OTTAWA — FBI Director Kash Patel is threatening consequences for Canadian agencies that fail to publicly reject internal CBC News guidance instructing journalists not to describe the September 11 attacks as terrorism.Patel issued the warning Friday as federal Conservatives demanded that the public broadcaster apologize and fire the senior editor responsible for the directive.“Any agency in Canada that doesn’t publicly reject this bastardization of history, and an insult to the souls lost during our largest terrorist attack in U.S. history, will no longer have [a] friend in this FBI,” Patel wrote.“Not to mention our heroes that responded in the aftermath. We will never forget 9-11.”Patel did not specify what consequences Canadian agencies could face or whether his warning could affect co-operation between the FBI and Canadian law enforcement.His remarks followed reports that Basem Boshra, senior director of journalistic standards and public trust at CBC News, circulated internal guidance ahead of the 25th anniversary of the attacks.“Do not refer to the Sept. 11 attacks as terrorist attacks,” the memo stated, according to a report by Fox News..The guidance instead recommended describing how the hijackings resulted in passenger jets crashing in Manhattan, Washington and Pennsylvania.CBC public affairs director Kerry Kelly said it was inaccurate to suggest the broadcaster was asking journalists to declare that September 11 was not an act of terrorism.She said the memo reminded journalists of the broadcaster’s longstanding preference to attribute words such as “terrorist” and “terrorism” to officials or other sources rather than use them independently.CBC editor-in-chief Brodie Fenlon previously defended that policy by arguing the terms are so politically and emotionally loaded that their use can interfere with the broadcaster’s reporting.Conservative heritage critic Rachael Thomas said Thursday that the distinction drawn by the public broadcaster was unacceptable.“9/11 was a terrorist attack, plain and simple,” Thomas said. “Thousands of innocent people, including 24 Canadians, were killed by al-Qaeda that day: a listed terrorist entity under the Criminal Code and led by the murderous terrorist, Osama bin Laden.”Thomas said refusing to use the term diminished what occurred and insulted victims, their families and those who lived through the attacks.She pointed to the nearly 7,000 passengers and crew taken in by residents of Gander, New Foundland and Labrador, after American airspace was closed.More than 40,000 Canadians later served in Afghanistan, where 158 Canadian Armed Forces members and seven Canadian civilians were killed during Canada’s mission.“The person responsible for this directive receives a paycheque funded by the very taxpayers who experienced the pain and loss of the devastating 9/11 attacks and the War in Afghanistan that followed,” Thomas said.“This person should be fired, and CBC leadership must immediately issue a clear apology.”“Canadians deserve a public broadcaster that tells the truth: that terrorists attacked and murdered thousands of innocent people on 9/11 and they should have no difficulty saying so.”CBC/Radio-Canada is slated to receive approximately $1.38 billion in parliamentary appropriations during the 2026-27 fiscal year.
