A Valid Position Christina

Stop smearing Bartleman!
By CHRISTINA BLIZZARD

How odd that in the wake of Lt.-Gov. James Bartleman's stunning testimony at the Air India inquiry, the focus has not been on the RCMP's lack of action, but on Bartleman himself.

Last week, the former top diplomat testified that when he was the head of security at External Affairs in 1985, he received information just days before the bombing that a terror assault was planned.

According to Bartleman, he went to the RCMP officer in charge of that section and told him of the threat. The response he received was the cop had seen the information -- and that Bartleman should butt out and leave police to do their job.

Curiously, the response to Bartleman's shocking testimony has not been to question why the RCMP failed to follow up on the tip, but to question the former diplomat's memory and to ask why he took so long to come forward.

This prompted John Major, the retired Supreme Court of Canada judge who heads the inquiry to question why the federal government would attempt to discredit Bartleman -- a former ambassador with a spotless record of public service.

More