Sunday, April 26, 2009
Fans of “South Park” know that it’s good to have a scapegoat, and that Canada fits the bill. Unfortunately, in real life, some politicians are still blaming Canada. Culprits #1 and #2: Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ). Within two days of each other, the two Arizona politicians mistakenly told the media that the September 11 hijackers entered the United States through Canada. This assertion, although widely reported immediately after the attacks, was refuted in July 2004 by the 9/11 Commission, which found that all the hijackers arrived in the U.S. by airplane from outside North America.
Napolitano was the first to spout the false information about terrorists entering the U.S. through Canada. While discussing the differences between guarding the northern and southern borders of the U.S., she remarked, “Yes, Canada is not Mexico, it doesn’t have a drug war going on, it didn’t have 6,000 homicides that were drug-related last year. Nonetheless, to the extent that terrorists have come into our country or suspected or known terrorists have entered our country across a border, it’s been across the Canadian border. There are real issues there.” When asked if she was referring to the 9/11 terrorists, Napolitano added: “Not just those but others as well.”
Canadian officials immediately chided the homeland secretary, who quickly issued an apology for the gaffe. The very next day, however, McCain told FOX News, “Well, some of the 9/11 hijackers did come through Canada, as you know.” Canadian officials again issued a statement reminding McCain of the truth with regard to what really happened.
-Noel Brinkerhoff
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