| Revision as of 18:14, 20 November 2009 editEpeefleche (talk | contribs)Pending changes reviewers150,049 editsNo edit summary← Previous edit | Revision as of 18:19, 20 November 2009 edit undoEpeefleche (talk | contribs)Pending changes reviewers150,049 edits →Court proceedingsNext edit → | ||
| Line 102: | Line 102: | ||
| At the opening trial, against the sole remaining youth, prosecutors alleged that comments that referred to "shotgun on Blondie" were actually a pretext to sexually assault non-Muslims.<ref>Walkom, Thomas. ], , May 27, 2009</ref> | At the opening trial, against the sole remaining youth, prosecutors alleged that comments that referred to "shotgun on Blondie" were actually a pretext to sexually assault non-Muslims.<ref>Walkom, Thomas. ], , May 27, 2009</ref> | ||
| In September 2008 Nishanthan Yogakrishnan, charged as a youth in June 2006 when arrested, was convicted of knowingly participating in, and contributing to, a terrorist group. In May 2009, he was sentenced as an adult to two and a half years of time served.<ref></ref> | In September 2008 Nishanthan Yogakrishnan, charged as a youth in June 2006 when arrested, was convicted of knowingly participating in, and contributing to, a terrorist group. In May 2009, he was sentenced as an adult to two and a half years of time served.<ref></ref> The judge ruled there was overwhelming evidence that he belonged to a homegrown terrorist group, attended two terrorist training camps, and stole items to enhance training. He was the first person to be found guilty under Canada's 2001 Anti-Terrorism Act, which was passed following the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.<ref></ref> | ||
| Saad Khalid pleaded guilty in May 2009 to aiding a plot to detonate bombs in the city's bustling downtown, the ], the ] headquarters in Toronto, and an unidentified military base, off Highway 401 between Toronto and Ottawa..<ref></ref><ref></ref> | Saad Khalid pleaded guilty in May 2009 to aiding a plot to detonate bombs in the city's bustling downtown, the ], the ] headquarters in Toronto, and an unidentified military base, off Highway 401 between Toronto and Ottawa..<ref></ref><ref></ref> | ||
Revision as of 18:19, 20 November 2009
The 2006 Toronto terrorism case refers a series of counter-terrorism raids in the Greater Toronto Area that resulted in the June 2, 2006, arrest of 18 alleged members of a purported Islamic terrorist cell plotting a variety of attacks against targets in Ontario, Canada. One man has been convicted and four more have pleaded guilty. Seven have had the charges against them withdrawn or suspended, but the media are not allowed to report why. Six more are awaiting trial. Authorities said that "the internet played a large role in the suspects' planning".
The arrests, initially lauded as a blow against an al-Qaeda inspired cell of radicalized youth, later became steeped in controversy. The roles of two informants were made public, amidst allegations they "perhaps provoked" the youths to make militant statements. Mubin Shaikh and Shaher Elsohemy had been paid $300,000 and granted legal immunity to "knowingly facilitate a terrorist activity" and asked to act as "moles" in the group, leading to accusations that they had "urged them to act, then sat back and counted cash while the others went to jail".
The majority of Ontario residents believe the group posed a "real threat".
Alleged role of provocateurs
A month after the arrests, the Toronto Star reported that a well-known member of Toronto's Islamic community had infiltrated the alleged terrorist cell while on the police payroll as an informant, and that another mole had been involved in setting up the purchase of phony ammonium nitrate.
On November 27, 2005, Shaikh had met with members of the alleged terrorist plot at an information meeting at the Taj Banquet Hall regarding the controversial use of security certificates in the country, and began his "infiltration" of the group. He was allegedly told that several friends had planned a camping trip in Orillia, and asked Shaikh if he would come with them and teach them how to use a gun, since he mentioned his military training and later showed them his Possession and Acquisition License.
A major incident leading to the arrests, two camping trips classified as "terrorist training"; which defense lawyers argued that Shaikh had "helped organise and operate". Shaikh gave firearms lessons to the accused, but also ostensibly at their request purchased a rifle and ammunition for the group.
While some media outlets reported that this "training" had included automatic weapons, it was later reported that the sounds had in fact been paintball guns fired by the youths.
Elsohemy, the second mole in the case, was placed in witness protection after he agreed to help the Royal Canadian Mounted Police arrange a phony ammonium nitrate purchase on behalf of the youths, which led to the allegations of a bomb plot.
A third man, Qari Kafayatullah, was an Afghan immigrant who frequently told the youths that he had knowledge of explosives, and convinced their parents to let them attend the upcoming December camp - promising that it was just a bit of fun for the young men, and that he would be the responsible adult present - even though there was never any indication he later attended.
Orillia camping trip
The trip was to Orillia, Ontario for a period of 12 days during Christmas break from school. It was monitored by more than 200 police officers.
Shaikh, the police agent, played a "key role" in setting up and running the trip, and purchased many of the supplies used. He was considered the "military trainer" at the camp.
Shaikh showed the "campers" how to fire an illegal 9 mm handgun and ammunition he had brought himself. He also gave "exhortational sermons on Jihad" but described the camp itself as hapless.
The group listened to a video over the internet of Anwar al Awlaki, the imam who has been connected to three of the 9/11 hijackers and to Nidal Malik Hasan, the alleged shoorter in the Fort Hood shooting, preaching about the need for jihad in the name of religion now, because the "world is united in fighting Islam."
The alleged ringleader of the camp gave sermons comparing the Canadian countryside to Chechnya, and calling for victory over "Rome", which prosecutors have alleged was a reference to Canada. He also stated that "We're not officially al-Qaida but we share their principles and methods" around a campfire.
In 2008, videos made at the camp documenting their actions were made public, after the media obtained them through the British trial of Aabid Khan, thus working around the publication ban that forbade them from showing evidence from the Canadian trials. In addition to the paintball antics, and hikes through the snow, the video showed the youths daring each other to jump over campfires, and driving in a Canadian Tire parking lot late at night, alternatively described as "evasive driving maneuvers" or simply having fun driving doughnuts on the slippery ice. The amateur film had been dubbed with Nasheed music, and the informant admitted that he had "choreographed" some of the scenes, arranging the campers to perform for the camera in a militant fashion. The youths frequented the local coffee shop, still dressed in their fatigues.
Rockwood camping trip
Held over two days in May 2006 at the Rockwood Conservation Area, the second camping trip, consisting of 10 people, came after members complained about fearing that police would arrest them for having known two Americans who had just been arrested.
A youth who cannot be named appeared in videos with the rest of the group, meant to mimic Jihadist beheading videos coming out of the Invasion of Iraq, sitting in front of a flag, and flanked by two dull hunting knives. During the filming, the leader kept trying to effect giggles from the adolescents, who were trying "to look tough" for the "mock" video.
Following the arrests of a number of campers, Sahl Syed came forward to police to provide information about the camp as he attended it. He was thus called as a witness for the prosecution during the trial of the under-aged suspect. However, his testimony at trial was damaging to the attempt to portray the camp as an elite training camp, as he testified that the group slept in until noon, went swimming, hiking and played with inflatable watercraft, while discussing their shared plans for school and marriage.
Alleged targets
The group was allegedly preparing for a large-scale terrorist attack in southern Ontario, which included detonating truck bombs at at least two locations in Southern Ontario and opening fire in a crowded area. Police alleged they also made plans to storm various buildings such as the Canadian Broadcasting Centre and the Canadian Parliament building, and take hostages. According to one of the suspect's lawyers, they have been accused of planning to "behead the Prime Minister", Stephen Harper, and other leaders.
Law enforcement authorities identified other specific targets, including the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) and the Parliamentary Buildings' Peace Tower.
The arrests
The American Joint Terrorism Task Force had become involved in the investigation by March 2005. The raids were carried out by an inter-agency task force, the Integrated National Security Enforcement Team (INSET), which coordinated the activities of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), and other police forces, as the operation was spread across several different jurisdictions in southern Ontario, in the area north of Toronto.
The police state that one of the arrested men, 20-year-old Ali Imran, ordered three metric tonnes (6,600 pounds) of ammonium nitrate fertilizer, a potentially powerful ingredient often used as quarry and mining explosives. This weight has widely been compared to the amount of ammonium nitrate used in the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing in the United States. The official account actually estimates the ammonium nitrate in the Oklahoma City bomb at 2,000 pounds, or about 0.9 metric tons. There was never any serious chance of danger or harm as a harmless substance was substituted for the ammonium nitrate and delivered to the men by the RCMP in a sting operation.
In a press conference held after the arrests, the RCMP said that the CSIS had been monitoring the individuals since 2004, joined by the RCMP last year, and that the individuals had planned to blow up unidentified targets in southern Ontario. The suspects, all adherents to Islam, were alleged by CSIS to have been inspired by Al-Qaeda. A direct connection seems unlikely.
The investigation started with intelligence officials monitoring Internet chat sites. The suspects were charged under the anti-terrorism legislation passed by Canadian parliament in December 2001 in response to the September 11 attacks in the US. The June 2 and 3 arrests were only the second time the legislation has been used.
Two men, Yasim Mohamed and Ali Dirie, were already serving a two-year prison sentence for trying to smuggle a pair of handguns across the Peace Bridge a year earlier, for "personal protection" for themselves since they had worked as designer clothing re-sellers in seedy neighborhoods. They had their charges upgraded to "importing weapons for terrorist purposes" after it was revealed that their third handgun had been meant to repay Ahmad who had used his credit card to pay for their rental car.
The suspects
- Qayyum Abdul Jamal, 43, Mississauga; an active member of the mosque who frequently led prayers. He immigrated from Karachi, Pakistan.
- Shareef Abdelhaleem, 30, born in Egypt; immigrated with his family to Canada at the age of 10.
- Steven Vikash Chand, alias Abdul Shakur, 25; a recent convert to Islam and a former Canadian soldier.
- Jahmaal James, 23, Toronto
- Fahim Ahmad, 21, Toronto
- Asad Ansari, 21, Mississauga
- Ahmad Mustafa Ghany, 21, born in Canada; his family immigrated from Trinidad and Tobago. All charges were dropped against Ghany after two years.
- Zakaria Amara, 20, Mississauga
- Saad Khalid, 19, born in Pakistan; immigrated with his family to Canada at the age of 8.
The identities of the five minors were legally protected by Canada's Youth Criminal Justice Act.
Six of the 17 men arrested have ties to the Al Rahman Islamic Center near Toronto, a Sunni mosque. Another two of those arrested were already serving time in a Kingston, Ontario, prison on weapons possession charges. According to the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) two other men, Syed Ahmed and Ehsanul Sadequee, who were recently arrested in Georgia in the United States on terrorism charges, are connected to the case as well.
John Thompson, an analyst with the Mackenzie Institute, summarized the young suspects stating "These are kids at a transition... unsure of their own identity... They're just young and stupid. If you're 17, bored, restless, you want to meet girls - hey, be a radical."
Impact
On the night following the arrests, the Rexdale, Toronto mosque was vandalized, as windows were smashed across the building as well as the cars in the parking lot. Similar vandalism was reported at a mosque in Etobicoke.
The arrests sparked several comments by politicians in the US regarding the security of Canada, as well that of the US. Congressman Peter King was reported on June 6 to have said that "there's a large al-Qaeda presence in Canada … because of their very liberal immigration laws, because of how political asylum is granted so easily", without providing evidence to support his statement.
John Hostettler, American chairman of the House Judiciary subcommittee on Border Security said the arrest illustrated that "South Toronto" served as a "enclave for radical discussion", where people held "a militant understanding of Islam". His comments were widely criticized in Canada, as there is no area of Toronto known as "South Toronto", as the downtown core of the city sits immediately above the shores of Lake Ontario, and none of the suspects were even from the downtown core. Both Canada's Conservative government and the Liberal opposition condemned the "completely uninformed and ignorant remarks".
Although CSIS originally said five days after the arrest that the intent was to take politicians hostage until the country agreed to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan.
Reporting controversy
The initial reports of this incident caused some controversy when a Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer, Mike McDonell, described the arrested people as representing a "broad strata" of Canadian society and the Toronto Star claimed that it is "difficult to find a common denominator" among them, even though all were Muslims and many attended the same mosque. Some individuals in the media, such as Andrew C. McCarthy in National Review, have described this as a tendency of the police and media to whitewash a role of militant Islam in contemporary terrorism. Despite a scarcity of information due to a publication ban, an online documentary entitled "Unfair Dealing: The Toronto Homegrown 'Terror' Threat" raised a series of issues around the case.
The media coverage of the arrests was accused of bringing to light underlying racism in Canadian media, after a number of incidents including the Globe and Mail newspaper's use of the term "brown-skinned young men" in describing the men who had rented a storage unit.
Imam Aly Hindy, who knew nine of the accused youths personally, said he had doubts that any of them "did anything wrong", adding that "If some of them are guilty, I don't think it's terrorism. It may be criminal, but it's not terrorism."
Court proceedings
A preliminary hearing started June 4, 2007, for the remaining 14 terrorism suspects was halted by the Crown Attorney on September 24, 2007, so the case could proceed directly to trial. The move (called a "preferred indictment", or a "direct indictment") meant defense counsel could not hear the balance of the testimony of the Crown's key witness, police informant Mubin Shaikh, who was in the middle of testifying.
At the opening trial, against the sole remaining youth, prosecutors alleged that comments that referred to "shotgun on Blondie" were actually a pretext to sexually assault non-Muslims.
In September 2008 Nishanthan Yogakrishnan, charged as a youth in June 2006 when arrested, was convicted of knowingly participating in, and contributing to, a terrorist group. In May 2009, he was sentenced as an adult to two and a half years of time served. The judge ruled there was overwhelming evidence that he belonged to a homegrown terrorist group, attended two terrorist training camps, and stole items to enhance training. He was the first person to be found guilty under Canada's 2001 Anti-Terrorism Act, which was passed following the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.
Saad Khalid pleaded guilty in May 2009 to aiding a plot to detonate bombs in the city's bustling downtown, the Toronto Stock Exchange, the CSIS headquarters in Toronto, and an unidentified military base, off Highway 401 between Toronto and Ottawa..
In September 2009 Ali Mohamed Dirie, a Canadian born in Somalia, admitted he was a member of a terrorist group that planned attacks in Canada. On tape, he called white people the "number 1 filthiest people on the face of the planet. They don't have Islam. They're the most filthiest people." He added: "In Islam there is no racism, we only hate kufar (non-Muslims)." The Crown and defence have agreed on a seven-year sentence.
Also in September 2009, Aabid Hussein Khan (an avid al-Qaeda supporter), considered a key figure in a terrorist network that spanned a half-dozen countries, including Canada, in an overlapping investigations and related trial in Britain was sentenced in a Brampton court to 14 years for his involvement in the Toronto bomb plot.
References
- Gillies, Rob, "Canada Supreme Court hears media appeal," AP, November 17, 2009, accessed November 20, 2009
- ^ Dube, Rebecca Cook. Christian Science Monitor, Canada faces jihad generation, June 6, 2006
- ^ Austen, Ian. New York Times, "At Canada Terror trial, the accused take on a less sinister cast", September 25, 2008
- "Ontario youth guilty of al-Qaida membership", The Amherst Daily News, September 25, 2008, accessed November 20, 2009
- MacLean's magazine, The Mounties' man in the Toronto terror bust admits a cocaine habit, Sept. 10, 2007.
- Friscolanti, Michael. Macleans, The four-million dollar rat, February 7, 2007
- Angus Reid, Ontarians believe Toronto 18 Terror Plot was a real threat, July 8, 2008
- CBC News Indepth: Toronto Bomb Plot
- ^ Singh, Gurmukh. The Indian News, Bomb-laden trucks planned in Toronto terror plot, June 11, 2008
- ^ PBS, Frontline, Canada: The Cell Next Door, January 30, 2007
- ^ CBC, Informant says militant training camp was 'potty training' exercise, June 11, 2008 Cite error: The named reference "cbc" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
- Wattie, Chris. National Post, "Automatic Gunfire Aroused Suspicions", June 5, 2006
- El Akad, Omar. Globe and Mail, Online leaks get around publication ban, June 2, 2007
- Freeze, Colin. Globe and Mail, Was imam another informant in Toronto terror plot?, January 16, 2007
- Alleged Toronto terror plot detailed in court
- ^ Teotino, Isabel. Toronto Star, "Terror camp police mole on his own, court told", February 6, 2009
- Freeze, Colin. Globe and Mail, RCMP agent concedes key role in set-up, running of terrorist training camp, January 31, 2009
- ^ Wark, Wesley. Ottawa Citizen, The beginning of terrorism, August 9, 2008
- Toronto Star, Suspect told 'terrorist camp' was camping trip, March 26, 2008
- Leong, Melissa. National Post, Ontario terror case far from over, June 2, 2007
- "The powerful online voice of jihad; Shadowy cleric revered by disenchanted Muslim youths throughout West cited in Toronto 18 case," Toronto Star, October 18, 2009, accessed November 20, 2009
- Brean, Joseph. National Post, 'We weren't out there picking daisies', June 10 2008
- ^ National Post, , September 25, 2008
- National Post, Video of alleged Ont. terror group released, September 18, 2008
- http://www.cbc.ca/canada/toronto/story/2008/09/19/defence-video.html
- http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=569571
- ^ Walkom, Thomas. Toronto Star, Crown's linchpin shakes case, June 25, 2008
- CNN.com - Lawyer: Government says terror plans included beheading - Jun 7, 2006
- Terror suspects plotted two separate attacks
- globeandmail.com: National
- Berger, J. M. Intelwire.com. Al Qaeda Figures Lurk in Shadows Around Toronto Terror Cell, June 3, 2006
- CTV.ca | RCMP arrests 17, foiling alleged Ont. bomb plot
- 17 held in terror plot in Canada -DAWN - Top Stories; June 4, 2006
- 17 Held in Plot to Bomb Sites in Ontario - New York Times
- "Anti-terrorism Act". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Feb.27, 2007. Retrieved Oct.21, 2009.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=and|date=(help) - Friscolanti, Michael. Macleans, The Terrorist who Wasn't, May 5, 2008
- Bell, Stewart. National Post, After escaping war in Somalia, terror suspects grew up in Toronto, June 5, 2006
- ^ Six of 17 Arrested in Canada's Antiterror Sweep Have Ties to Mosque Near Toronto - New York Times
- globeandmail.com
- Metro
- Six of 17 Arrested in Canada's Antiterror Sweep Have Ties to Mosque Near Toronto - New York Times
- The News channel » Propeller
- ^ Thomas, Vanessa and Make Becker. Buffalo News, A portrait of terrorist suspects, June 5, 2006
- DePalma, Antony. New York Times, Six of 17 arrested in Canada's anti-terror sweep have ties to mosque near Toronto, June 5, 2006
- globeandmail.com: World
- Ljunggren, David. Reuters, "Canada slams "ignorant" US comments on security", June 9, 2006
- globeandmail.com: National
- Shepherd, Michelle & Bruce Campion-Smith. Toronto Star, "Plan to behead PM", June 7, 2006
- ^ "The ties that bind 17 suspects?". Toronto Star. June 4, 2006.
{{cite news}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help); Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - Andrew C. McCarthy on At War & Media on National Review Online
- Law is Cool » Unfair Dealing - Another Independent Documentary
- Fisk, Robert, The Independent, How racism has invaded Canada, June 10, 2006
- Teotonio, Isabel (September 24, 2007). "Homegrown terror case goes to trial". The Toronto Star. Retrieved September 24, 2007.
{{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - Walkom, Thomas. Toronto Star, Canada's terrorist shoplifter, May 27, 2009
- "Publication ban lifted in Toronto 18 case," Toronto Star, September 10, 2009, accessed November 20, 2009
- "Man in terror trial sentenced to 2.5 years; Scarborough man to be released today based on credit for time served before trial", Toronto Star, May 22, 2009, accessed November 20, 2009
- O'Toole, Megan, "Man pleads guilty in Toronto terror plot", May 5, 2009, accessed November 21, 2009
- "Toronto 18" member to be sentenced for terror plot," September 3, 2009, accessed November 17, 2009
- Bell, Stewart, "Toronto terror participant hated non-Muslims, court told", Ottawa Citizen, September 23, 2009, accessed November 20, 2009
- Bell, Stewart, "International links linger after 'Toronto 18' member imprisoned," National Post, September 3, 2009, accessed November 20, 2009
- "Bomb plot suspects appear in court", CBC, June 3, 2006
- "Toronto terror plot foiled", CNN, June 3, 2006
- Canada charges 17 terror suspects, BBC, June 3, 2006
- Canadian Police Arrest 17 Suspected Terrorists, Voice of America, June 3, 2006
- "Canada arrests 17 allegedly 'inspired by al-Qaida'", Associated Press, June 3, 2006
- 17 held in terror plot, Dawn, June 4, 2006
- Twelve Arrested on Anti-Terrorism Charges, CNW, June 3, 2006
- "17 Held in Plot to Bomb Sites in Ontario", New York Times, June 4, 2006
- Frightened rural Ontario residents describe 'terror-training camp', National Post, June 5, 2006
- Toronto's top cop urges calm after arrests, CTV News, June 5, 2006
- After escaping war in Somalia, terror suspects grew up in Toronto, National Post, June 5, 2006
- Charges stayed against teen in Ontario bomb plot case, , Friday, February 23, 2007
External links
- Uncontested Statement of Facts in the case
- CTV Toronto Video coverage of incident
- Canadian Anti-Terror Law on Trial: The Toronto Terrorism Arrests, JURIST
- TorontoPaintball18.com, Website set up by families of those accused to present their case to the public.
- 'Inhumane' isolation for terror suspects: Lawyers, Canadian Press (Toronto Star et al.), Apr 8, 2007
- Federal Privy Council Offices' management of the communication of the incident to the media Globe and Mail, September 17, 2007
- CaptiveInCanada.com - site dedicated to Shareef Abdel Haleem and the rest of the captives
| 2006 Ontario terrorism plot | |
|---|---|
| Charges dropped | |
| Suspects who were found guilty | |
 American cell | |
| Defence attorneys | |
 CSIS informants | |
| Other | |
