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.
August 12, 2012 at 7:32 PM
I have come to the conclusion that Baird is basically stupid. This is not the only act of late that supports this. This so called Conservative government is totally out of whack in my view.
August 12, 2012 at 7:38 PM
This is extremely serious and Baird needs to explain himself
August 12, 2012 at 7:49 PM
I agree completely.
August 17, 2012 at 9:59 AM
Solution is so simple, have one of our own Canadian citizens at the border, distributing the medical supplies, hands on , amazing that we would even think of giving 2 million to this group, evidently it has now surfaced they would use “part” ( I have to laugh at that) of the money for “infrastructure” . We would be lucky if any medical supplies got to the people that need it. its good he cancelled . His heart is in the right place, just that their are a lot of bad people out their.
August 12, 2012 at 8:31 PM
Perhaps the Conservatives feel the need to throw a token bone to the “progressives” once in a while. It doesn’t have to make sense if it’s just for optics. But it does p— off the fiscal Conservative base, that’s for sure!
August 13, 2012 at 6:03 AM
“… token bone to the “progressives” …”
How is pissing money away a bone to progressives? Wasting money is wasting money to ALL Canadians.
August 13, 2012 at 7:00 AM
Funding of the CBC and keeping Moore and Clement in Cabinet is enough of a bone to the more progressive people. This funding could find its way to supporting the killing of Canadian Troops or those of its allies.
I am willing to allow Baird some time to explain himself or the actions of his department, but an explanation is required.
August 13, 2012 at 7:50 AM
Are you suggesting that Baird blew it?
August 12, 2012 at 10:13 PM
Extremely foolish move on the part of Minister Baird. Our enemies howl in derisive laughter and then mock our stupidity and weakness. $2 million at home is one thing; but to give it away to an as yet registered charity?
August 13, 2012 at 9:07 AM
Puzzling indeed. One would hope there is a rational explanation for this, but I have come to expect obfuscation and deflection from politicians rather than a true reason for doing something.
Harper has chosen several MP’s for cabinet duty that don’t seem to have the ability for the position,Moore,Oda,Clement,now Baird has some ‘splainin’ to do.
The MSM sycophants keep telling us we have to attract the “best and brightest” to the political realm, but we seem to attract more egotists with limited ability to see the overall picture.
So, Mr.Baird…..??
August 13, 2012 at 10:56 AM
Let’s wait and see on this one, Baird is usually on top of his file, BUT, on the surface, it’s not looking like a smart use of the tax dollars of Canadians. We simply have no way of knowing where that money will be funneled in that part of the world. It can be earmarked for charity but what passes for charity will be decided by whoever gets their hands on it to use as they please and that could be against our principles entirely.
August 13, 2012 at 11:14 AM
I’ll hold my vitriolic opinion on this bright move ’till I gather a few more facts.
On the surface though, this looks ridiculously shortsighted!
Tell me you know what you’re doing Mr Baird…?
August 13, 2012 at 11:44 AM
[...] while two other bloggers weigh in on the PQ’s rise in Quebec polls. Conservative blogger BC Blue asks what Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird was thinking when he announced that the government [...]
August 14, 2012 at 8:01 AM
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/politics/article/1241375–stephen-harper-defends-aid-money-to-unregistered-syrian-charity
Stephen Harper says the yet-to-be-registered charity has been thoroughly vetted by government officials,and is the vehicle through which medical aid can be sent to Syria.
August 14, 2012 at 10:49 AM
BC Blue … why are you guys pretending to be so shocked and surprised? You know Canada had to do it’s part to kill Muslims in foreign coutries, don’t you?
It’s a wonderful life with the “strong conservative majority” …. just enjoy it. We voted for them didn’t we? We volunteered countless hours on their behalf, didn’t we? Are we now saying that all that work was in vain?
The reason Baird has done what he has done is because we, along with the USA, UK and other countries are now the paymasters of Al Qaeda and other terrorist gangs running amok in Syria.
Let’s just learn to appreciate and admire the kind of atrocities that our new soldiers in Syria are putting up on YouTube.
August 15, 2012 at 2:03 PM
[...] assured by Baird’s press secretary that this money will be “used appropriately” (see here) so what happened in the last couple days to make this [...]
August 20, 2012 at 3:27 AM
”Founded on Islamic principles of charity and goodwill to humanity” Islamic principles: This is the fundamental problem. If the past experience is indication, “medical supplies” can change into anything. There is no honest way of accounting as their dealing is always a slippery slope by design. Canada should stay out of Syria which is turning into civil war zone, though we should also be concerned about WMD (smuggled from Iraq before US invasion in 2003).