I would really like to know what John Baird was thinking when he gave $2,000,000 to the organization Canadian Relief for Syria which doesn’t have a charity designation so it is funnelling its money through a proven al-Qaeda linked group:
Canada is giving two million dollars to a group collecting money on behalf of a charity whose Pakistan office was once run by alleged al-Qaeda financier Ahmed Said Khadr, the late father of Guantanamo Bay detainee Omar Khadr.
On Saturday, Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird announced the donation to “Canadian Relief for Syria.” The group is not a registered charity, though its website says it is in the process of obtaining Canada Revenue Agency registration.
In the meantime, anyone wishing to donate to Canadian Relief for Syria is directed by its website to Human Concern International, an Ottawa-based charity. “Founded on Islamic principles of charity and goodwill to humanity, HCI has always believed in helping the needy regardless of their race, nationality or religion,” its website says. (see here)
This is more than just a career ending move by Baird if any of that money finds its way into the hands of the al-Qaeda or Taliban.
Update: Baird’s office responds
Canada is committed to delivering medical aid to Syrian civilians brutalized by the Assad regime.
The Minister has directed his officials to exercise the necessary due diligence to ensure taxpayer dollars are used appropriately – for emergency relief in Syria.
