Canada Raid Breaks Cell: 3 Tons of Explosives Found http://inbrief.threatswatch.org/2006/06/canada-raid-breaks-cell-3-tons/ RCMP Raid Foils Plot by Jihadists to Bomb Canadian Targets as 17 Arrested, Had Training Camp Near Toronto By Steve Schippert The Royal Canadian Mounted Police conducted a counterterrorism raid in the Greater Toronto Area involving over 400 personnel and broke <http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20060603/toronto_arrest s_060603/20060603?hub=Canada> a Canadian terrorist cell planning to bomb Canadian targets. Twelve adult Muslim jihadists and five juveniles were arrested, some of them second-generation Canadian citizens and some of them recent immigrants. They ranged in ages from in their 20's to teens. They arrested group was described as <http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20060603.wwarrants0603/B NStory/Front/home> "Muslims, but not Arabs" and unconnected to the UK <http://inbrief.threatswatch.org/2006/06/londonistan-uk-raids-weapons-f/> raid yesterday in attempts to break up a British chemical attack plot. According to RCMP Assistant Commissioner Mike McDonell, the group had ordered and received into their possession over three tons of ammonium nitrate, the fertilizer component used in making an explosive slurry. Clearly a massive amount, probably intended to make several huge bombs, this is three times the amount of ammonium nitrate used in the 1995 bombing of the Murrah <http://okcbombing.org/investigation.htm> Federal Building in Oklahoma City. Their intended targets are known to Canadian authorities, but they have not identified them publicly. Police knowledge of targets lead to assurances that the Toronto <http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2006/06/03/1613034-cp.html> Transit Commission systems were not targeted. With three tons of explosives, buildings are a more logical conclusion without the knowledge known by the RCMP. The authorities learned of the targets from captured documents and videos made the Jihadists. At least some of the arrested attended <http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Arti cle_Type1&c=Article&cid=1149285034960&call_pageid=976163513378&col=969048863 474> a "training camp" north of Toronto, where they acquired and trained with weapons, made videos and planned attacks, including a list of intended targets. The Toronto Star reported that the group had been under surveillance by Canadian intelligence since 2004. It was in 2004 that Internet <http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Arti cle_Type1&c=Article&cid=1149285034044&call_pageid=976163513378&col=969048863 474> monitoring sparked a CSIS investigation into the group, a Canadian program not unlike the American NSA program currently under fire. The Canadian surveillance found members of the group on Jihadist sites "vowing to attack at home, in the name of oppressed Muslims here and abroad." Mullah Dadullah, the Taliban military commander thought to be captured recently, directly <http://counterterrorismblog.org/2006/06/quiet_friday_in_kabul_mullah_a.php> threatened Canada as Canadian troops have been operating in Afghanistan since 2001. American critics of the NSA surveillance program should take note of the magnitude of the attacks the Canadian program has apparently prevented. The Counterterrorism Blog's Jeffrey Imm notes <http://counterterrorismblog.org/2006/06/growing_islamist_terror_threat.php> the significance of Canada's growing Islamist threat. The threat of homegrown terrorism is nothing new to Canada. But, as former Royal Canadian Mounted Police jihadism expert Tom Quiggin notes, neither is Canadian denial. "A clear sense of denial exists in Canada about the degree to which terrorism activity occurs," he said in a Canadian National <http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/news/story.html?id=954cb8ed-17ea-4aec-b1 78-23899c92122d&k=19039&p=2> Post interview. "Political correctness is wielded as a weapon against anyone who dares to speak out. Yet some of the world's most infamous terrorists have operated in Canada almost unhindered for years. Even direct threats against Canada and attacks against Canadians with multiple deaths have not broken this denial. As a result of the highly suppressed political discourse in Canada, the domestic response to this growing problem has been limited." One of the first local public reactions to the arrests was the organization of a public meeting to bring various aspects of the community together, specifically inviting Jewish and Muslim Canadians. Canada <http://www.cfra.com/headlines/index.asp?cat=2&nid=39715> 's News Talk Radio 580 CFRA reports, "Mayor Chiarelli says as more details come out, there's a risk of blaming and finger-pointing. He hopes to address that quickly." Jeffrey Imm also notes this Canadian <http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/images/Secret.pdf> INSAC Report (PDF) on Islamists' desire to use Muslim converts in attacks, valuing their ability to fly beneath the radar. It is likely that at least some of the 17 arrested in Canada are recent converts. All are believed to be first- or second-generation immigrants, however. _____ RCMP arrests 17, foiling alleged Ont. bomb plot Updated Sat. Jun. 3 2006 8:50 PM ET http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20060603/toronto_arrests _060603/20060603?hub=Canada CTV.ca News Staff Items are shown on display during a press conference in Toronto. The bag of fertilizer, top, was not seized during the raid and was there for display purposes only. (CP / Aaron Harris) <http://images.ctv.ca/archives/CTVNews/img2/20060603/160X_cp_terror_060602.j pg> Police arrested 12 men and five youths on terrorism charges in the Toronto area Friday night, allegedly foiling a potential series of bombings against targets in Southern Ontario, the RCMP says. The individuals are all residents of Canada, and "for the most part citizens of Canada," said RCMP Asst. Commissioner Mike McDonell said at a Saturday news conference in Toronto. "The RCMP, in cooperation with our partners through out Integrated National Security Enforcement Team here in Toronto, have arrested individuals who were planning to commit a series of terrorist attacks against solely Canadian targets in Southern Ontario," McDonell said. Charges included participating in or contributing to the activities of a terrorist group, including training or recruiting; the commission of indictable offences, including firearms or explosives, for the benefit of a terrorist group; and providing or making available property for the purposes of terrorism. Following is a list including the names, ages and addresses of the men who have been arrested and can be named: * Fahim Ahmad, 21, Toronto; * Zakaria Amara, 20, Mississauga, Ont.; * Asad Ansari, 21, Mississauga; * Shareef Abdelhaleen, 30, Mississauga; * Qayyum Abdul Jamal, 43, Mississauga; * Mohammed Dirie, 22, Kingston, Ont.; * Yasim Abdi Mohamed, 24, Kingston; * Jahmaal James, 23, Toronto; * Amin Mohamed Durrani, 19, Toronto; * Steven Vikash Chand alias Abdul Shakur 25, Toronto; * Ahmad Mustafa Ghany, 21, Mississauga; * Saad Khalid, 19, of Eclipse Avenue, Mississauga. Fifteen of the17 suspects appeared in court in Brampton, Ont. on Saturday afternoon. There was heavy security around the courthouse. Inside the courtroom, the suspects were handcuffed and shackled. Their next hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, when they can apply for bail. "The court is hot. There are a lot of family members. There's a lot of tears, a lot of waving back and forth," CTV's Denelle Balfour, outside the courthouse, told Newsnet. "Most of the reaction of family members is shock, and as you can imagine, some of them are very upset." To enter the courthouse, Balfour said she had to go through three different security checkpoints, one manned by heavily armed officers from tactical squads. "There are snipers on the rooftops," she added. Because the investigation is ongoing, the RCMP have asked the court to order the men have no contact with each other, Balfour said. Police allegations Police claimed the men had the means to make powerful bombs. "This group took steps to acquire components necessary to create an explosive device using ammonium nitrate, which is a commonly used fertilizer," McDonnell said. "Three tonnes of ammonium nitrate was ordered by these individuals and delivered to them. It was their intent to use this for a terrorist attack." By comparison, he said the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing that killed 168 people was completed with only one tonne of ammonium nitrate. "This group posed a real and serious threat. It had the capacity and intent to carry out these attacks," McDonnell said. The RCMP would not name any of the suspected bombing targets, but said the Toronto Transit Commission -- a network of public buses, subways and streetcars in Canada's largest city -- was not seen as a potential target. The Saturday press conference was attended by representatives of all the groups involved in the investigation, including the Peel, York, Durham and Toronto police services, as well as the RCMP and CSIS. "This has been and continues to be an intensive investigation in which many partners have been involved," McDonell said. According to the Toronto Star, CSIS has monitored the suspects since 2004, while the RCMP began its investigation last year. Luc Portelance of CSIS said the suspects come from a variety of backgrounds. Their common denominator, he said, is an adherence to a violent ideology inspired by al Qaeda. "It is important to note that this operation in no way reflects negatively on any specific community or ethno-cultural group in Canada. Terrorism is a dangerous ideology and a global phenomenon. As yesterday's arrests confirm, Canada is not immune from this ideology." U.S. role The Canadian Press cited a source who requested anonymity that information from the U.S. helped the investigation. Two Americans from the Atlanta, Ga. region reported travelled to Toronto in March 2005. While there, they met with other so-called persons of interest and allegedly discussed terror training and bombing plots against military facilities and oil refineries, CP said. "There is preliminary indication that some of the Canadian subjects may have had limited contact with the two people recently arrested from Georgia,'' FBI Special Agent Richard Kolko said in a statement. "As always, we will work with our international partners to review any intelligence gathered and will conduct any appropriate investigation.'' Kolko told CP the two countries have been working together on the case for some time. Canada not immune to terrorism: Harper In a statement issued by the Prime Minister's Office, Prime Minister Stephen Harper underscored some of Portelance's comments. He praised investigators for heading-off potential attacks, pledged his government would continue to fight crime, and said Canada is not immune to the threat of terrorism. "Today, Canada's security and intelligence measures worked. Canada's new government will pursue its efforts to ensure the national security of all Canadians." Later on Saturday, during an address to 224 new military recruits at the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa, Harper said Canada's unique values make the nation a target for terrorists. "We are a target because of who we are, how we live, our society, our diversity and our values -- values such as freedom, democracy and the rule of law -- the values that make Canada great," he said. With files from The Canadian Press _____ Men attended 'training camp': Sources Jun. 3, 2006. 05:53 PM MICHELLE SHEPHARD, SURYA BHATTACHARYA AND STAN JOSEY STAFF REPORTERS http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Artic le_Type1 <http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Arti cle_Type1&c=Article&cid=1149285034960&call_pageid=976163513378&col=969048863 474> &c=Article&cid=1149285034960&call_pageid=976163513378&col=969048863474 A group of Canadian teenagers and young men in their 20s, accused by police of being members of a suspected homegrown terrorist cell, will appear in court this morning to face accusations that they plotted to attack Canadian targets, the Toronto Star has learned. Some members of the group allegedly attended a "training camp" north of the city where they made a video imitating military warfare, and the suspects allegedly had acquired weapons and listed targets in Ontario, sources told the Star. Led by the RCMP's anti-terrorism task force, more than 400 police officers from across Ontario made the series of arrests last night and early this morning, taking as many as a dozen suspects into custody at a heavily guarded Pickering police station. Sources said there was a concern that some of the group's members had acquired explosives. The arrested men were driven one by one into the Ajax Pickering community police station at Brock and Kingston Rds. and were taken into the underground garage for processing. Unmarked police cars lined up outside the door, with one car being allowed in approximately every 15 minutes. Members of the Durham region tactical unit were stationed at one-metre intervals providing a security wall around the police property. Just before 11:30 p.m., five vans belonging to Toronto police's elite Emergency Task Force unit and the force's canine unit converged on a Scarborough home. The arrests were expected to continue overnight and early this morning, sources say. Sources told the Star that the group had been watched by Canada's spy service since 2004 and a criminal investigation by the RCMP began last year. It's not known specifically why police acted last night and none of the allegations have been proven in court. The group is being charged under the new anti-terrorism legislation introduced into the criminal code in December 2001, after the 9/11 attacks. It's only the second time the terrorism laws have been used in Canada. Mohammad Momin Khawaja, an Ottawa-area software operator, was the first person arrested on terrorism charges and will stand trial in January for his alleged connection to a British group. Sources close to last night's investigation are calling the suspects arrested yesterday a "homegrown" group, meaning they are Canadian citizens or long-time residents, raised and allegedly radicalized without leaving the country. It's a phenomenon Canadian officials have been warning about for the past few years. The London bombings on the subway and a double-decker bus last July were blamed on a homegrown British group. Although the RCMP would not talk about the arrests last night, community sources confirmed the names of three of the men now behind bars. Fahim Ahmad, a 22-year-old Scarborough father, was arrested late yesterday. He allegedly rented a car last summer for two men who were later caught bringing weapons across the border into Canada. The arrests of two other men from Mississauga - brothers-in-law Ahmad Ghany and Zakaria Amara - shocked neighbours and family who said they couldn't believe the allegations. "I think they have it wrong. Those guys have nothing to do with (terrorism)," said Scarborough Imam Aly Hindy. Hindy has been a high profile critic of the RCMP and Canadian Security Intelligence Service, accusing the federal agency of targeting Muslims who criticize the foreign policies of Western governments. He believes this is what led to the arrests yesterday. "Because they are young people, and they are Muslims, they are saying it's terrorism," he said in an interview last night. Ahmad had only moved into the Scarborough area, near Sheppard Ave. and Markham Rd., a few weeks ago. "This is a good community and we're very shocked by the news. We leave our whole family here for the whole day, including our small children, and come back to this," said local resident Qadeer Mohammed. "This very shocking, and the whole community will be affected." The case is critical for Canada's international reputation and will be scrutinized worldwide as it works its way through the courts. There has been cause for skepticism concerning the ability of Canada's intelligence and police services to prosecute security cases. Since 9/11, the majority of high-profile security investigations have ended in international embarrassment, such as the acquittal of suspects in the Air India bombing case and the Maher Arar affair which raised questions about international information sharing, exposed an inexperienced federal police force and left an Ottawa man broken after his deportation, detention and torture in Syria. Then there was Project Thread, a 2003 joint immigration-RCMP case touted as the dismantling of an Al Qaeda cell, but ending in a routine immigration case that sent Pakistani students home branded terrorists. With files from Bob Mitchell _____ FAIR USE NOTICE: All original content and/or articles and graphics in this message are copyrighted, unless specifically noted otherwise. All rights to these copyrighted items are reserved. 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