Prime Minister Stephen Harper
bluntly declared Wednesday's deadly shootings in the Canadian capital of
Ottawa to be a terrorist attack and vowed that "we will not be
intimated."
Canadian and U.S. investigators stressed that they still hadn't determined a motive in Wednesday's shootings, which left reserve Cpl. Nathan Cirillo of Hamilton, Ontario, dead
and sent lawmakers scrambling for cover as up to 50 shots rang out in
the halls of Parliament while police and security officers exchanged
fire with the gunman.
But Harper had no doubt,
saying in a nationally televised address Wednesday night that "we will
learn more about the terrorist and any accomplices he may have had." The
attack, he said, was proof that "Canada is not immune to the types of
terrorist attacks that we have seen elsewhere around the world."
"But let there be no
misunderstanding: We will not be intimated — Canada will never be
intimidated," Harper said. "In fact, this will lead us to strengthen our
resolve and redouble our efforts, and those of our national security
agencies, to take all necessary steps to identify and counter threats
and keep Canada safe here at home."
For terrorist
organizations "who brutalize those in other countries with the hope of
bringing their savagery to our shores," he had this message: "They will
have no safe haven."

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