Canada has arrested 17 presumed terrorists in Greater Toronto, in a raid which uncovered three times the ammonium nitrate used against the Murrah Building in Oklahoma City. The consequences such a large explosion in a crowded area like downtown Toronto are almost too horrific to contemplate. Given the terrorists' love of attacking landmarks, and the many tall skyscrapers in Toronto, as well as the CN Tower, the tallest free—standing structure in the world, one shudders at what might have been.

We have long been fans of the Metropolitan Toronto Police, and we send our congratulations to them and their brothers, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Canada's security agency, the CSIS, which stopped this plot from going further. It is good to know that law enforcement is so alert.

Our contributor Jonathan Strong lived very close to where some of the suspects were arrested, and he is following the story closely at his site The Strong Conservative. Here he highlights some of the moonbat comments left on the CBC site. Here are profiles of some of the suspects, as well as links to a favorite site of mine, Small Dead Animals and a site new to me, Arabian Dissent. Further updates on PM Harper's respone here and the CSIS (Canadian Security and Intelligence Service) Assistant Director's statement here.

It may be in vain, but I do hope that the Canadian Left will rethink its attitudes toward the war and terror and recognize the underlying reality that Americans and Canadians alike are targets because of our freedoms and our secular democracies. It would be ironic if this continues the healing process between our two nations, which, whatever the passing issues might be, remain and always must be the very best of friends.

Thomas Lifson   6 3 06

Update: More on the link to terror suspect in Georgia.