Three years ago, a mixture of fear and relief coursed through our nation when we learned the RCMP saved countless Canadians from a terrorist attack plotted by al-Qaida sympathizers.
The self-radicalized couple had placed pressure cooker bombs near the provincial legislature in Victoria on Canada. They seemed monstrous but like a movie monster, they had a creator.
According to a B.C. Supreme Court judge, the RCMP manufactured the plot after using a Mr. Big sting to incite two impoverished, drug-addled Surrey residents, neither of whom seemed overly burdened with brilliance. (One of the accused had expounded on plans to hijack a nuclear submarine and hack into and topple the Israeli government’s computers.)
But instead of facing a life sentence in prison, John Nuttall and Amanda Korody are free, pending an appeal.
As the fear of terrorism escalates, their case is a stark reminder of how precious the rule of law is in Canada.
The RCMP spent approximately $900,000 on overtime and involved 240 officers in the case. If a few of those resources had gone toward drug counselling, job training or education, we might have all benefited.
