Will the U.S. Join Canada and Germany in Ahmadinejad Walkout?

Canada and Germany have apparently head enough of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s Holocaust-denying rants and virulent anti-Semitism. The Canadian government is planning to protest his presence at the UN today by having their entire delegation walking out of the chamber when Ahmadinejad takes the podium:

Canada will boycott Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s speech at the United Nations today, saying his outbursts about the Holocaust and Israel are “shameful.”

Foreign Minister Lawrence Cannon will be at the world body to attend the opening of the UN General Assembly’s annual debate, but officials signal he and other members of the Canadian delegation will vacate when the Islamic republic’s president approaches the podium.

Walking out of the chamber is seen as a strong diplomatic show of disgust at the UN — and since the 192-member chamber is generally packed on the first day of the annual summit, Canada’s empty seats will not go unnoticed.

“President Ahmadinejad’s repeated denial of the Holocaust and his anti-Israel comments run counter to the values of the UN General Assembly, and they’re shameful,” said one Canadian official.

“He uses his public appearances to provoke the international community, and that is why Canada’s seats will be empty.”

Germany is taking a slightly softer line and has called on other European nations to join it’s walkout if Ahmadinejad denies the Holocaust or goes one of of his anti-Semitic rants:

The German Foreign Ministry has called on other European Union countries to join its walkout if Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad denies the Holocaust, or makes anti-Semitic statements in his speech at the annual debate of the UN General Assembly on Wednesday.

Last week the Iranian president called the Holocaust a lie during an anti-Israel rally in Tehran. German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier condemned Ahmadinejad’s latest denial, calling him a disgrace to his country.

The Holocaust claimed the lives of over six million Jews in Nazi-occupied Europe during World War II. Denying the genocide is a crime in Germany.

The only question is will U.S. delegation have the courage and moral clarity to join them? I doubt it, as Ed Morrissey notes the Obama Administration “… wants talks [with Iran] so badly that the White House has shown no inclination to react to Ahmadinejad’s bigotry.”

John McCain: 9-11 Hijackers Entered U.S. From Canada

Oh jeez… First it was Janet Napolitano now it’s John McCain repeating a the highly dubious claim that the 9-11 hijackers entered the United Sates through Canada:

What’s up with Arizona politicians?

Arizona Sen. John McCain made the dubious claim Friday that Sept. 11 hijackers entered the United States through Canada — just days after Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, the former governor of Arizona, said the same thing.

Napolitano retracted her claim on Thursday after Canadian officials chided her for the remark, calling it an unfortunate misconception. Napolitano admitted Thursday that she made a mistake — since the 9/11 Commission concluded that the hijackers entered the U.S. from overseas.

But when asked about the gaffe on FOX News Friday, McCain said: “Well, some of the 9/11 hijackers did come through Canada, as you know.”

This drew an instant retort from the Canadian embassy, which re-issued Canadian Ambassador Michael Wilson’s public comments from Tuesday, in which he said:

“Unfortunately, misconceptions arise on something as fundamental as where the 9/11 terrorists came from. As the 9/11 Commission reported in July 2004, all of the 9/11 terrorists arrived in the U.S. from outside North America. They flew to major U.S. airports. They entered the U.S. with documents issued to them by the U.S. government. No 9/11 terrorists came from Canada.”

Idiot, Senator you might want to review the 9-11 commission report… The 9/11 hijackers DID NOT enter this country through Canada. They entered the country directly from overseas with documents issued by the U.S. Government.

Got it? Good.

Gaffestastic: Napolitano Strikes Again

The hits just keep coming… This time it’s Canadians who are wondering how an idiot like Janet Napolitano got the job of Homeland Security Secretary:

A diplomatic skirmish has broken out over suggestions by Janet Napolitano, the U. S. homeland security secretary, that terrorists have routinely entered the United States through Canada, including the perpetrators of the Sept. 11 attacks.

Napolitano’s remarks in a CBC interview earlier this week angered Canadian parliamentarians, who were in Washington on Tuesday to participate in a border conference attended by both the homeland security secretary and Ambassador Michael Wilson.

As the keynote speaker at the Border Trade Alliance meeting, Wilson said he was “frustrated” that the 9-11 myth has resurfaced once again, eight years after the terrorist attacks.

“Unfortunately, misconceptions arise on something as fundamental as where the 9-11 terrorists came from,” Wilson said.

“As the 9-11 commission reported in 2004, all of the 9-11 terrorists arrived in the United States from outside North America. They flew to major U. S. airports. They entered the U. S. with documents issued by the United States government and no 9-11 terrorists came from Canada.”

But Wilson later added that Napolitano’s handlers had reassured the Canadian Embassy that she simply misunderstood a question posed to her during the interview.

“Her comment from her people is that she misunderstood,” Wilson told a throng of Canadian media who descended upon the conference to hear what he had to say about the controversy.

“We’ve been in touch with her office a few times this morning and there’s no question in my mind she does not believe any terrorists came from Canada into the United States.”

Wilson also said he planned to sit down with Napolitano soon to discuss the issue face-to-face.

Can someone please explain to me how someone this incompetent got a job this important?

To our friends and allies in Canada, I’m Sorry. We’re all not as ill-informed as Sec. Napolitano we know the 9/11 hijackers entered this country directly from overseas not through Canada. We know that it was lax policing at our overseas consulates that opened the door to to them… and that is was poor interior enforcement in this country that enabled their stay.

Related

• Interview with U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano – CBC
• U.S. security boss clarifies comments about border – CTV
• The border for dummies – The National Post
• Janet Napolitano screws up again – Michelle Malkin