Our own private Guantanamo?

Well at least Stephen Harper can say that they can't hang this one on him, though he probably won't have a problem with the project anyways.

The past Liberal government gave the go ahead for Canada's Border Security Administration to set up it's own detainment section on Canadian land, a little prison within a prison at Ontario's Millhaven penitentiary. It's a smallish little place however, within only six cells destined to open in March, to house those that the government deems to be a security threat.

So far there are just four people -- all Arab nationals -- believed detained under the government's controversial security certificates. All are resisting deportation on grounds that they fear persecution if sent home.

A fifth man is free on bail in Montreal, subject to severe restrictions. None of the five has been charged with a crime.

The security certificates are items that are causing a bit of interest at the UN, which expressed concern over their use and how they may affect a defendants right to a fair trial. The certificates pertain only to non-citizens believed to pose a security threat. Canadians accused of terror-related offences must be charged under the Criminal Code.

The four that are destined for the new centre at Millhaven, are all suspected to having ties to Islamic extremists.

One assumes that it's in one way a good sign that only four people, in a country of over 30 million are deemed to be a threat to national security, though ominously the Government says that if and when there are more detainees we'll look at them on a case by case basis.

One hopes that we don't end up with too many case by case situations to examine in the future.