[Marcarc]

That's the problem, of course, one person saying something isn't actually 'evidence'. Usually that's the claim, that 'they didn't know it would be published'. In other words, its retracted and then other incidents that occur against them is usually considered 'proof'. <br /> <br /> In reading much of the online accounts of the FLQ it is quite interesting, particularly the Toronto Star reports that the FLQ had kidnapped Laporte with the aim to get him to confess to suspected ties between the Liberal Party and organized crime. So that spreads out the picture even more.<br /> <br /> As for the commments on the CIA, that is true about training, we can add that it isn't simply the CIA but the infamous 'School of the Americas" which essentially does the same thing. When you look at South America the record becomes even more clear, and both overt and covert ops are obvious, not just from the CIA. But again, without the evidence it's a stretch. However, reading the accounts of 1970 are quite interesting, particularly the parts about the government discussing use of the War Measures Act long prior to the kidnappings. <br /> <br /> This makes Tommy Douglas' claims seem quite prescient. It's not quite so much of a conspiracy theory to address these issues (which have nothing to do with the CIA):<br /> <br /> 1. Laporte is said by the FLQ to be connected to organized crime and the suspicion is that the Liberal Party is connected to organized crime.<br /> 2. The War Measures Act is sometimes given as a reason for Laporte's murder, however, what I've read so far is that it is unclear what happened-he may have been trying to escape.<br /> 3. Trudeau, of course, is a liberal. IF you've got a guy whose just been kidnapped who may 'have dirt on your party', then what would you do? It certainly puts some new questions on that. <br /> <br /> Tommy Douglas' infamous 'using a sledgehammer to crack a nut' seems quite prescient. One report even states that "the purpose of the operation was to squash Quebec nationalism in Quebec, Montreal, and Ottawa". <br /> <br /> So the story is interesting enough even without the CIA, although we can add that one member later arrested was a Black Panther. <br /> <br /> For more frightening is canadians demand for law and order far surpasses their desire for indivual well being. It's obviously crazy to think that the war measures act would result in catching kidnappers, and yet Trudeau's approval rating surged, while Douglas' plummeted. Interesting stuff indeed.

[gaulois]

[QUOTE BY= Marcarc]It's obviously crazy to think that the war measures act would result in catching kidnappers, and yet Trudeau's approval rating surged, while Douglas' plummeted. Interesting stuff indeed.[/QUOTE]Must remind you that the PQ was elected with a majority government couple years later in 1976 so the ratings did not do so well at least in Quebec. Trudeau's sledgehammer solution backfired big time in the québécois psyche. Specially when it was discovered that there really was no terrorist movement of any substance behind these kidnappings. Just couple lunatics...just like Trudeau I might just add Amazes me to think that the whole canadian political system dynamics would collapse if it was not of this separatist "monster" thing. Kind of like the Cold War thing against the evil empire. And now the war against "terror". <img align=absmiddle src='images/smilies/rolleyes.gif' alt='Rolling Eyes'>

[N Say]

[QUOTE BY= Marcarc]So the story is interesting enough even without the CIA, although we can add that one member later arrested was a Black Panther.[/QUOTE]<br /> <br /> What was his name?

[Marcarc]

That depends what you mean. You'll notice, no doubt, that 'Quebec sovereignty' changed very much during the seventies. Look at separatism today and in 95 and you can see why the US hardly cared at all whether separation happened...namely, there was no 'class warfare'. There was no 'worker revolution'. The status quo of quebec was not upset at all, the hydro going to the states what not at threat, in fact, most of the latter sovereigntists were talking about CLOSER economic ties with the US. <br /> <br /> So on that level it makes no difference to the US whether a nation separates. Right now with all the talk of Atlantica, IF a group were talking about separation the US wouldn't care, because the group would be talking about closer ties to the US. As the evidence shows, the ONLY time the US cares is when 'economic nationalism' gets involved, which is why I wouldn't be surprised if Saskatchewan had some CIA activity, or if the Canadian Action Party ever actually got more than 1% of the vote. So the US is VERY interested in Venezuela and Palestine, when people have the nerve to vote for their own interests and not for some elite interests. <br /> <br /> So in the most important manner it worked very well, the 'socialist' angle was dropped, which means, in socialist terms, the issue just became about which level of government is robbing you blind. Even though the states often characterizes canada as socialist, look at any national program and in the seventies is where they were stopped short. Medicare reforms aren't nearly what canadians actually wanted (they still don't cover many services or other health related, non hospital reforms, and the discussion changed to 'how much we can afford').<br /> <br /> Virtually no NEW national programs have been built since. The NEP COULD have been enshrined in legislation, but instead it was just a program that was easily dismantled, and to this day there is not even a gas pipeline that goes across the country, the east coast has to import both gas and oil from abroad.<br /> <br /> So in the IMPORTANT ways, in the ideological nationalist ways, it succeeded very well. As for the Black Panther guy I can't remember and didn't bookmark the page. But just type in FLQ and its in there somewhere (sorry, I didn't find it that important at the time so didn't bookmark it)