NRK, witnesses report the man beckoning the youths before shooting them.[30] Some witnesses on the island were reported to have hidden in bathrooms or undergrowth, communicating by text message to avoid giving their positions away to the gunman.[31]
At approximately 03:50 (CEST) on 23 July 2011, NRK and TV2, the two primary Norwegian broadcasters, broadcast a live press conference from the Sentrum politistasjon in Oslo where Norway's National Police Commissioner Øystein Mæland confirmed the number of fatalities at Utøya to have reached "at least 80" with the count expected to increase.[32][33][34][35]
Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg had been scheduled to visit the camp on 23 July.[36]

[edit]Alleged perpetrator


Emergency personnel responding to the explosion.
Anders Behring Breivik (born 13 February 1979), who was arrested on Utøya for the shootings there, has also been linked to the Oslo bombings. [37][38][39]
Public broadcaster NRK and several other Norwegian media identified the suspected attacker as a blond and blue-eyed Norwegian who expressed right-wing and anti-Muslim views on the Internet.
National police chief Sveinung Sponheim told public broadcaster NRK that the gunman's Internet postings "suggest that he has some political traits directed toward the right, and anti-Muslim views, but whether that was a motivation for the actual act remains to be seen.
He is reported to have written posts on the anti-Islamic[40] website document.no (all his apparent and unconfirmed writings listed; available on this site only in Norwegian).[41]
He operates a farming proprietorship.[42]. The company is called Breivik Geofarm.[43]. His farm grew vegetables, using large amounts of fertilizers.[citation needed]
Norwegian news agency NTB said Breivik legally owned several firearms and belonged to a gun club. The police uniform he was wearing resembled a police field uniform. Under this disguise he was able to travel with visible weaponry. Media have reported him using an automatic hand gun, a shotgun and a submachine gun in the island shooting. He used the shotgun to shoot some of his victims an additional time in the head.
Behring studied at the Oslo Commerce School, and is described by newspaper Verdens Gang as considering himself a Christian, conservative, nationalist[39] and a one-time Freemason.[44] His social-media accounts identify him as an admirer of Winston Churchill and anti-nazi World War II hero Max Manus,[41] as well as social liberal philosopher John Stuart Mill (who he quoted on his Twitter account before the incident).[45].

[edit]Reactions

[edit]Domestic

  • Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg at a press conference in Oslo said that "We will find the guilty and hold them responsible" and that "No one will bomb us to silence. No one will shoot us to silence. No one will ever scare us away from being Norway."[20]
  • Minister of Justice Knut Storberget confirmed that the suspect arrested at the youth camp in Utøya was indeed Norwegian, and backed Stoltenberg's statement during the Oslo press conference that Norway will not be silenced.[20]
  • Muslim leaders in Norway have responded quickly to deny any speculation they were involved in the attacks. "This is our homeland, this is my homeland; I condemn these attacks and the Islamic Council of Norway condemns these attacks, whoever is behind them," said Mehtab Afsar, Secretary General of Islamic Council of Norway.[46]

[edit]International

  •  AfghanistanPresident Hamid Karzai issued his "strongest condemnation" for the attack and also said that "it has been years that people of Afghanistan are suffering from terrorism and they understand the pain of Norwegian people better than anyone else".
  •  ArgentinaForeign Minister Héctor Timerman issued his "strongest condemnation" for the attack and also said that "the people and government of Argentina, victim of similar crimes in the past, express their solidarity to the people and government of Norway in reaction of this painful act and unjustifiable loss of human lives."[47]
  •  AustraliaPrime Minister Julia Gillard stated that "our sorrow and concern are with the people of Norway and in particular with the families of those who have lost loved ones and those who have been injured."[48]
  •  Belgium: Resigning Prime Minister Yves Leterme expressed his "condolences to the Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg, the victims of the deadly attacks and to the families of the victims". He strongly condemned the attacks and is "astonished that such a thing can happen to a country known as peace-loving and peace-seeking".[49]
  •  BrazilPresident Dilma Rouseff stated in a message to Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg that the news regarding the attacks have left her astonished, and she expressed her condolences and solidarity to the victims and their families in Norway on behalf of the Brazilian government and people.[50]
  •  BulgariaForeign Minister Nikolay Mladenov called the bombing "an unacceptable act", expressed his "deep condolences to the relatives of the victims" and said that "Bulgaria supports its Norwegian partners and friends in this difficult moment".[51][52]
  •  CanadaPrime Minister Stephen Harper has said he was "shocked and intensely saddened to learn of the attacks in Oslo and Utøya".[53]
  •  Chile: In a communiqué released by the Foreign Affairs MInistry, the government of Chile lamented the events at Oslo, calling the attacks an "unacceptable expression of violence that Chile strongly condemns."[54]
  •  Colombia: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued a statement in which it "condemns in the strongest terms the attack today in Oslo, near the government seat of the Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg" Colombia also "wishes to convey its condolences to the families of the victims of this heinous act and the people and Government of Norway".[55]
  •  DenmarkPrime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen proclaimed that "We stand with Norway on this day" and offered his compassion, sympathy, and solidarity on behalf of the Danish people.[56]
  •  Ecuador: The Ecuadorian government condemned these violent acts and affirmed the need for nations to continue working for world peace.[57]
  •  FinlandPresident of Finland Tarja Halonen expressed her condolences to the state of Norway. Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja had also contacted and expressed his condolences to his Norwegian colleague Jonas Gahr Støre, saying he was gravely worried of the situation. He later stated that the explosion shakes all the Nordic countries and has impact on the entire assessment of the security situation in the region. He added that if the attack proves to be terrorism related it proves that any real reason for terrorists to attack is not needed as Norway has traditionally tried to be constructive in international conflicts.[58][59]
  •  FrancePresident Nicolas Sarkozy has called the deadly bombing in Oslo an "odious and unacceptable act" of violence. "At this dramatic time, I wish to pass on the profound sympathy of the entire French people for the Norwegian people," he said.[20]
  •  GermanyChancellor Angela Merkel firmly condemned the attacks, stating, "It's clear that we who believe in democracy and peaceful coexistence have to condemn in strong terms such terrorism, no matter how reasoned." She ensured the families of the victims and injured her deep condolence and added: "The Norwegian Government and the Norwegian people shall know, that the Federal Government and the German people stand at their side."[60]
  •  GreecePrime Minister of Greece George Papandreou had a telephone conversation with his Norwegian counterpart immediately following the attacks in Oslo. The Prime Minister expressed his and the Greek people's solidarity to the government and people of Norway, while Mr. Stoltenberg thanked the Greek prime minister and briefed him on the situation.[61]
  •  IcelandPrime Minister of Iceland Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir expressed solidarity with Norway: "We feel and share the pain of the Norwegian people during these difficult and turbulant times and have offered all the help Iceland can manage at this point.".[62]
  •  Ireland: President Mary McAleese and Tanaiste Eamon Gilmore expressed solidarity with Norway and extended condolences to the Norwegian people.[63]
  •  Italy: President Giorgio Napolitano and Premier Silvio Berlusconi expressed their condolences for the victims and solidarity to Norwegian people.[64]
  •  Lithuania: President Dalia Grybauskaitė: On a behalf of me and Lithuania and its people's I express our heartfelt condolences to You, the victims' relatives and the all Norwegian people in this difficult hour for your Country I wish people of Norway strength and focus[65]
  •  Libyan Arab Jamahiriya: At a press conference in Tripoli, Moussa Ibrahim, a spokesman for the Gaddafi regime, said that "We never support any acts of terrorism whatsoever." But added "NATO is planting terrorism in the hearts of many. This is unfortunate and sad."[66] Muammar Gaddafi had previously threatened with terror attacks on European "homes, offices, families"[67][68]
  •  MexicoPresident Felipe Calderon Hinojosa offered his condolences to Stoltenberg via Twitter.[69]
  •  The NetherlandsPrime Minister Mark Rutte said the attack in Oslo demonstrates a "total lack of respect for human life." He also said his thoughts are with his Norwegian counterpart Jens Stoltenberg and the Norwegian people.[70]
  •  New ZealandPrime Minister John Key said after a meeting with President Barack Obama at the White House on Friday that the Norway attacks are an act of global terrorism and that no country is immune from that risk.[71] Acting Prime Minister Bill English has condemned the twin attacks by saying "I'm shocked and saddened at the news of the bombing and shootings, New Zealand joins with other countries in condemning these attacks on innocent people. Our thoughts and condolences are with the people of Norway at this time."[72]
  •  PakistanPresident Asif Ali Zardari expressed his grief and shock over the loss of lives, following the attack, and conveyed his condolences to the people and government of Norway. He also said that Pakistan, "which has suffered the most in the fight against terrorism and militancy, will continue to fight this menace with full resolve."[73]
  •  PhilippinesSecretary of Foreign Affairs Albert del Rosario stated that "the Philippines deplores the tragic twin attacks in Norway and extends his condolences to the Norwegian government and people".[74]
  •  SpainPresident José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero expressed his grief and "deep shock" over the attacks and conveyed his condolences to the people and government of Norway, RTVE says. He expressed his solidarity and the people of Spain's, "who often have lived themselves similar situations". King Juan Carlos expressed too his condolences and solidarity to the victims and their families.[75]
  •  SwedenPrime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt said that "My deepest condolences for the Norwegian people in this tragedy that happened in Oslo and at the Norwegian Social Democrats' youth camp. My thoughts are with the families of victims and the injured.[76] Minister for Foreign Affairs Carl Bildt said that "I immediately had contact with my Norwegian colleague Jonas Gahr Støre to express our deep sympathy to all those affected and to provide any assistance such as may be required." Bildt later posted on Twitter that "terrorism has struck. Police confirms bomb in Oslo. We are all Norwegians."[77]
  •  United Arab Emirates: Emirati Foreign Affairs Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan condemned the attacks stating "The UAE condemns in the strongest possible terms these terrible, appalling crimes and expresses its full solidarity and standing with the Government of Norway in confronting these criminal acts."[78]
  •  United KingdomForeign Secretary William Hague said that the UK stood "shoulder to shoulder" with Norway following the attack. He also said that "I send my deepest condolences to all those who have lost relatives or been injured."[79]
  •  United StatesPresident Barack Obama said: "Our hearts go out to the people of Norway" and offered American assistance in the investigation of the attacks. He also added that "It’s a reminder that the entire community has a stake in preventing this kind of terror from occurring," along with mentioning that events in Oslo are a reminder that the world has a role in stopping acts of terrorism.[20][80]
  •  European Union: The President of the European CouncilHerman Van Rompuy, described the bomb that hit government buildings in Norway's capital as an act of:
…cowardice. I am deeply shocked by the bomb blasts this afternoon in Oslo which have killed a number of innocent people and left many others injured. I condemn in the strongest terms these acts of cowardice for which there is no justification.[81]
  •  NATO: The Secretary General, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, said that NATO "condemn in the strongest possible terms the heinous acts of violence in Norway."[82]
Our solidarity with Norway remains steadfast. NATO countries stand united in the battle against these acts of violence.[83]

[edit]References

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[edit]External links

Friday, July 22, 2011

Federal Aviation Administration may face a partial shutdown on Friday. Air traffic controllers would remain on the job, but the FAA would not be able to collect ticket tax revenue that support the system and nonessential employees might face furloughs.

If it isn’t resolved this week, the Federal Aviation Administration may face a partial shutdown on Friday. Air traffic controllers would remain on the job, but the FAA would not be able to collect ticket tax revenue that support the system and nonessential employees might face furloughs.
“Summer is the busiest travel time of the year,” said former FAA administratorMarion C. Blakey, now president of the Aerospace Industries Association. “No one wants to see the FAA turned upside down, especially now.”
This week, House Democrats bypassed Transportation Committee Chairman John L. Mica (R-Fla.) with a direct appeal to Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio), urging him to schedule a conference committee meeting to resolve differences in long-term bills passed by the two bodies.
Mica has delegated staff members to work with the Senate to reach agreement, contending that “the current Senate leadership . . . refuse to negotiate in the best interest of the American public.”
From the Senate side, Commerce Committee Chairman John D. Rockefeller IV (D-W.Va.) fired back that “the House has demonstrated that it is not serious about getting a comprehensive bill done.”
The divide at the forefront of the argument is money: The House has approved a four-year plan that would cost $60.1 billion; the Senate passed a two-year bill at $34.5 billion.
But the real sticking points, staff members in both bodies say, are a trio of minor issues that matter more to some members of Congress than they do to the majority of the traveling public or the general aerospace industry.
Funding at 2007 levels?
The gallows humor making the rounds in the aviation community — with the 21st extension looming, stop-gap funding now will be old enough to drink — masks a real fear that the uncertainty of continuing to fund aviation at 2007 levels will stall airport expansionsand slow progress on a $40 billion air traffic system expected to revolutionize air travel.
“To the general public, there has been little apparent impact of this short-term funding arrangement, because the FAA continues to perform its core functions,” said Bobby Sturgell, former acting administrator at the FAA and now a vice president at aviation supplier Rockwell Collins. “However, the lack of long-term funding causes real damage to airport improvement projects, capital programs and certification of industry products, which provide jobs and promote economic activity. ”
Even another extension, usually a formality when Congress fails to advance funding packages, was thrown into doubt this week when Mica inserted controversial provisions in the House extension bill.
The White House on Wednesday denounced that bill because it “includes controversial provisions that, because they have not been negotiated, needlessly threaten critical FAA programs and jeopardize thousands of public and private sector jobs.”

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Immigration Minister Jason Kenney confirmed Wednesday that as many as 1,800 new Canadians could be stripped of their citizenship because they were obtained fraudulently. : this will not go well for prime minister stephen harper in the end!

Immigration Minister Jason Kenney confirmed Wednesday that as many as 1,800 new Canadians could be stripped of their citizenship because they were obtained fraudulently.




“We are in the process of notifying them that we will be revoking their citizenship because Canadian citizenship is not for sale,” Kenney told the Economic Club of Canada.



Kenney said some of the individuals are believed to have used “unscrupulous” immigration consultants who submitted fraudulent applications on behalf of people who did not meet the qualifications for citizenship.



The 1,800 were identified following a three-year investigation by the RCMP, other police forces and Citizenship and Immigration Canada.



“By the way, we are not done with our investigation” Kenney said, noting that many of the accused live outside the country.



They can challenge the decision in Federal Court. If not, Cabinet will move to revoke their citizenship.



Citizenship revocation is relatively uncommon in Canada with only 63 people being stripped of their citizenship since 1977, Kenney said.



Most were for reasons related to residence fraud, criminality and false identity, or concealing their involvement in war crimes.



Speaking in Vancouver on Tuesday, Kenney said Ottawa is trying to discourage immigration fraud.



“For those who simply touch down and try to get a Canadian passport as a … passport of convenience, who don’t pay our taxes but who do consume our social benefits, I think that’s dishonourable,” he told reporters after delivering a speech to the Vancouver Board of Trade.



“There are many ways that we are combating immigration fraud and abuse of our generosity, whether it is from [bogus] asylum claimants, crooked immigration consultants, people smugglers [or] people who are abusing our citizenship program,” he said.



Kenney also announced that Canada will soon be introducing multi-year visas for low-risk visitors from around the world that will last 10 years.

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Former chief justice of the Federal Court of Canada, Julius Isaac, died at the age of 82 in Regina on Saturday.

Former chief justice of the Federal Court of Canada, Julius Isaac, died at the age of 82 in Regina on Saturday.





Isaac was the country's first black chief justice and the first black person appointed to the Federal Court. He was head of the court for seven tumultuous years after being appointed by then-prime minister Brian Mulroney in 1991.





In an interview that year, Isaac said he considered himself a lawyer "first and foremost."





"It's no secret that I'm a black person. If having a great lawyer who is a black person assists minorities, that's a plus, an add-on. I don't have the sense the appointment is symbolic," he said at the time.





Born in Grenada, Isaac studied at the University of Toronto and spent 11 years in private practice before joining the federal government. He spent 17 years with the Justice Department before being appointed to the Supreme Court of Ontario in 1989.





While he was chief justice many of the judges were censured by the Canadian Judicial Council for behaviour — on and off the bench — that was deemed to be inappropriate.





Isaac himself was embroiled in scandal after it was revealed he met secretly with a government minister to try to speed up war-crimes prosecutions. The meeting with Ted Thomson, then-assistant deputy minister in charge of war crimes, took place while three Nazi war crimes cases were ongoing in the Federal Court.





Isaac was cleared, twice, of any wrongdoing even after the Supreme Court of Canada had originally called the meeting a serious affront to the appearance of judicial independence.





Isaac stepped down as head of the court in 1999 to become a part-time judge. He moved to Regina in 2006.

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

now the fun stuff : Ontario Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Hudak admits he “may have” signed a petition calling for the end to abortion funding in the past but promises not to reopen the debate if elected premier.

Ontario Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Hudak admits he “may have” signed a petition calling for the end to abortion funding in the past but promises not to reopen the debate if elected premier.




Hudak was responding to questions from the Star Monday regarding the Association for Reformed Political Action group listing him as someone who has “made it clear that he is pro-life and has signed petitions calling for abortion defunding and conscience legislation.”



Hudak said he will follow Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s lead and not revisit the abortion issue if he becomes premier Oct. 6.



The association has the post on its website, www.arpacanada.ca http://arpacanada.ca/index.php/issuesresearch/canadian-politics/577-ontarios-pc-leadership-race-where-do-the-candidates-stand END. The article addresses Conservative MPPs’ positions on certain issues in advance of the leadership vote in 2009. Hudak won the race on June 27, 2009.



“I may have signed a petition from my riding in that respect, but listen, let me be clear, we are not reopening this debate,” he said.



The Association for Reformed Political Action is a non-profit national organization that aims to make members of reformed churches more a part of public debate, said executive director Mark Penninga.



“The information we provided was all correct,” he said from Vancouver. “The email that made these points didn’t come from Hudak but someone in his campaign team.”



When the Star repeatedly asked Hudak if he is “pro-life” he refused to answer the question and walked away from the microphone.



Premier Dalton McGuinty has previously stated he supports a women’s right to choose. He was not available to comment Monday. But Finance Minister Dwight Duncan said Hudak’s refusal to answer the question speaks to his integrity.



“I think his integrity is an issue,” Duncan said.



“He does one thing then says another and tries to pretend he didn’t do it,” Duncan said, adding he is pro-choice. “I believe in the funding of it. But Mr. Hudak signs these things — I presume he reads them before he signs them — and I think that speaks to his integrity and to the kind of premier he would be.”



The New Democratic Party noted Monday it is the only party whose entire caucus has received a failing grade from the Campaign Life Coalition, a pro-life and pro-family movement.



Both Liberal and Conservative party members have tried to waffle on this issue, said NDP MPP Michael Prue (Beaches-East York).



“If he (Hudak) is a shade of grey, let him be a shade of grey. But don’t be telling one group that you want, and sign a petition, to defund abortion then tell everyone else you don’t want it to be an issue,” he said. “We in the NDP believe every woman has the right to choose.”



The Campaign Life Coalition says on its website that Hudak used to be “solidly pro-life” but has not responded to a questionnaire since 1995.



The website also notes Hudak, in 2009, chose to support an “openly lesbian candidate” in the St. Paul’s by-election. That candidate was Sue-Ann Levy, who lost to Liberal Eric Hoskins.

Monday, July 18, 2011

Conservative Party of Canada president John Walsh sent a letter July 1 that read, in part, that the Tories "appreciate the Chinese Communist Party" and would "look forward to the future relations between the two parties." : hmm so he is in love with the Chinese communists Party thats not going to go over well!!!.

OTTAWA - The political party that backed the creation of an Ottawa monument to victims of communism has also sent a congratulatory letter to the Communist Party of China (CPC) on its 90th anniversary.




Chinese media have reported that Conservative Party of Canada president John Walsh sent a letter July 1 that read, in part, that the Tories "appreciate the Chinese Communist Party" and would "look forward to the future relations between the two parties."



Human rights critics were not shy in their criticism.



Former MP David Kilgour described the letter as "naive with a capital 'N'."



Kilgour, who's no longer a member of any political party, added that the CPC has a nasty legacy that deserves criticism, not praise.



"It's everything that a democratic party in Canada or anywhere else in the world would want to keep at barge pole distance," he said.



Former diplomat and frequent critic of Chinese communists, Brian McAdam, slammed Walsh.



"Obviously the letter-writer, like many other persons in the government unfortunately, has very little knowledge about China," McAdam said. "It's been one of the most appalling regimes in human history."



Aside from religious persecutions, forced abortions and a sorry human rights record, tens of millions of people have been killed through famines and other Chinese communist policies.



McAdam suggests Chinese immigrants would probably be disappointed that the Conservatives had congratulated communist authorities.



"These people voted with their feet to leave China because they don't have any democracy and never will have any democracy in China," he said.



Neither Walsh nor other Tory officials responded to QMI Agency's requests for comment on the letter, but the Prime Minister's Office offered a brief statement.



"The promotion and protection of human rights is a big part of Canada's foreign policy and a priority in our dealings with China," wrote PMO press secretary Andrew MacDougall. "Canada takes every appropriate opportunity to express our concerns to the Chinese government and to urge China to implement and adhere to international standards of human rights."



Tribute to Liberty, a registered charity headed up by Canadians whose countries of ancestry were afflicted by communism, is now raising funds for an Ottawa memorial to the victims of communist crimes