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| Great White North |
| Terrorism's 'new guard' |
| 2006-05-04 |
| Secret Canadian intelligence documents written in the aftermath of last summer's suicide bombings in London warn that Canada has its own cadre of "homegrown" Islamic extremists. Just as the four bombers who killed 52 commuters last July 7 were British, Canada is home to militants who are angry about the "oppression" of Muslims and support terrorism, the reports say. "The attacks in London highlight the threat of 'homegrown' extremism. Canada is home to Islamic extremists, both homegrown and immigrant," says one of the reports by the Integrated Threat Assessment Centre (ITAC). "A small number of extremists in Canada advocate violent jihad in pursuit of their political and religious aims. The reasons for radicalization are varied, and include a general sense of anger at what is seen as oppression of Muslims throughout the world [and] parental influence." The reports are part of a flurry of intelligence documents circulated by Ottawa in the weeks after the London bombings. Declassified versions were obtained by the National Post under the Access to Information Act. They reflect the shift in focus of Canadian counterterrorism efforts that has been underway: While in the past Canada's main concern was "homeland" terrorists such as the Sikh militants who bombed two Air-India flights in 1985, today's top security concern is the emerging generation of homegrown extremists. Unlike the old guard of terrorists, who were immigrants and refugees who brought to Canada the conflicts of their homelands, the new generation consists largely of Canadian-born radical Muslims of various ethnicities, as well as converts who have adopted the extremist interpretation of Islam. The documents also support recent claims by U.S. counterterrorism officials that extremists are operating inside Canada's borders. The presence of Islamic terrorists in Canada was noted two weeks ago, when the U.S. Department of Justice announced the arrests of two Georgia youths. Ehsanul Islam Sadequee, 19, and Syed Haris Ahmed, 21, are accused of travelling to Canada last March for "terrorism-related planning and co-ordination" with local radicals. The FBI says while in Toronto they discussed terrorist training and plots to bomb U.S. military facilities and oil refineries. Similar concerns surfaced last Friday, when the U.S. State Department released its annual report on global terrorism, which said, "Terrorists have capitalized on liberal Canadian immigration and asylum policies to enjoy safe haven, raise funds, arrange logistical support and plan terrorist attacks." Yesterday, Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day responded to the report for the first time, saying it concerned the period when the Liberals were in office and "when relations with the United States were strained and less than productive." He said the Conservatives were taking terrorism more seriously and had allotted an extra $1.4-billion for security in the budget, outlawed the Tamil Tigers and forged "a new spirit of collaboration" with the U.S. on fighting terror. "This government does not tolerate security breaches and will restore our reputation as a leader and dependable partner in defending freedom and democracy in the world," a statement from Mr. Day's office said. "This new government is clearly determined to take decisive steps to ensure the safety of Canadians against terrorism." The post-London intelligence reports claim that Canada remains a potential target in the eyes of the al-Qaeda leadership and their followers. "Canada has been named on at least three occasions, most recently in July 2005, by al-Qaeda or its affiliates and is viewed as a legitimate target," the ITAC report says. Notes another of the reports, "on Nov. 12, 2002, Osama bin Laden specifically named Canada as a nation that he believed extremists should attack due to its participation in the fighting in Afghanistan." The report lists 20 major terrorist plots disrupted in Europe, some of them the work of homegrown cells. They include plans by the Hofstad gang in the Netherlands to bomb the Dutch parliament, the headquarters of the security service and the Schiphol airport. Meanwhile, a 46-page RCMP intelligence study also warns of the potential for an attack in Canada, calling al-Qaeda "a significant threat to Canada and Canadian interests." Canada's military involvement in Afghanistan "may provoke retaliatory terrorist attacks in Canada as well as further attacks in Afghanistan," it says. It adds, "The war in Iraq has resulted in an increase in the operational tempo of al-Qaeda and its sub groups. Disrupted and successful attacks have occurred against some coalition countries and their interests, including Britain, Spain, Italy, Germany among others. "Coalition interests in Canada continue to be at risk of attack. Furthermore, with greater Canadian participation envisioned in the rebuilding of Iraq, we may see Canadian interests in the Middle East attacked as well." The RCMP report, titled Project Sentry, is dated May, 2004, but was only recently declassified. |
| Posted by:tipper |
| #2 Mother Cindy's Commie Airborne still adheres to the strategem of attacking where US-Allied forces are not - wid CHINA in East Asia and Pacific, that means TAIWAN and other weak nations; wid America it means CANADA and MEXICO-LOWER AMERICAS, mostly Canada since we're already aware of Chinese ventures in Mexico + the lower/South Americas, Panama Canal and Cuba. |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2006-05-04 22:59 |
| #1 My snide remark about stringing concertina wire along the border doesn't seem so snide any more. |
| Posted by: Fordesque 2006-05-04 19:22 |