Canada starts busing citizens out of Israel days after allies began
A man walks through the damaged headquarters of Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, Iranian state television, in Tehran, Iran on Thursday, June 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi) flag wire: true flag sponsored: false article_type: pubinfo.section: cms.site.custom.site_domain : thestar.com sWebsitePrimaryPublication : publications/toronto_star bHasMigratedAvatar : false firstAuthor.avatar :
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Calgary Herald
44 minutes ago
- Calgary Herald
'Read a few more history books,' Canada-born Israeli minister advises millennials uneasy with Iran war
Article content OTTAWA — One of Israeli's highest-ranking politicians says she understands that many people could be feeling déjà vu as the West faces another war in the Middle East over the threat of weapons of mass destruction. Article content The Toronto-born Sharren Haskel, now Israel's junior minister of foreign affairs, was herself a young enlistee in Israel's armed forces (specifically the border police) when then U.S. president George W. Bush and a coalition of allies invaded Iraq in 2003, vowing to destroy weapons of mass destruction, that were later found to be non-existent. Article content Article content Article content Article content 'I've seen things that I don't wish anyone to see,' Haskel, 41, told National Post on Monday. Article content But public opinion studies have documented an 'Iraq War hangover' driving anti-war attitudes among millennials, born between 1981 and 1996. Article content A 2019 Ipsos study study tracking more than 16,000 millennials across 16 countries, including the U.S., found that three-quarters believed that most wars could be avoided. Respondents from war-affected countries were more hopeful than others that future wars could be avoided. Article content But Haskel said that Iran poses a much graver threat today than Iraq did two decades ago. Article content 'The two cases are extremely different,' she said, noting that Iran's advanced nuclear enrichment and ballistics missile programs have been well-documented by several international bodies and governments, and that they pose a 'double existential threat' to international security. Article content Article content Prior to this month's Israel and U.S.-led attacks on Iranian nuclear sites, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) estimated that Iran had enough raw material for nine nuclear weapons. Article content Article content Haskel said that the fear of a repeat of the disastrous Iraq war has made the U.S. and other Western countries too hesitant to use force against an intransigent Iran. Article content 'We've seen in recent years, and because of (Iraq), how the international community have been chasing up a diplomatic solution,' said Haskel. Article content 'But unfortunately, this enemy that you're facing was growing to a monstrous size while deceiving the international community.' Article content Iran signed what looked to be a breakthrough nuclear deal with the U.S. and other world powers in 2015, but it has repeatedly violated the terms of this agreement. The IAEA reported in 2023 that Iran's stockpile of enriched uranium was 30 times more than the maximum permitted under the agreement.
Vancouver Sun
an hour ago
- Vancouver Sun
'Read a few more history books,' Canada-born Israeli minister advises millennials uneasy with Iran war
OTTAWA — One of Israeli's highest-ranking politicians says she understands that many people could be feeling déjà vu as the West faces another war in the Middle East over the threat of weapons of mass destruction. The Toronto-born Sharren Haskel, now Israel's junior minister of foreign affairs, was herself a young enlistee in Israel's armed forces (specifically the border police) when then U.S. president George W. Bush and a coalition of allies invaded Iraq in 2003, vowing to destroy weapons of mass destruction, that were later found to be non-existent. And she's not a fan of war, she said. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. 'I've seen things that I don't wish anyone to see,' Haskel, 41, told National Post on Monday. 'I've been in positions that I would never want my own daughters to be in.' But public opinion studies have documented an 'Iraq War hangover' driving anti-war attitudes among millennials, born between 1981 and 1996. A 2019 Ipsos study study tracking more than 16,000 millennials across 16 countries, including the U.S., found that three-quarters believed that most wars could be avoided. Respondents from war-affected countries were more hopeful than others that future wars could be avoided. But Haskel said that Iran poses a much graver threat today than Iraq did two decades ago. 'The two cases are extremely different,' she said, noting that Iran's advanced nuclear enrichment and ballistics missile programs have been well-documented by several international bodies and governments, and that they pose a 'double existential threat' to international security. Prior to this month's Israel and U.S.-led attacks on Iranian nuclear sites, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) estimated that Iran had enough raw material for nine nuclear weapons. Haskel said that the fear of a repeat of the disastrous Iraq war has made the U.S. and other Western countries too hesitant to use force against an intransigent Iran. 'We've seen in recent years, and because of (Iraq), how the international community have been chasing up a diplomatic solution,' said Haskel. 'But unfortunately, this enemy that you're facing was growing to a monstrous size while deceiving the international community.' Iran signed what looked to be a breakthrough nuclear deal with the U.S. and other world powers in 2015, but it has repeatedly violated the terms of this agreement. The IAEA reported in 2023 that Iran's stockpile of enriched uranium was 30 times more than the maximum permitted under the agreement. Haskell encourages younger adults who were hung up on the surface-level similarities to 2003 invasion of Iraq to take a longer view of history. 'I would try and lead them to spend a little less time on social media and read a few more history books. In particular, books about the years leading up to the Second World War,' said Haskell. 'When people say that history repeats itself, it's very clear during these times as well … the European countries (after the First World War) were so desperate to avoid another world war that they tried to convince themselves that what the Nazis were saying wasn't really what they were saying.' One prominent politician who's given voice to his generation's war-skeptical sentiment is 40-year-old U.S. Vice President JD Vance. Vance, who was deployed to Iraq in 2005, later called the war 'disastrous.' He's since called for the U.S. to limit its exposure to foreign conflicts, such as Russia's invasion of Ukraine . The vice president said over the weekend, after the U.S. bombed three Iranian nuclear sites , that the U.S. was not at war with Iran but ' with Iran's nuclear program .' Haskel said she didn't have a problem with Vance's description of the U.S.'s involvement in Iran. 'I think you should ask the Americans to make the Americans' case,' said Haskel. National Post rmohamed@ Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here .
Canada News.Net
an hour ago
- Canada News.Net
UK-based Iranians alarmed by AI voice answering phones in Tehran
DUBAI, U.A.E.: British Iranians living in the U.K. are taken aback when they try to reach their families in Tehran on the phone and are met with a robotic voice instead. The voice, struggling with English, introduces itself as Alyssia and seems more confused than helpful. This disconcerting encounter has become increasingly prevalent among Iranians abroad, especially following the recent Israeli airstrikes on Iran. Ellie, a British-Iranian living in the U.K., is one of nine expatriates who shared their encounters with similar robotic voices. They recounted their experiences to The Associated Press while opting to remain anonymous due to safety concerns for their families still in Iran. Experts who reviewed recordings of these calls speculate that they may stem from low-tech artificial intelligence, chatbots, or pre-recorded messages redirecting calls from outside the country. While it remains ambiguous who is responsible for this phenomenon, four out of five experts posited that it likely originated from the Iranian government, while the remaining expert suggested the involvement of Israeli authorities. The eerie calls come at a time when tensions in the region have escalated, particularly as Iran faces military strikes and has retaliated with missile attacks, all against a backdrop of widespread internet blackouts. These restrictions hinder ordinary Iranians from accessing outside information, exacerbating the anxiety for those trying to maintain contact with their loved ones. For Ellie, this situation is particularly dire; her mother, who suffers from diabetes, is running low on insulin while remaining trapped on the outskirts of Tehran. Ellie feels a growing sense of urgency to communicate her desire for her mother to evacuate, but the barriers to communication frustrate her efforts. Among the testimonials collected, one 30-year-old woman living in New York labeled the experience "psychological warfare." She described the fear of anticipating a familiar voice only to be confronted with an AI-generated one. Such encounters have left many feeling unsettled and fearful, exemplified by a U.K. woman who received an automated voice message that offered platitudes instead of the guidance she sought from her mother. Curiously, not every Iranian abroad is experiencing these robotic messages; some report endless ringing without any response. Colin Crowell, a former Twitter executive, indicated that Iranian phone companies might be diverting calls to a default message system, preventing successful communication. Amir Rashidi, a U.S.-based cybersecurity expert, suggested that these recorded messages could be a governmental tactic to counter perceived external threats, yet acknowledged the lack of concrete evidence supporting this theory. The Iranian government's history of controlling communication during crises adds another layer of concern. Mehdi Yahyanejad, an internet freedom advocate, noted that while hacking the communication network is plausible, it's unlikely given the Iranian authorities' existing surveillance capabilities. Amid the chaos, Ellie managed to find a channel to communicate with her mother, relying on a connection through someone on the Iran-Turkey border. This workaround allows her to relay urgent messages, including warnings about the invasive robotic voice that has been answering her mother's calls. Meanwhile, others continue to face dire situations, as evidenced by a woman in the U.K. seeking her mother-in-law, who has recently been hospitalized amidst the ongoing violence. Instead of receiving supportive messages, she is met with the same disconcerting recorded phrases designed to project a false sense of calm, leaving her with a profound sense of helplessness and despair.
