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| Great White North |
| Toronto 18 attack was to mimic 9/11 |
| 2009-06-24 |
| It was to be "the Battle of Toronto," a three-day bombing assault aimed at shutting the downtown core, crippling the economy and killing civilians. Members of the so-called Toronto 18 would pack three U-Haul vans with explosives and park them at three locations: the Toronto Stock Exchange; the Front St. offices of Canada's spy agency; and a military base off Highway 401 between Toronto and Ottawa. If they got their act together in time -- if they procured the necessary ammonium nitrate fertilizer and nitric acid -- maybe the bombings could begin on Sept. 11, 2006. And if all went according to plan, they would wait three months and launch another attack on the Sears Building in Chicago or the United Nations building in New York City. The destruction in Toronto would make London's 2005 subway bombings appear "very small." And, it would "screw" with the prime minister, government and military so much that they would pull Canada's troops from Afghanistan. Those were some of the comments made by the alleged Number 2 guy of the bomb plot while speaking to undercover police agent Shaher Elsohemy in the months leading up to the mass arrests on June 2, 2006. The remarks were contained in a "statement of uncontested facts" presented yesterday in a Brampton court on the first day of a sentencing hearing for Saad Khalid. The 22-year-old Mississauga man pleaded guilty to his role in the bomb plot, marking the first time a member of the group admitted to the existence of a bomb plot. For the first time, more specific details of the plot surfaced -- such as the "Battle of Toronto" moniker, trying to coincide an attack with the Sept. 11 anniversary, the targeting of an Ontario armed forces base and the name of the agent who orchestrated the purchase of three tonnes of ammonium nitrate. Based on the evidence read aloud by Crown prosecutor Croft Michaelson, Khalid was neither the alleged mastermind of the plot nor the Number 2 guy. But he clearly played a role. Khalid arranged for the rental of warehouse space in Newmarket, where they had planned to store the fertilizer, and he was tasked with receiving the delivery truck when it arrived. A video played in court showed Khalid and a co-accused unloading a truck and carrying bags labelled "ammonium nitrate" into the warehouse. To avoid suspicion, they wore T-shirts with the words "Student Farmers" on them. Before the two finished unloading the truck, police officers with guns drawn swooped in to arrest them. A series of similarly dramatic arrests played out across the GTA that day, garnering international headlines of a homegrown terror cell. Khalid was charged with knowingly participating in a terrorist group, receiving training for the purpose of enhancing the ability of a terrorist group and doing anything with "intent to cause an explosion of an explosive substance that was likely to cause serious bodily harm or death." He pleaded guilty to the last count. The other counts likely will be withdrawn, said Khalid's lawyer Russell Silverstein. Superior Court Justice Bruce Durno ordered a publication ban on the identities of Khalid's co-accused. Since the arrests of the 14 adults and four youths, charges against seven have been stayed. A youth was convicted in the fall of belonging to a terror group. Yesterday, the courtroom was largely filled with reporters and relatives of the accused -- many likely wondering what this plea means for their loved ones still behind bars and awaiting trial. Central to the Crown's case are two alleged conspiracies: that some of the accused attended a terrorist training camp and some were involved in a bomb plot. Court was told that Khalid attended a jihadist training camp in Washago, Ont., in December 2005. By March 2006, the group's two alleged ringleaders -- one from Scarborough and the other from Mississauga -- had a falling-out. After the rift, the Mississauga leader is alleged to have developed the bomb plot. His Number 2 guy was the one who most often met with the agent. The hearing continues tomorrow. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #1 They are all innocent, they were probably doing charity work for Amnesty International or something. |
| Posted by: Dave UK 2009-06-24 07:05 |