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Simeon Mitropolitski is a Canadian analyst, of Bulgarian origin, and a former syndicated columnist with the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA). He is the author of several hundred articles dealing with hot political and economic topics, both national and international.
He was part of the first group of Bulgarian intellectuals and students that began the opposition movement that finally put an end to the communist regime in this country in 1989, and in 1996-1997 participated in international observation teams during the elections in several Balkan countries - Romania, Albania and Bulgaria.
In 2002 Simeon and his family moved from Bulgaria to Canada where they live now in Montreal, province of Quebec. Simeon is a Master of Political Science from McGill University and a B.A. of Political Science and History.
Global Real Estate Project
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The Canadian targets of Bin Laden: what is in the menu?
 Office building Place Ville-Marie in Montreal The war against the terrorism that seemed so far away from the sleepy Canadian homes may be on our doorsteps. Osama bin Laden, who decides where to hit according to its targets' values to the progress of the human civilization, has put Canada for the first time in his whish list. At the same time the US Secretary of State has reportedly shared with his Canadian counterpart a list of possible targets*. We don't know what is exactly in Bin Laden's mind until he decides to strike but we know many things about at least some of the presumed targets in Canada and we know that if they are destroyed, this could damage the economic and social life in Canada. The targets, numbered up to twenty-two, are very different by their size, symbolism, expected human casualties and economic consequences. Seven of them are situated in or very closely to Toronto, the Canada's biggest economic center. Other two are in Montreal; one is situated in Vancouver, one in Ottawa and one in Winnipeg. Four of the targets are in fact Jewish synagogues, which underlines the anti-Semite symbolism of the radical Muslim movement. If these places of cult are hit during mass religious ceremonies, the victims could be counted by hundreds and even by thousands. Another highly symbolic target is the Canadian National Tower in Toronto - the world's tallest building (553 m or 1,815 ft). The tower, classified as one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World by the American Society of Civil Engineers, has been built in 1976. More than 6,000 people visit the tower every day, which makes it an ideal target for bloodthirsty terrorists. There is at least one more reason why the CN Tower has been put on the list of possible targets. If terrorists make the tower collapse, this could trigger an annihilation of the financial center of Toronto. If the terrorists decide to repeat the strike on New York they may also look at Place Ville-Marie office and shopping center in Montreal (1,000,000 sq.feet), where tens of thousands of people work and pass by every day. The 43-floor center, which was built in 1962, at that time was the tallest building in the country. Some targets have little economic significance and can inflict few casualties although they are also very symbolic; the Confederation Bridge between Prince Edward Island and the rest of Canada as well as the Peace Bridge on Niagara Falls. Other targets aren't so symbolic but they can cause many casualties - the Toronto subway or Air Canada center. Maybe some of the targets are on the list only to divert the public attention from the real threats. The nuclear facilities listed among the other targets are built to withstand a direct hit by a plane** and the parliament buildings in Ottawa have for sure been supplied with some underground system of evacuation inherited from the Cold War.
Endnote:
* - The list has been published by Vancouver Province daily. --------------------
See also the directory of companies providing real estate services in, and general real estate information of Canada.
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