(Anti-U.S.) Group claims to have bombed Quebec hydro tower

[Newsjock]

http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2004/12/06/hydro-tower-bomb041206.html

MONTREAL - A group opposed to the export of power from Quebec to the United States has claimed responsibility for damaging a Hydro-Québec tower by setting off an explosive charge.

The St-Herménégilde tower, located near Coaticook in the Eastern Townships, is part of a line that carries power from James Bay to the Boston area.

... Calling itself by the initials IRI, the group sent a message to newspapers La Presse and Le Journal de Montréal and radio station CKAC.

It said its members set the charge to denounce the ''pillaging'' of Quebec's resources by the U.S.

more

[aquart]

1. Now Canada hates us. Canada.

CANADA!

[Journeyman]

6. To be honest, factions in Canada have long detested the US. . .

especially when it comes to issues of their water. Ever since the ideas embodied in the North American Water and Power Alliance were initially broached in the 1950s discerning Canadians have been leary of the US and its designs on their natural resources. Probably because they know we will eventually make the move to appropriate them -- with or without the consent of their government.

[proudbluestater]

2. The US continues to make friends and build coalitions

AGAINST OURSELVES!

Sorry about the damage. I've never voted for Bush.

[Canadian_moderate]

3. Makes lots of sense to oppose

making money off exporting clean, hydro-generated electricity to the USA. This money is used by Quebec to pay for their very generous social programs.

No offence, but Quebeckers would hate Americans regarding of whether democrats or republicans are in power.

[Old and In the Way]

7. Totally agree.......we ought to be real skeptical about who did this.

Who benefits? Why, it's US coal/oil interests....imagine that....

[UL_Approved]

14. If you believe the 9/11 theories about a Bush plot...

...then this is engineered by the House of Shrub. I think you hit the nail on the head. This makes NO sense for any Canadian group to do this. The bombing benefits energy corporations in the U.S. only. To lose the income from electric energy export is a huge loss in Canada's economy.

On another note, why are all these terrorists able to get to other countries, but not the United States? After all, we still have an ineffectice security policy in this nation according to the 9/11 Commission. Just seems like there is a little more to it that we see...

[Old and In the Way]

15. It accomplishes so many things......

(1) benefits the oil/gas coal industry in the US.
(2) makes Canadians "fearful"....terror, terror, terror.
(3) payback for that anti-war sentiment.
(4) pins the blame on some leftist terrorists....

I'll wait and see how this story develops, but there is a war going on- I'm just not sure who the perps are.

[glarius]

11. I think Quebecers were very pro-American until all the anti-French crap

started since the start of the Iraq war....I really do think this is rather recent....Talk show people like Rush Limbaugh and Bill O'Reilly have not differentiated between the French in Canada and the French in France.

[Canadian_moderate]

13. True enough

Many Americans do not realize how the ties between Quebeckers and the French were pretty much severed in the late 1700's. Quebeckers are about as French as the Cujans in Louisiana.

I'm sure Triumph the Insult Dog (Conan O'Brien Show) didn't help America's image in the eyes of Quebeckers. Somehow I think they didn't see the humour in it.

[mike_c]

4. frankly, I agree with them....

I hope no one was hurt, but I applaud their attempts to stop the export of energy generated in Canada to gluttonous U.S. consumers.

[HereSince1628]

8. Not to sound like a capitalist, but if there is a surplus or higher $

market, that is where selling the product will advantage the shareholders... so what are Canadians afraid of?

I am sure I don't understand this.

Part of me says it is incipient nationality.

Part of me says it is traditional nationality

The last part of me says Canadians don't want to compete for energy because that means paying the sorts of prices some US communities suffer.

I can't really blame them for wanting to protect their pocketbooks.

[Journeyman]

16. If you want to understand Candadian fears, Google "NAWAPA". . .

the North American Water and Power Alliance.

It is only a matter of time before the American West looks to Canada for its water. Any encroachment, by anyone, for any reason, and I'm sure there are Canadians who will oppose it. Just as I am sure there will come a day when any means will be considered fair by some in the U.S. when it comes to getting water.

Remember: Water flows towards power and money -- uphill or down, doesn't matter in the least, it flows where power and money commands it.

[Old Mouse]

5. We created terrorists in CANADA?

I'm so embarased...

[wordout]

9. aid and comfort

[Ian David]

10. Canadians shouldn't hate us

We hate America even more than they do. That is, if you define "America" by its leadership and not the citizens.

[daleo]

12. This is a new one on me

Quebecers have generally been quite proud of their hydro development (a nationalist program as well as an energy program) and exporting to the U.S. or English Canada has been seen to be part of the deal, at least until Quebec needs that much power for itself. There certainly have been serious environmental concerns and native rights concerns, as large areas in northern Quebec have been flooded. But any sort of anti-American sentiment is unfamiliar to me, as far as Quebec's hydro policy is concerned.

I do think the recent Bush policies have tended to bring Quebec closer to English Canada. For a while, Quebec soveriegntists had a rather dewey eyed attitude towards the U.S. - that it was less of a threat to the French fact in North America than was English Canada. Bush may have changed some minds that way. That is the sense that I got the last time I was in Montreal anyway.

One shouldn't make to much about sports, but Montreal's support of its Canadian Football League team is way up, and we all know what happened to the MLB Expos recently (went to Washington D.C., for those who don't follow such things).

[Just Me]

17. Most pronounced facet of fascism: FEAR surrounds the masses. n/t

[DS1]

18. Sounds like a job for the Omega Squad

[bemildred]

19. More horseshit from your friendly local propaganda mill. nt