Terrorists, not protesters, are the real threat to the G-8 summit, says an expert with the University of Toronto.
John Kirton, the director of the U of T's G-8 research centre, says terrorist groups such as Osama bin Laden's al- Qaeda see the Kananaskis summit as an attractive target, because it's one of the few occasions when the world's most powerful leaders are in one place.
"Since 1996, bin Laden has targeted the G-8 to kill all the world leaders," Kirton says. "That's the best place if you were going to do it."
The idea of a terrorist attack in K-Country may seem absurd at first but Kirton maintains the threat is real.
"Nobody wants to assassinate (Prime Minister) Jean Chretien," he says, "But you know somebody might want to assassinate (Russian President Vladimir) Putin or (U.S. President George) Bush."
G-8 security officials say the odds of a terrorist attack at Kananaskis are low but Kirton says it tops the list of potential threats to the summit.
However, he also says, security must be on guard for "loners" and "wing nuts" with a grudge against authority -- like Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh or the "Unabomber", Ted Kaczynski.
Close behind, as a potential threat, are the masked, radical anarchists who confront police at world summits.
Kirton places the generally peaceful mainstream protesters -- who get much of the publicity, at the very bottom of the list of potential threats to the summit.
Kirton's assessment is echoed by Brig.-Gen. Ivan Fenton, commander of the Canadian Forces troops that will help protect the G-8 leaders.
Fenton said his troops see "peaceful" protesters as simply a distraction from the real threat of terrorist attack.
"We're not interested in protesters, except that protesters complicate our job," Fenton said. "They can screen the person . . . who is carrying a weapon and moving at night."
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