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| Great White North |
| Canadian terror suspect's fate rests on his own words |
| 2008-08-09 |
| Whether a youth was a naive, but pure-intentioned Muslim, or someone who had willingly joined a terrorist group, was left for one man to decide after arguments concluded yesterday in Canada's first terrorism trial. Interesting use of the word "pure". To claim that his intentions were pure can mean they were innocent, but it could imply that his intentions were undiluted by any consideration other than serving Islam. In which case, his intentions may be naive, but they are not necessarily innocent. From a mountain of background evidence presented in the case, it was the youth's own words in a police statement and a wiretapped conversation that Crown and defence lawyers debated in closing submissions to Mr. Justice John Sproat of Ontario Superior Court. The Crown alleges the youth, 17 at the time, was well aware that the men with whom he attended two alleged terrorist training camps were plotting a major domestic attack; tried to cover up his role in the group; and intended to wage jihad in Sri Lanka. The youth's lawyers argued that listening to him and watching his behaviour in a police interrogation showed that his only goal was to further his religious education. The now 20-year-old, who converted from Hinduism to Islam as a teen, is the first of the so-called Toronto 18 - now whittled down to 11 suspects - to face trial. Under the provisions of the Youth Criminal Justice Act, the suspect cannot be identified. In a video statement played in court, RCMP Sergeant John Tost interrogated the youth shortly after his June, 2006, arrest about the alleged terrorist training camps and the alleged sleeper cell's intentions. But the soft-spoken youth appeared confused when the officer asked about an alleged bomb plot. "Hold on, hold on, before you go on. Bomb-making? We? We?" he asked, his brow furrowed. Defence lawyer Mitchell Chernovsky said his client's demeanour was genuine. "Nobody could stage that," the lawyer said. "He had no idea that bomb-making material was part of this." "If the shoe-bomb doesn't fit, you must acquit," Later in the June interrogation, the officer asked the youth when he last went camping with the alleged ringleader of the group. The youth answered December, although he had attended the second camp just two weeks earlier. Crown prosecutor John Neander said this demonstrated the youth's desire to cover up his involvement. Mr. Chernovsky said his client viewed the camps as religious retreats. Shortly before the May, 2006, camp, the RCMP intercepted a conversation between the youth and others in which they expressed a desire to travel overseas to defend oppressed Muslims. At first, defence lawyer Faisal Mirza dismissed the Crown's suggestion that the youth had jihadist leanings, noting he had only said he wanted to travel to Sri Lanka to visit his aunt. Later, the lawyer argued that even if the Crown's point was accepted, it did not implicate his client. Mr. Neander countered that just because the youth allegedly wanted to fight in another country, it didn't mean he was opposed to helping the ringleader carry out his alleged plans. Judge Sproat said he will deliver his verdict on Sept. 25. |
| Posted by:ryuge |