The Canadian government may be relying on a U.S. commander as its top adviser in any possible airborne terrorist attack during the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, says a Canadian Studies professor at St. Lawrence University in New York State.
Canada and the U.S. are partners in the North American Aerospace Defence Command, which is in charge of overall air defence in North America. NORAD leadership rotates between officers from the two countries.
But in Canada, the ultimate decision on whether to destroy an aircraft suspected in a terrorist threat remains with the Prime Minister or Minister of Defence.
The federal government has not publicly disclosed who they will turn to for advice, Professor Joseph Jockel said yesterday in an interview from Canton, N.Y. "Who will be on the phone with them, saying Mr. Prime Minister, it was hijacked and we now advise you to order the destruction of the aircraft?"
It's a question of sovereignty, he said, adding that the options include the head of NORAD, the head of NORAD's Canadian Command, the RCMP or the Vancouver 2010 Integrated Security Unit.
The decision-making process should be publicly known, he said. "It would be useful to know ... who will be talking to them at the last minute."
Prof. Jockel raised questions about a terrorist attack during the Olympics in an academic paper on changes in NORAD as a result of shifting views of national sovereignty.
The paper was released yesterday by the University of Calgary's School of Public Policy.
"On paper, it appears that in planning for the Vancouver Olympics, the Canadian air force will be responding to two commanders: one in Colorado Springs and one at the Canada Command headquarters in Ottawa," he wrote. "While overall responsibility for air defence rests with NORAD, who [is it that] provides final advice for the responsible Canadian minister in the event of a terrorist air incident?"
"Will the head of Canada Command, the senior general in charge of military operations in Canada, have any role at all?"
The media office of the Vancouver 2010 Integrated Security Unit for the Olympics did not respond yesterday to a request for an interview.
Michael Kucharek, a spokesman for NORAD, said in an interview that the organization will be on the ground, or up in the air, ready to respond in support of the ISU.
A U.S. commander could be the top official of the Canada-U.S. military alliance during the Olympics, he also said.
Who makes the decision to shoot down an aircraft involved in a terror incident could depend on questions related to airspace, such as where the flight originates, he also said.
The best defence begins on the ground, through efforts of local, state, provincial and federal agencies, he added. "NORAD works closely with and will remain available to civil authorities, as a force of last resort," Mr. Kucharek said
