Tuesday, January 5, 2010

RCMP PROBED FALSE THREAT TO OBAMA BY SOMALI TERRORISTS

FROM: http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/100105/world/us_cda_obama_inauguration_threat

TORONTO - The RCMP says it worked closely with U.S. counterparts to investigate a tip about Somali terrorists coming from Canada on President Barack Obama's inauguration day.

The New York Times Magazine reports security officials were concerned Somali extremists would cross the border from Canada into the U.S. and set off explosives as Obama took the oath of office on Jan. 20, 2009.

In a statement Tuesday the RCMP says it helped investigate "what initially appeared to be a credible threat," that was later determined to be false.

Farah Aw-Osman, the executive director of Canadian Friends of Somalia, says the revelation explains a lot for the Somali-Canadian community.

He says there were many anecdotal reports of Somali-Canadians being questioned at length or being turned away from the border that day.

Aw-Osman says the vast majority of Somali-Canadians are peaceful, law-abiding citizens, but there is a concern in the community about radicalization of youth.