Editorial: Passports And Security

Which is just what Prime Minister Stephen Harper's government has done in denying a passport to Abdurahman Khadr. He is the 23-year-old son of Osama bin Laden confidant Ahmed Said Khadr, who was killed in Pakistan in 2003. Harper and Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay both cited "national security" in refusing the passport, but did not elaborate. That is troubling. While Ottawa is within its rights to deny passports without explanation, it is bad policy. Canadians need assurance that people are not being punished for the dubious affiliations of their relatives. http://tinyurl.com/gnyzy [Proofreader's note: this article was edited for spelling and typos on September 5, 2006]

Note: http://tinyurl.com/gnyzy