*** I want him to spend the rest of his life condemning terrorism: setup a website, post on blogs, speak by video link if you have to, study liberal arts ... all of this will be beneficial to everyone. MS ***
Megan O'Toole September 28, 2010 – 1:24 pm
UPDATE, 1:24 p.m. ET: The judge has reserved sentencing Ahmad until Oct. 25.
—
The defence is calling for 10 to 12 years of jail time for Fahim Ahmad, the convicted ringleader of the “Toronto 18″ terrorist group.
In delivering sentencing submissions this morning, defence lawyer Dennis Edney painted his client as a self-aggrandizing talker who lacked the means, and the willpower, to cause genuine harm to Canadian citizens.
“At no time… did Mr. Ahmad ever mention a single detail, a real detail of how he intended to carry out any attack,” Mr. Edney said, calling Ahmad “a sad and pathetic young man whose fantasies caused great shame to him.”
Police dismantled the Toronto 18 in June 2006, and the court has since heard details of the homegrown group’s plot to storm Parliament and detonate powerful truck bombs in downtown Toronto.
The proposed defence sentence is substantially lower than the 18-year prison term the Crown has called for. Ahmad faces a maximum life sentence for his role in the terrorist plot.
More to come
Read more: http://news.nationalpost.com/2010/09/28/toronto-18-ringleader-fahim-ahmad-faces-12-years-in-prison/#ixzz10qtstpYv
Showing posts with label Toronto Bomb Plot. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Toronto Bomb Plot. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
18 YEARS SOUGHT FOR TORONTO 18 LEADER
*** There is no doubt he will do time for his actions. His grandiose plan was chilling even though there was absolutely no chance his band of brothers could successfully storm parliament, behead all the MP's including the PM, force the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan ... and so on.
Anyone with half an ounce of knowledge of the operational capabilities of these men knows this to be totally beyond the realm of possibility. HOWEVER, the crime is not "terrorism on a grand scale" it is ANY kind of terrorist endeavour, no matter how unachievable. It is the intent and supporting action - the call to arms against our society, our country - that cannot be tolerated.
What is more realistic than the plot is to realize that not all of these young men are hardcore killers like Taliban and Al Qaeda. As a society, we have constructed this category of homegrown terrorists as necessarily incapable of reform - which is not correct. It is based on too many assumptions that do not withstand the scrutiny of logic and facts. As much as some may WANT to believe they are all beyond repair, it is not supported by the reality on the ground.
There is quite a bit of evidence that deradicalization programs do work - if you will take the time to read what the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation and Political Violence has concluded - in partnership with the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START) - perhaps we can use this opportunity to generate data from a wholly Canadian context, thus adding to the discourse and proving how Canada operates in the global context.
http://icsr.info/publications/papers/1277699166PrisonsandTerrorismRadicalisationandDeradicalisationin15Countries.pdf
MS ***
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/crime/article/867106--18-year-term-sought-for-inspirational-leader-of-toronto-18
Isabel Teotonio Staff Reporter
The “inspirational leader” of the Toronto 18, who “poisoned” the minds of young men and tried to develop “a band of jihadist warriors,” should be sentenced to 18 years in prison, a prosecutor told a Brampton court Monday.
While making submissions at the sentencing hearing for Fahim Ahmad, who organized training camps and plotted to storm Parliament Hill, prosecutor Jason Wakely said an appropriate starting point for such an offence is a life sentence.
But he suggested a lesser sentence is more fitting, given various mitigating factors such as Ahmad’s guilty plea, support from family, renunciation of violent views and his status as a youthful first-time offender when arrested in June 2006 at age 21.
The Crown proposed Ahmad be given two-for-one credit for time spent in pre-trial custody, which amounts to eight years and seven months of time already served.
Aside from the potential harm planned by Ahmad’s group, its mere existence is “a crime against our society that cultivates fear and insecurity,” said Wakely.
“While it was not the most well-honed sophisticated group imaginable, it was not bumbling,” said Wakely, adding the group made efforts to acquire firearms. “Ahmad was trying to develop a band of jihadist warriors, recruit them, indoctrinate them, train them.”
Ahmad’s violent Islamist views “poisoned” the minds of his co-accused and inspired a spinoff plot by Zakaria Amara, who plotted to detonate truck bombs in downtown Toronto, said Wakely. Amara was sentenced to life in prison in January.
Ahmad’s lawyers will make submissions Tuesday. But the defence has already submitted to the court a psychiatric report that states Ahmad poses a low risk to reoffend, as well as numerous letters written by Ahmad and his friends suggesting he has renounced his views.
“I’ve made so many mistakes and wronged so many loved ones,” writes Ahmad in a letter, adding his only solace is that no one was hurt.
Ahmad also said that while incarcerated he has been counselled on a weekly basis by two imams who have helped him restructure his “distorted thinking.”
According to another letter, a friendship with a Jewish inmate also helped Ahmad realize the error of his ways.
Ahmad pleaded guilty in May to participating in a terrorist group, importing firearms for the group, and instructing co-accused to carry out an activity for a terrorist group.
Court has heard Ahmad described as both a “time bomb waiting to go off” and a “fantasist,” who wanted to take politicians hostage until they gave into his demands to withdraw from Afghanistan.
Anyone with half an ounce of knowledge of the operational capabilities of these men knows this to be totally beyond the realm of possibility. HOWEVER, the crime is not "terrorism on a grand scale" it is ANY kind of terrorist endeavour, no matter how unachievable. It is the intent and supporting action - the call to arms against our society, our country - that cannot be tolerated.
What is more realistic than the plot is to realize that not all of these young men are hardcore killers like Taliban and Al Qaeda. As a society, we have constructed this category of homegrown terrorists as necessarily incapable of reform - which is not correct. It is based on too many assumptions that do not withstand the scrutiny of logic and facts. As much as some may WANT to believe they are all beyond repair, it is not supported by the reality on the ground.
There is quite a bit of evidence that deradicalization programs do work - if you will take the time to read what the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation and Political Violence has concluded - in partnership with the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START) - perhaps we can use this opportunity to generate data from a wholly Canadian context, thus adding to the discourse and proving how Canada operates in the global context.
http://icsr.info/publications/papers/1277699166PrisonsandTerrorismRadicalisationandDeradicalisationin15Countries.pdf
MS ***
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/crime/article/867106--18-year-term-sought-for-inspirational-leader-of-toronto-18
Isabel Teotonio Staff Reporter
The “inspirational leader” of the Toronto 18, who “poisoned” the minds of young men and tried to develop “a band of jihadist warriors,” should be sentenced to 18 years in prison, a prosecutor told a Brampton court Monday.
While making submissions at the sentencing hearing for Fahim Ahmad, who organized training camps and plotted to storm Parliament Hill, prosecutor Jason Wakely said an appropriate starting point for such an offence is a life sentence.
But he suggested a lesser sentence is more fitting, given various mitigating factors such as Ahmad’s guilty plea, support from family, renunciation of violent views and his status as a youthful first-time offender when arrested in June 2006 at age 21.
The Crown proposed Ahmad be given two-for-one credit for time spent in pre-trial custody, which amounts to eight years and seven months of time already served.
Aside from the potential harm planned by Ahmad’s group, its mere existence is “a crime against our society that cultivates fear and insecurity,” said Wakely.
“While it was not the most well-honed sophisticated group imaginable, it was not bumbling,” said Wakely, adding the group made efforts to acquire firearms. “Ahmad was trying to develop a band of jihadist warriors, recruit them, indoctrinate them, train them.”
Ahmad’s violent Islamist views “poisoned” the minds of his co-accused and inspired a spinoff plot by Zakaria Amara, who plotted to detonate truck bombs in downtown Toronto, said Wakely. Amara was sentenced to life in prison in January.
Ahmad’s lawyers will make submissions Tuesday. But the defence has already submitted to the court a psychiatric report that states Ahmad poses a low risk to reoffend, as well as numerous letters written by Ahmad and his friends suggesting he has renounced his views.
“I’ve made so many mistakes and wronged so many loved ones,” writes Ahmad in a letter, adding his only solace is that no one was hurt.
Ahmad also said that while incarcerated he has been counselled on a weekly basis by two imams who have helped him restructure his “distorted thinking.”
According to another letter, a friendship with a Jewish inmate also helped Ahmad realize the error of his ways.
Ahmad pleaded guilty in May to participating in a terrorist group, importing firearms for the group, and instructing co-accused to carry out an activity for a terrorist group.
Court has heard Ahmad described as both a “time bomb waiting to go off” and a “fantasist,” who wanted to take politicians hostage until they gave into his demands to withdraw from Afghanistan.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
TORONTO 18 SAGA IS OVER - GUILTY VERDICTS IN
*** Read and see for yourself by following the link. MS ***
FROM: http://www3.thestar.com/static/toronto18/index.html
FROM: http://www3.thestar.com/static/toronto18/index.html
Sunday, June 13, 2010
CHAND OPPOSED TERRORISM - TORONTO 18
FROM: http://www.nationalpost.com/related/topics/Chand+opposed+extremism+lawyer+says/3129574/story.html
Steven Chand staunchly opposed the extremist ideology espoused by "Toronto 18" ringleader Fahim Ahmad, openly challenging and even attempting to defraud his supposed friend, a Superior Court jury heard yesterday.
During his closing address, Mr. Chand's lawyer, Michael Moon, painted Ahmad as a young man trapped in a life of "grinding tedium" who fostered delusions of grandeur, in which he became "a lion and a leader" fighting for Muslims around the world.
"Fahim Ahmad was a frog who believed he was a jihadi prince," Mr. Moon said. "He was just a frog, and Steven knew that ... Whenever Steven was exposed to Ahmad's ideas, he opposed them."
By the time Ahmad's views had crystallized into a plot to detonate bombs in downtown Toronto and storm Parliament, the jury heard, Mr. Chand-- who often confronted Ahmad on his jihadist "rants" -- had elected to keep his distance.
Ahmad pleaded guilty to terrorism charges last month, while Mr. Chand, 29, stands charged with participating in a terrorist group and counseling to commit fraud in association with that group.
Mr. Moon placed critical emphasis on the time frame in which the terrorist faction allegedly operated. The Crown suggests it was launched in 2005, culminating in a December training camp, and then continued in 2006 up until a series of arrests that spring. Mr. Moon contends the group was not officially operating until February 2006; at the time of the camp, which his client attended, he says Mr. Chand "would not, could not and did not know such a group existed."
Rather, Mr. Chand-- who helped set up an obstacle course and consulted with Ahmad about the performance of attendeees -- believed the camp in Washago, Ont., was focused on "winter survival tactics," the jury heard.
"Steven was no more than a potential recruit," Mr. Moon said, noting his client was not present for some of the key terror-related activities, such as handgun training or Ahmad's infamous "fall of Rome" speech, in which he called for the destruction of western society.
"[Mr. Chand was] off smoking a joint," Mr. Moon suggested, pointing to testimony from star Crown witness Mubin Shaikh about how Mr. Chand frequently went for walks in the woods. When he came back from these sojourns, "his eyes were red and he would be hungry," the jury heard.
At no point was Mr. Chand involved in the "jihadist aspects" of the camp, Mr. Moon said, nor was he a part of Ahmad's "inner circle," as the Crown has suggested.
Because Mr. Chand and Ahmad differed in their political views, Mr. Moon said, they drifted further apart in the weeks after the camp.
"[Ahmad was] critical and mocking of Steven for his peaceable and non-jihadist ways," Mr. Moon asserted, noting Mr. Chand ultimately decided he wanted nothing to do with Ahmad.
Mr. Chand would later contact Ahmad about a moneymaking scheme, which the Crown alleges was a means of funding the terrorist group. But Mr. Moon contends his client was actually out to defraud Ahmad and split the proceeds with another friend; the scheme never got off the ground.
Mr. Chand is being jointly tried with Asad Ansari, who is also accused of participating in the homegrown terror cell. The Crown will close its case today, with the jury expected to begin deliberations next week.
Steven Chand staunchly opposed the extremist ideology espoused by "Toronto 18" ringleader Fahim Ahmad, openly challenging and even attempting to defraud his supposed friend, a Superior Court jury heard yesterday.
During his closing address, Mr. Chand's lawyer, Michael Moon, painted Ahmad as a young man trapped in a life of "grinding tedium" who fostered delusions of grandeur, in which he became "a lion and a leader" fighting for Muslims around the world.
"Fahim Ahmad was a frog who believed he was a jihadi prince," Mr. Moon said. "He was just a frog, and Steven knew that ... Whenever Steven was exposed to Ahmad's ideas, he opposed them."
By the time Ahmad's views had crystallized into a plot to detonate bombs in downtown Toronto and storm Parliament, the jury heard, Mr. Chand-- who often confronted Ahmad on his jihadist "rants" -- had elected to keep his distance.
Ahmad pleaded guilty to terrorism charges last month, while Mr. Chand, 29, stands charged with participating in a terrorist group and counseling to commit fraud in association with that group.
Mr. Moon placed critical emphasis on the time frame in which the terrorist faction allegedly operated. The Crown suggests it was launched in 2005, culminating in a December training camp, and then continued in 2006 up until a series of arrests that spring. Mr. Moon contends the group was not officially operating until February 2006; at the time of the camp, which his client attended, he says Mr. Chand "would not, could not and did not know such a group existed."
Rather, Mr. Chand-- who helped set up an obstacle course and consulted with Ahmad about the performance of attendeees -- believed the camp in Washago, Ont., was focused on "winter survival tactics," the jury heard.
"Steven was no more than a potential recruit," Mr. Moon said, noting his client was not present for some of the key terror-related activities, such as handgun training or Ahmad's infamous "fall of Rome" speech, in which he called for the destruction of western society.
"[Mr. Chand was] off smoking a joint," Mr. Moon suggested, pointing to testimony from star Crown witness Mubin Shaikh about how Mr. Chand frequently went for walks in the woods. When he came back from these sojourns, "his eyes were red and he would be hungry," the jury heard.
At no point was Mr. Chand involved in the "jihadist aspects" of the camp, Mr. Moon said, nor was he a part of Ahmad's "inner circle," as the Crown has suggested.
Because Mr. Chand and Ahmad differed in their political views, Mr. Moon said, they drifted further apart in the weeks after the camp.
"[Ahmad was] critical and mocking of Steven for his peaceable and non-jihadist ways," Mr. Moon asserted, noting Mr. Chand ultimately decided he wanted nothing to do with Ahmad.
Mr. Chand would later contact Ahmad about a moneymaking scheme, which the Crown alleges was a means of funding the terrorist group. But Mr. Moon contends his client was actually out to defraud Ahmad and split the proceeds with another friend; the scheme never got off the ground.
Mr. Chand is being jointly tried with Asad Ansari, who is also accused of participating in the homegrown terror cell. The Crown will close its case today, with the jury expected to begin deliberations next week.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
TORONTO 18 TRIAL - CROWN CLOSING ARGUMENTS
FROM: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/toronto/story/2010/06/09/toronto-18.html
Closing arguments from the Crown were heard in a Brampton, Ont., courtroom on Wednesday for the last two men accused of plotting attacks on Parliament and other Canadian sites.
Steven Chand, 29, and Asad Ansari, 25, are both charged with knowingly participating in a terrorist group that media and authorities have dubbed the Toronto 18.
Chand is also charged with counselling to commit fraud over $5,000 for the benefit of a terrorist group.
Speaking in Ontario Supreme Court, Crown attorney Croft Michaelson said evidence presented in court over the past few months proves a terrorist group existed and that the two men were actively involved in it.
He pointed to the accused's presence at a camp in Washago, Ont., in December 2005, which the Crown alleges was organized to recruit members to the group.
Croft alleges the men discussed what Canadian sites would be good to bomb and proposed targets like nuclear stations and Parliament.
He told the jury the men had weapons and ammunition and that one member of the group even built a detonator.
The Crown reminded the jury that to convict the men, they have to be convinced beyond a reasonable doubt that they are guilty of the charges against them but that doesn't mean the Crown has to prove the case with absolute certainty.
During the trial, Ansari testified in his own defence, saying he was not an active participant in the group and was not aware of any plans to bomb high-profile targets in Toronto and Ottawa.
His lawyers have argued that what he had to say should be given more weight than any of the other testimony or evidence presented.
Closing arguments from the Crown were heard in a Brampton, Ont., courtroom on Wednesday for the last two men accused of plotting attacks on Parliament and other Canadian sites.
Steven Chand, 29, and Asad Ansari, 25, are both charged with knowingly participating in a terrorist group that media and authorities have dubbed the Toronto 18.
Chand is also charged with counselling to commit fraud over $5,000 for the benefit of a terrorist group.
Speaking in Ontario Supreme Court, Crown attorney Croft Michaelson said evidence presented in court over the past few months proves a terrorist group existed and that the two men were actively involved in it.
He pointed to the accused's presence at a camp in Washago, Ont., in December 2005, which the Crown alleges was organized to recruit members to the group.
Croft alleges the men discussed what Canadian sites would be good to bomb and proposed targets like nuclear stations and Parliament.
He told the jury the men had weapons and ammunition and that one member of the group even built a detonator.
The Crown reminded the jury that to convict the men, they have to be convinced beyond a reasonable doubt that they are guilty of the charges against them but that doesn't mean the Crown has to prove the case with absolute certainty.
During the trial, Ansari testified in his own defence, saying he was not an active participant in the group and was not aware of any plans to bomb high-profile targets in Toronto and Ottawa.
His lawyers have argued that what he had to say should be given more weight than any of the other testimony or evidence presented.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
JUDGE RULES NO ENTRAPMENT AGENT #2 TORONTO 18 CASE
*** Vindication is yours and rightfully so (formerly-known-as-Shaher), rightfully so. _\ MS ***
FROM: http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5i_nM1GY1NWXggMbz7Z02_j1BmTyg
BRAMPTON, Ont. — A judge has ruled that a man found guilty of terror offences as part of the so-called Toronto 18 was not entrapped.
Shareef Abdelhaleem, 34, was found guilty last month of participating in a terrorist group and intending to cause an explosion. No conviction was entered at the time because his defence brought a motion seeking a stay on the basis of entrapment.
Today, a judge told a Brampton, Ont., court that entrapment was not an issue in the case and there was virtually no evidence to support Abdelhaleem's position.
The judge, in entering the conviction, also described Abdelhaleem's testimony as rambling and nonsensical.
Abdelhaleem's lawyer had argued his client was "dragged in" to the Toronto 18 bomb plot by a former friend seeking revenge through his work as a police agent.
The Crown contended Abdelhaleem was a willing and active participant in the plot to detonate massive bombs at the Toronto offices of CSIS, the Toronto Stock Exchange and an Ontario military base.
For the motion to have succeeded the defence had to prove that police created a crime that otherwise wouldn't have occurred or that they induced the commission of a crime.
Copyright © 2010 The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
FROM: http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5i_nM1GY1NWXggMbz7Z02_j1BmTyg
BRAMPTON, Ont. — A judge has ruled that a man found guilty of terror offences as part of the so-called Toronto 18 was not entrapped.
Shareef Abdelhaleem, 34, was found guilty last month of participating in a terrorist group and intending to cause an explosion. No conviction was entered at the time because his defence brought a motion seeking a stay on the basis of entrapment.
Today, a judge told a Brampton, Ont., court that entrapment was not an issue in the case and there was virtually no evidence to support Abdelhaleem's position.
The judge, in entering the conviction, also described Abdelhaleem's testimony as rambling and nonsensical.
Abdelhaleem's lawyer had argued his client was "dragged in" to the Toronto 18 bomb plot by a former friend seeking revenge through his work as a police agent.
The Crown contended Abdelhaleem was a willing and active participant in the plot to detonate massive bombs at the Toronto offices of CSIS, the Toronto Stock Exchange and an Ontario military base.
For the motion to have succeeded the defence had to prove that police created a crime that otherwise wouldn't have occurred or that they induced the commission of a crime.
Copyright © 2010 The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
NO JIHAD TALK GOIN' ON HERE....NOT AT ALL
*** Shows you the disconnect some of the Imams have from the reality of the situation. While he may not find people talking jihad in coffee shops - I doubt he's ever been an angry young Muslim seeking to rectify the world's problems at the point of a gun - or IED. Trust me, there's a whole bunch of 'em & no, they're not all goody-two-shoe university students just looking for everyone to hold hands and sing "Kumbaya". Several of the Toronto 18 were ATTENDING university at the time, remember? MS ***
FROM: http://www.nationalpost.com/news/canada/story.html?id=2510688
The picture was one of dark coffee shops and murky conversations, a sort of secret society where members of the Muslim community in a Toronto suburb came together to discuss dreams of jihad.
In the eyes of Shareef Abdelhaleem, a member of the so-called "Toronto 18" terrorist group whose trial wrapped up yesterday, this is the reality in his Mississauga neighbourhood.
The court has heard that Abdelhaleem not only discussed jihad, but watched videos of insurgents overseas, and spoke freely of his desire to return to his homeland in the Middle East to perform "the ultimate duty for God."
During two days of animated testimony last week, he suggested "Muslims in general" spoke, and dreamed, of the same thing -- an assertion that has upset Muslim leaders both in Mississauga and on the national stage.
"We Muslims are harmed double ... when people come forward with such nonsense," said Zijad Delic, an imam and executive director of the Canadian Islamic Congress. "We are harmed as Canadians and we are harmed as Muslims, because our image has been distorted."
Dr. Delic says 99.9% of Muslims in Mississauga and elsewhere are dedicated, engaged citizens who strive to contribute positively to the Canadian fabric. The same figure was cited by Abdelhaleem in court, but to an opposite purpose.
"I had the same outlook to almost 100% of the Muslim community," Abdelhaleem said, noting he often heard older men in Mississauga coffee shops discussing how, if only they were younger, they would sign up for jihad overseas. Such talk really flared up, he said, in the wake of controversial incidents, such as the death of children in Iraq.
"You hear about it, you're upset, and you talk."
But "nobody goes," he pointed out, suggesting his own talk of jihad, which he had been spouting for a decade, was the same sort of pipe dream. "Everybody always goes home."
One of the coffee shops where Abdelhaleem and undercover police agent Shaher Elsohemy frequently met was a Second Cup within a big-box plaza at a key Mississauga intersection. Far from the grim picture Abdelhaleem painted, the shop was bustling during a recent afternoon with customers of diverse ethnicities, the air filled with light chatter.
At another of the pair's regular haunts, Mississauga's Cafe de Khan, an employee said patrons "come and go" and discuss normal things; in other words, he added, not jihad.
"I don't think people talk on this topic," agreed Muhammed Madeem, who teaches at an Islamic centre in the city. "People sitting in coffee shops and talking about jihad, I don't believe that. ... Not just in Mississauga, but all the Muslims are very peaceful and very friendly. The meaning of Islam is peace, to love all mankind."
A representative of the Muslim Welfare Centre in Mississauga said religious conversations in the community, rather than focusing on jihad, examine questions such as how to live a humane life, how to socialize with others, and how to pray to God for the necessities of life.
If Abdelhaleem were engaged in the "real world" of Muslims, Dr. Delic said, "he would find out thousands of young people are in universities so they don't have time to talk about nonsense. They talk about the possibility of bridging gaps, not wars or conflicts with people."
Dr. Delic said he attends numerous Islamic groups and the notion of jihad is never mentioned in the context of how to be a good citizen, though some "nuts" may suggest otherwise.
"People who are engaged in such activities, these are people who cannot reconcile the role of Islam in the modern world."
FROM: http://www.nationalpost.com/news/canada/story.html?id=2510688
The picture was one of dark coffee shops and murky conversations, a sort of secret society where members of the Muslim community in a Toronto suburb came together to discuss dreams of jihad.
In the eyes of Shareef Abdelhaleem, a member of the so-called "Toronto 18" terrorist group whose trial wrapped up yesterday, this is the reality in his Mississauga neighbourhood.
The court has heard that Abdelhaleem not only discussed jihad, but watched videos of insurgents overseas, and spoke freely of his desire to return to his homeland in the Middle East to perform "the ultimate duty for God."
During two days of animated testimony last week, he suggested "Muslims in general" spoke, and dreamed, of the same thing -- an assertion that has upset Muslim leaders both in Mississauga and on the national stage.
"We Muslims are harmed double ... when people come forward with such nonsense," said Zijad Delic, an imam and executive director of the Canadian Islamic Congress. "We are harmed as Canadians and we are harmed as Muslims, because our image has been distorted."
Dr. Delic says 99.9% of Muslims in Mississauga and elsewhere are dedicated, engaged citizens who strive to contribute positively to the Canadian fabric. The same figure was cited by Abdelhaleem in court, but to an opposite purpose.
"I had the same outlook to almost 100% of the Muslim community," Abdelhaleem said, noting he often heard older men in Mississauga coffee shops discussing how, if only they were younger, they would sign up for jihad overseas. Such talk really flared up, he said, in the wake of controversial incidents, such as the death of children in Iraq.
"You hear about it, you're upset, and you talk."
But "nobody goes," he pointed out, suggesting his own talk of jihad, which he had been spouting for a decade, was the same sort of pipe dream. "Everybody always goes home."
One of the coffee shops where Abdelhaleem and undercover police agent Shaher Elsohemy frequently met was a Second Cup within a big-box plaza at a key Mississauga intersection. Far from the grim picture Abdelhaleem painted, the shop was bustling during a recent afternoon with customers of diverse ethnicities, the air filled with light chatter.
At another of the pair's regular haunts, Mississauga's Cafe de Khan, an employee said patrons "come and go" and discuss normal things; in other words, he added, not jihad.
"I don't think people talk on this topic," agreed Muhammed Madeem, who teaches at an Islamic centre in the city. "People sitting in coffee shops and talking about jihad, I don't believe that. ... Not just in Mississauga, but all the Muslims are very peaceful and very friendly. The meaning of Islam is peace, to love all mankind."
A representative of the Muslim Welfare Centre in Mississauga said religious conversations in the community, rather than focusing on jihad, examine questions such as how to live a humane life, how to socialize with others, and how to pray to God for the necessities of life.
If Abdelhaleem were engaged in the "real world" of Muslims, Dr. Delic said, "he would find out thousands of young people are in universities so they don't have time to talk about nonsense. They talk about the possibility of bridging gaps, not wars or conflicts with people."
Dr. Delic said he attends numerous Islamic groups and the notion of jihad is never mentioned in the context of how to be a good citizen, though some "nuts" may suggest otherwise.
"People who are engaged in such activities, these are people who cannot reconcile the role of Islam in the modern world."
Monday, February 1, 2010
TORONTO 18 ENTRAPMENT HEARING (RE: AGENT # 2) ENDS
FROM: http://www.windsorstar.com/news/Toronto+plotter+addresses+court+entrapment+hearing+ends/2510137/story.html
In a "controlled experiment," a Superior Court judge Monday granted bomb plotter Shareef Abdelhaleem permission to personally address the court on the last day of his entrapment hearing.
Abdelhaleem, a member of the so-called Toronto 18 terrorist group, had already testified on his own behalf, but suggested he could deliver final arguments more effectively than his lawyer because he knew the "nuances of the data."
Both the judge and defence agreed it was a "bad idea," but ultimately allowed Abdelhaleem to press forward.
During a passionate address lasting the better part of an hour, Abdelhaleem argued his role as a middleman in the bomb plot was manufactured by RCMP agent Shaher Elsohemy, whose testimony made up the bulk of the Crown's case.
"The agent created that role. It didn't exist before," Abdelhaleem said.
His argument, wide-ranging and difficult to follow at times even for the judge — who repeatedly asked for clarifications — centered on a pair of meetings between Abdelhaleem and Elsohemy in the spring of 2006, weeks before authorities swooped in to foil the bomb plot.
During the first meeting in April, before Abdelhaleem had committed to join the terrorist group, Elsohemy "induced" him to attend a separate meeting with plot leader Zakaria Amara, Abdelhaleem suggested.
"He came to me and he said please be there so that I will not be photographed with Amara," Abdelhaleem said, noting he became a "sacrificial lamb" by agreeing to act as a go-between for Amara and Elsohemy. The goal, he said, was to protect the identity of Elsohemy, who had a young family.
Prior to that date, the court has heard, Abdelhaleem opposed the bomb plot, believing it to be Islamically unsound.
Before another scheduled meeting with Amara in May, Abdelhaleem said he urged Elsohemy not to attend because of the aforementioned concerns for his friend's safety.
"We fought for an hour," Abdelhaleem said, noting this refuted the Crown's theory that he was a "willing collaborator and trusted confidante" in the bomb plot. Rather, he emphasized, he was drawn in as a middleman through his association with Elsohemy.
"I couldn't have been in the middle for my sake. That doesn't make logical sense," a seemingly agitated Abdelhaleem told the court.
Abdelhaleem also attacked the Crown's theory that he was a key player in the bomb plot because he initiated orders for explosive chemicals through Elsohemy, who was posing as a source for such materials.
Abdelhaleem argues he was simply conveying messages from Amara.
In various police intercepts of conversations, however, Elsohemy is heard asking Abdelhaleem questions to the effect of: "How much ammonium nitrate do you want?"
Abdelhaleem said he believed it was understood that "you" referred to Amara. In retrospect, he says, it was a clear attempt by Elsohemy — who was wearing a wire — to implicate Abdelhaleem as a leader.
"It was one of his tricks to try to implicate me," said Abdelhaleem, who has testified Elsohemy harboured a grudge for a past fight between their families. "It was so obvious."
The Toronto 18 terrorism plot involved detonating powerful truck bombs at the Toronto Stock Exchange, the CSIS regional office in Toronto and a military base between Toronto and Ottawa. The scheme was foiled in June 2006 after an extensive police investigation.
In a "controlled experiment," a Superior Court judge Monday granted bomb plotter Shareef Abdelhaleem permission to personally address the court on the last day of his entrapment hearing.
Abdelhaleem, a member of the so-called Toronto 18 terrorist group, had already testified on his own behalf, but suggested he could deliver final arguments more effectively than his lawyer because he knew the "nuances of the data."
Both the judge and defence agreed it was a "bad idea," but ultimately allowed Abdelhaleem to press forward.
During a passionate address lasting the better part of an hour, Abdelhaleem argued his role as a middleman in the bomb plot was manufactured by RCMP agent Shaher Elsohemy, whose testimony made up the bulk of the Crown's case.
"The agent created that role. It didn't exist before," Abdelhaleem said.
His argument, wide-ranging and difficult to follow at times even for the judge — who repeatedly asked for clarifications — centered on a pair of meetings between Abdelhaleem and Elsohemy in the spring of 2006, weeks before authorities swooped in to foil the bomb plot.
During the first meeting in April, before Abdelhaleem had committed to join the terrorist group, Elsohemy "induced" him to attend a separate meeting with plot leader Zakaria Amara, Abdelhaleem suggested.
"He came to me and he said please be there so that I will not be photographed with Amara," Abdelhaleem said, noting he became a "sacrificial lamb" by agreeing to act as a go-between for Amara and Elsohemy. The goal, he said, was to protect the identity of Elsohemy, who had a young family.
Prior to that date, the court has heard, Abdelhaleem opposed the bomb plot, believing it to be Islamically unsound.
Before another scheduled meeting with Amara in May, Abdelhaleem said he urged Elsohemy not to attend because of the aforementioned concerns for his friend's safety.
"We fought for an hour," Abdelhaleem said, noting this refuted the Crown's theory that he was a "willing collaborator and trusted confidante" in the bomb plot. Rather, he emphasized, he was drawn in as a middleman through his association with Elsohemy.
"I couldn't have been in the middle for my sake. That doesn't make logical sense," a seemingly agitated Abdelhaleem told the court.
Abdelhaleem also attacked the Crown's theory that he was a key player in the bomb plot because he initiated orders for explosive chemicals through Elsohemy, who was posing as a source for such materials.
Abdelhaleem argues he was simply conveying messages from Amara.
In various police intercepts of conversations, however, Elsohemy is heard asking Abdelhaleem questions to the effect of: "How much ammonium nitrate do you want?"
Abdelhaleem said he believed it was understood that "you" referred to Amara. In retrospect, he says, it was a clear attempt by Elsohemy — who was wearing a wire — to implicate Abdelhaleem as a leader.
"It was one of his tricks to try to implicate me," said Abdelhaleem, who has testified Elsohemy harboured a grudge for a past fight between their families. "It was so obvious."
The Toronto 18 terrorism plot involved detonating powerful truck bombs at the Toronto Stock Exchange, the CSIS regional office in Toronto and a military base between Toronto and Ottawa. The scheme was foiled in June 2006 after an extensive police investigation.
Friday, January 29, 2010
NEXT TIME I WALK AND LET THE BOMBS GO OFF : TORONTO 18 MEMBER
*** Either you walk away or you step up. MS ***
FROM: http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/toronto/archive/2010/01/29/next-time-i-ll-walk-away-from-bomb-plot-toronto-18-member.aspx
BRAMPTON — In a passionate outburst before a Superior Court judge yesterday, "Toronto 18" member Shareef Abdelhaleem vowed that should he ever hear of another bomb plot, he would simply "walk away" and allow events to take their course.
"I tried my best to reduce everything," testified Abdelhaleem, who insisted yesterday his participation in the Toronto 18 plot was aimed at mitigating harm to civilians.
"Next time -- well, there will be no next time -- but next time I hear someone trying to blow something up, I'm just going to walk away," Abdelhaleem told the court.
If the hypothetical plot then succeeded, he said, he would walk into a police station and inform authorities: "I knew all about this and did absolutely nothing to stop it."
He said he would tell families who lost loved ones the same thing.
Abdelhaleem was found guilty last week of participating in a 2006 terrorist plot to bomb three targets in southern Ontario, including a regional Canadian Security Intelligence Service facility, a military base and the Toronto Stock Exchange. The defence argues he was entrapped by police, and Abdelhaleem has been testifying at a hearing on that matter.
Abdelhaleem says he gained an inside line on the bomb plot so he could have the power to stop it -- actions he believes the Crown is now persecuting him for.
Under cross-examination by Crown attorney Croft Michaelson, Abdelhaleem admitted he helped bomb plot leader Zakaria Amara in his plans to acquire three tonnes of ammonium nitrate -- even placing chemical orders on his own initiative at times -- while at the same time failing to voice opposition to the bombings themselves.
But Abdelhaleem attempted to focus the court's attention on his efforts to reduce the amount of harm done by the attacks, dismissing as "outrageous" Amara's alleged plan to include metal shards in the bombs to cause more civilian casualties. Abdelhaleem said he felt obliged to stop that from happening.
"I didn't know what I was going to do. I had no plan," he told the court. But he testified that if Amara moved that part of the plot forward, "I was going to sabotage it somehow."
Abdelhaleem, 34, said he also encouraged the group to make smaller bombs to "reduce" the explosive impact.
"I was not taking an initiative to blow something up," he told the judge, noting he was determined to get the address of the terrorist group's chemical storehouse so "if I were to intervene, I'd know where the store was."
One idea Abdelhaleem says he considered was putting a humidifier inthe storehouse to destroy the bomb chemicals, which were supposed to be kept free of moisture, once they arrived.
Abdelhaleem, who referred to himself as a "middleman" between Amara and undercover police agent Shaher Elsohemy, told the court he volunteered to play that role because he believed he was doing nothing to advance the plot and thus doing nothing wrong, "so if I'm seen with Amara, that would be OK."
It was also a way to protect Mr. Elsohemy-- whom he considered a friend at the time -- and to gain information about the chemical storehouse, Abdelhaleem testified.
An adamant and animated Abdelhaleem, speaking in a quick burst, told the judge he wanted to "highlight and bold" that point.
FROM: http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/toronto/archive/2010/01/29/next-time-i-ll-walk-away-from-bomb-plot-toronto-18-member.aspx
BRAMPTON — In a passionate outburst before a Superior Court judge yesterday, "Toronto 18" member Shareef Abdelhaleem vowed that should he ever hear of another bomb plot, he would simply "walk away" and allow events to take their course.
"I tried my best to reduce everything," testified Abdelhaleem, who insisted yesterday his participation in the Toronto 18 plot was aimed at mitigating harm to civilians.
"Next time -- well, there will be no next time -- but next time I hear someone trying to blow something up, I'm just going to walk away," Abdelhaleem told the court.
If the hypothetical plot then succeeded, he said, he would walk into a police station and inform authorities: "I knew all about this and did absolutely nothing to stop it."
He said he would tell families who lost loved ones the same thing.
Abdelhaleem was found guilty last week of participating in a 2006 terrorist plot to bomb three targets in southern Ontario, including a regional Canadian Security Intelligence Service facility, a military base and the Toronto Stock Exchange. The defence argues he was entrapped by police, and Abdelhaleem has been testifying at a hearing on that matter.
Abdelhaleem says he gained an inside line on the bomb plot so he could have the power to stop it -- actions he believes the Crown is now persecuting him for.
Under cross-examination by Crown attorney Croft Michaelson, Abdelhaleem admitted he helped bomb plot leader Zakaria Amara in his plans to acquire three tonnes of ammonium nitrate -- even placing chemical orders on his own initiative at times -- while at the same time failing to voice opposition to the bombings themselves.
But Abdelhaleem attempted to focus the court's attention on his efforts to reduce the amount of harm done by the attacks, dismissing as "outrageous" Amara's alleged plan to include metal shards in the bombs to cause more civilian casualties. Abdelhaleem said he felt obliged to stop that from happening.
"I didn't know what I was going to do. I had no plan," he told the court. But he testified that if Amara moved that part of the plot forward, "I was going to sabotage it somehow."
Abdelhaleem, 34, said he also encouraged the group to make smaller bombs to "reduce" the explosive impact.
"I was not taking an initiative to blow something up," he told the judge, noting he was determined to get the address of the terrorist group's chemical storehouse so "if I were to intervene, I'd know where the store was."
One idea Abdelhaleem says he considered was putting a humidifier inthe storehouse to destroy the bomb chemicals, which were supposed to be kept free of moisture, once they arrived.
Abdelhaleem, who referred to himself as a "middleman" between Amara and undercover police agent Shaher Elsohemy, told the court he volunteered to play that role because he believed he was doing nothing to advance the plot and thus doing nothing wrong, "so if I'm seen with Amara, that would be OK."
It was also a way to protect Mr. Elsohemy-- whom he considered a friend at the time -- and to gain information about the chemical storehouse, Abdelhaleem testified.
An adamant and animated Abdelhaleem, speaking in a quick burst, told the judge he wanted to "highlight and bold" that point.
TORONTO 18 BOMB PLOT : A FATHERS (FALSE?) FATWA
*** I told you, if it checks out - charge and arrest him. People like this ruin the name of all the good, law-abiding Muslim scholars who are actually qualified to give fatwas. MS ***
The father of "Toronto 18" bomb plotter Shareef Abdelhaleem says he never issued a fatwa sanctioning terrorist acts in Canada, despite contradictory testimony from a star Crown witness at his son's trial.
Mohammed Tariq Abdelhaleem, speaking outside Brampton court today after testifying at an entrapment hearing, suggested police agent Shaher Elsohemy invented the fatwa angle because he held "a grudge against me and my son."
A self-described "thinker, not a terrorist," the elder Abdelhaleem, 62, used to teach Islamic education classes in Mississauga and worked as a nuclear engineer until his son's arrest. He has since retired.
During testimony at Shareef Abdelhaleem's trial, Mr. Elsohemy said the accused obtained a fatwa, or religious ruling, from his father saying an attack in Canada would be "acceptable."
Mr. Elsohemy told the judge that upon receiving the ruling, Shareef Abdelhaleem said "things are clear for him now... He has no doubts about [the plot's] Islamic correctness."
Mohammed Tariq Abdelhaleem denied the story today, saying his son was well aware of his opposition to terrorism and would have had no need to ask for a fatwa. He believes he, and not his son, was Mr. Elsohemy's ultimate target because of a personal disagreement between their families.
"He's punishing me in the shape of my son."
Shareef Abdelhaleem, 34, was found guilty last week of participating in a terrorist plot to detonate powerful truck bombs at the Toronto Stock Exchange, the CSIS regional office on Front Street and a military base between Toronto and Ottawa. The entrapment hearing is examining whether there was an abuse of police process in the case.
The father of "Toronto 18" bomb plotter Shareef Abdelhaleem says he never issued a fatwa sanctioning terrorist acts in Canada, despite contradictory testimony from a star Crown witness at his son's trial.
Mohammed Tariq Abdelhaleem, speaking outside Brampton court today after testifying at an entrapment hearing, suggested police agent Shaher Elsohemy invented the fatwa angle because he held "a grudge against me and my son."
A self-described "thinker, not a terrorist," the elder Abdelhaleem, 62, used to teach Islamic education classes in Mississauga and worked as a nuclear engineer until his son's arrest. He has since retired.
During testimony at Shareef Abdelhaleem's trial, Mr. Elsohemy said the accused obtained a fatwa, or religious ruling, from his father saying an attack in Canada would be "acceptable."
Mr. Elsohemy told the judge that upon receiving the ruling, Shareef Abdelhaleem said "things are clear for him now... He has no doubts about [the plot's] Islamic correctness."
Mohammed Tariq Abdelhaleem denied the story today, saying his son was well aware of his opposition to terrorism and would have had no need to ask for a fatwa. He believes he, and not his son, was Mr. Elsohemy's ultimate target because of a personal disagreement between their families.
"He's punishing me in the shape of my son."
Shareef Abdelhaleem, 34, was found guilty last week of participating in a terrorist plot to detonate powerful truck bombs at the Toronto Stock Exchange, the CSIS regional office on Front Street and a military base between Toronto and Ottawa. The entrapment hearing is examining whether there was an abuse of police process in the case.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
TORONTO 18 BOMB PLOT : THE COPS MADE ME DO IT
FROM: http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/756727--bomb-plotter-blames-police-in-toronto-18-case?bn=1
Toronto 18 bomb plotter Shareef Abdelhaleem testified in a Brampton court Wednesday that he was originally opposed to the explosives plot because he was against terrorism, but that an undercover police agent “was very excited” about the prospect and of making money from such an attack.
The 34-year-old, who is arguing he was entrapped by friend turned informant Shaher Elsohemy, said that when details of the bomb plot were laid out for them by Zakaria Amara, he was opposed to it.
“I reiterated basically why I think Zak was wrong and everything else, this and that. That was my part. Elsohemy seemed to be for it. He was very excited,” recalled Abdelhaleem about a discussion the trio had in early April 2006.
“He was excited in two ways: doing something meaningful, I guess, doing something for God, and the prospect that he wouldn’t have to drive a s---ty car anymore. ... We were talking about making money off the stock market, he was very excited about that.”
Abdelhaleem, who took the stand for the first time in open court, said he raised the issue of making money from a terrorist attack, pointing out to Elsohemy that some people made money after 9/11 but that the discussion “was quickly dismissed.”
He also admitted that he sought advice about how to play the stock market and hide money in an offshore account, but the idea “died out.”
Abdelhaleem told the court that he had talked about going for jihad in Afghanistan and wanted to receive in training in Pakistan. But he dismissed it as idle chatter and as something that many Muslims talk about.
He went on to explain that there is a distinction between jihad and terrorism.
“A jihadist has a certain rules of engagement with whoever he’s performing jihad against. Terrorism is a guy who is blind to all these rules, a guy who is pissed off and wiling to do anything. It’s not right.”
To this day, Abdelhaleem maintains he is against acts of terrorism, and said although prosecutors will have a “hard time” believing him, “you can’t do that, you just can’t do that.”
Throughout his testimony, the Mississauga man appeared restless, often touching his face and rubbing his beard. At points his voice grew louder and at other points he trailed off into inaudible mumbles.
Last week, Abdelhaleem was found guilty of participating in a 2006 explosives plot to bomb targets such as the Toronto Stock Exchange, the Toronto offices of Canada’s spy agency and a military base off Highway 401.
The verdict came days after Amara was sentenced to life for his role in the plot, which included building a remote controlled detonator and purchasing three tonnes of ammonium nitrate destined for truck bombs.
This week, defence lawyer William Naylor launched an entrapment hearing to determine whether police conduct in Abdelhaleem’s case constituted an abuse of process.
Abdelhaleem was among 18 people charged in the summer of 2006 with belonging to a homegrown terror cell, which organized terrorist training camps and planned to blow up buildings.
At the time of his arrest, court was told, he was a successful software developer whose last tax filings, in 2003 or 2004, showed an annual income of $375,000.
The money, said Abdelhaleem, was spent on “trips, clothes, everything else you know, drinking, drugs, women.”
Before his arrest, there had also been efforts to arrange a marriage between Abdelhaleem and one of the daughters of the infamous Khadr clan, known as Canada’s al Qaeda family.
“I called it off right away. ... I just wanted to stay out of trouble,” said Abdelhaleem, adding, “They’re very nice people from what I hear.”
The hearing is expected to last the week.
Toronto 18 bomb plotter Shareef Abdelhaleem testified in a Brampton court Wednesday that he was originally opposed to the explosives plot because he was against terrorism, but that an undercover police agent “was very excited” about the prospect and of making money from such an attack.
The 34-year-old, who is arguing he was entrapped by friend turned informant Shaher Elsohemy, said that when details of the bomb plot were laid out for them by Zakaria Amara, he was opposed to it.
“I reiterated basically why I think Zak was wrong and everything else, this and that. That was my part. Elsohemy seemed to be for it. He was very excited,” recalled Abdelhaleem about a discussion the trio had in early April 2006.
“He was excited in two ways: doing something meaningful, I guess, doing something for God, and the prospect that he wouldn’t have to drive a s---ty car anymore. ... We were talking about making money off the stock market, he was very excited about that.”
Abdelhaleem, who took the stand for the first time in open court, said he raised the issue of making money from a terrorist attack, pointing out to Elsohemy that some people made money after 9/11 but that the discussion “was quickly dismissed.”
He also admitted that he sought advice about how to play the stock market and hide money in an offshore account, but the idea “died out.”
Abdelhaleem told the court that he had talked about going for jihad in Afghanistan and wanted to receive in training in Pakistan. But he dismissed it as idle chatter and as something that many Muslims talk about.
He went on to explain that there is a distinction between jihad and terrorism.
“A jihadist has a certain rules of engagement with whoever he’s performing jihad against. Terrorism is a guy who is blind to all these rules, a guy who is pissed off and wiling to do anything. It’s not right.”
To this day, Abdelhaleem maintains he is against acts of terrorism, and said although prosecutors will have a “hard time” believing him, “you can’t do that, you just can’t do that.”
Throughout his testimony, the Mississauga man appeared restless, often touching his face and rubbing his beard. At points his voice grew louder and at other points he trailed off into inaudible mumbles.
Last week, Abdelhaleem was found guilty of participating in a 2006 explosives plot to bomb targets such as the Toronto Stock Exchange, the Toronto offices of Canada’s spy agency and a military base off Highway 401.
The verdict came days after Amara was sentenced to life for his role in the plot, which included building a remote controlled detonator and purchasing three tonnes of ammonium nitrate destined for truck bombs.
This week, defence lawyer William Naylor launched an entrapment hearing to determine whether police conduct in Abdelhaleem’s case constituted an abuse of process.
Abdelhaleem was among 18 people charged in the summer of 2006 with belonging to a homegrown terror cell, which organized terrorist training camps and planned to blow up buildings.
At the time of his arrest, court was told, he was a successful software developer whose last tax filings, in 2003 or 2004, showed an annual income of $375,000.
The money, said Abdelhaleem, was spent on “trips, clothes, everything else you know, drinking, drugs, women.”
Before his arrest, there had also been efforts to arrange a marriage between Abdelhaleem and one of the daughters of the infamous Khadr clan, known as Canada’s al Qaeda family.
“I called it off right away. ... I just wanted to stay out of trouble,” said Abdelhaleem, adding, “They’re very nice people from what I hear.”
The hearing is expected to last the week.
TORONTO 18 : SUSPECT MADE OVER $300, 000 AT WORK
FROM: http://toronto.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20100127/tor18_trial_100127/20100127/?hub=TorontoNewHome
Brampton, Ont. — A Toronto 18 member found guilty of terrorism offences told court Wednesday that terrorism is "BS," because it's not right to kill civilians to advance a political agenda.
Shareef Abdelhaleem, 34, dressed in a black collared shirt with the top few buttons undone and sleeves rolled up, took the stand at his trial and casually discussed his large salary, his cocaine use and his musings on terrorism.
Abdelhaleem was found guilty last week of participating in a terrorist group and intending to cause an explosion, but not convicted as the defence argues an entrapment motion.
His lawyer, William Naylor, asked Abdelhaleem to tell the court how he defines jihad versus terrorism.
While jihad is "armed conflict with armed men," terrorism is a "guy who is blind to all these rules -- a guy who is pissed off and willing to do anything," Abdelhaleem said. "It's not right."
Everyone knew his position on the subject, including Zakaria Amara, who one night in April laid out a plot to bomb three targets, Abdelhaleem said. Amara was sentenced to life this month for his role in the terror plot.
Abdelhaleen told the court that his position was to denounce "any act of violence toward a certain political means."
"This act of violence would have absolutely no rules, if civilians were all OK to get killed, they were collateral damage," he said.
"This is all BS."
Abdelhaleem said the Crown might doubt his position, but, "I still think... you can't do that. You just can't do that."
Shaher Elsohemy, a former friend of Abdelhaleem who became a police agent to infiltrate the Toronto 18, testified that after Amara laid out his plan to bomb the Toronto offices of CSIS, the Toronto Stock Exchange and an Ontario military base Abdelhaleem objected on moral grounds.
But, Elsohemy testified, Abdelhaleem then became excited at the prospect of profiting financially from an attack on the stock exchange.
However, Abdelhaleem told court Wednesday that it was Elsohemy who talked of monetary gain.
"He was excited in two ways: doing something meaningful, I guess, doing something for God, and the prospect that he wouldn't have to drive" an old, broken down car anymore, Abdelhaleem said.
"We were talking about making money off the stock market. He was very excited about that."
Abdelhaleem portrayed himself as being on the outside of discussions between Amara and Elsohemy about bombs and jihad before the night Amara revealed his plot.
It was "weird," Abdelhaleem said. "Who sits down and talks about fertilizer?"
Abdelhaleem testified he didn't even have any money at that time to invest in a scheme to profit from an attack on the stock market.
The software developer who drove a blue convertible BMW also told the court he was a "little behind" on his taxes because he "didn't like paying them," but the last year he filed them he made $357,000.
He mostly spent his money on vacations and clothing, as well as "drinking, drugs (and) women," Abdelhaleem said.
Abdelhaleem readily admitted he was high on cocaine one night when a security guard told him the windshield of his BMW had been broken. Abdelhaleem believed one of Elsohemy's brothers was responsible, and their ensuing arguments led to the breakdown of their friendship.
His anger over the incident was not about money, Abdelhaleem said, as the eventual cost of the repair -- $265 -- was less than one night's worth of cocaine.
"I was just upset," he said. "For no reason I've got to go stand in a line somewhere, sit in a waiting room and wait for the thing to get fixed (and) God knows if they have the sizes."
Brampton, Ont. — A Toronto 18 member found guilty of terrorism offences told court Wednesday that terrorism is "BS," because it's not right to kill civilians to advance a political agenda.
Shareef Abdelhaleem, 34, dressed in a black collared shirt with the top few buttons undone and sleeves rolled up, took the stand at his trial and casually discussed his large salary, his cocaine use and his musings on terrorism.
Abdelhaleem was found guilty last week of participating in a terrorist group and intending to cause an explosion, but not convicted as the defence argues an entrapment motion.
His lawyer, William Naylor, asked Abdelhaleem to tell the court how he defines jihad versus terrorism.
While jihad is "armed conflict with armed men," terrorism is a "guy who is blind to all these rules -- a guy who is pissed off and willing to do anything," Abdelhaleem said. "It's not right."
Everyone knew his position on the subject, including Zakaria Amara, who one night in April laid out a plot to bomb three targets, Abdelhaleem said. Amara was sentenced to life this month for his role in the terror plot.
Abdelhaleen told the court that his position was to denounce "any act of violence toward a certain political means."
"This act of violence would have absolutely no rules, if civilians were all OK to get killed, they were collateral damage," he said.
"This is all BS."
Abdelhaleem said the Crown might doubt his position, but, "I still think... you can't do that. You just can't do that."
Shaher Elsohemy, a former friend of Abdelhaleem who became a police agent to infiltrate the Toronto 18, testified that after Amara laid out his plan to bomb the Toronto offices of CSIS, the Toronto Stock Exchange and an Ontario military base Abdelhaleem objected on moral grounds.
But, Elsohemy testified, Abdelhaleem then became excited at the prospect of profiting financially from an attack on the stock exchange.
However, Abdelhaleem told court Wednesday that it was Elsohemy who talked of monetary gain.
"He was excited in two ways: doing something meaningful, I guess, doing something for God, and the prospect that he wouldn't have to drive" an old, broken down car anymore, Abdelhaleem said.
"We were talking about making money off the stock market. He was very excited about that."
Abdelhaleem portrayed himself as being on the outside of discussions between Amara and Elsohemy about bombs and jihad before the night Amara revealed his plot.
It was "weird," Abdelhaleem said. "Who sits down and talks about fertilizer?"
Abdelhaleem testified he didn't even have any money at that time to invest in a scheme to profit from an attack on the stock market.
The software developer who drove a blue convertible BMW also told the court he was a "little behind" on his taxes because he "didn't like paying them," but the last year he filed them he made $357,000.
He mostly spent his money on vacations and clothing, as well as "drinking, drugs (and) women," Abdelhaleem said.
Abdelhaleem readily admitted he was high on cocaine one night when a security guard told him the windshield of his BMW had been broken. Abdelhaleem believed one of Elsohemy's brothers was responsible, and their ensuing arguments led to the breakdown of their friendship.
His anger over the incident was not about money, Abdelhaleem said, as the eventual cost of the repair -- $265 -- was less than one night's worth of cocaine.
"I was just upset," he said. "For no reason I've got to go stand in a line somewhere, sit in a waiting room and wait for the thing to get fixed (and) God knows if they have the sizes."
CANADA'S SPIN ON HOMEGROWN TERRORISM
FROM: http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/canada/100126/homegrown-extremism
TORONTO, Canada — A man found guilty of Canada’s biggest terrorist conspiracy since the 9/11 attacks seems to have given new meaning to the term “homegrown” extremist.
Shareef Abdelhaleem was found guilty last week of being a key player in a plot for mass murder on the streets of downtown Toronto, Canada’s financial capital.
The twist comes from evidence that Abdelhaleem’s inspiration did not solely come from extremist interpretations of Islam. It also came, the court heard, from the practices of high-rolling Wall Street investors.
The plan was to blow up a truck packed with explosives in front of the Toronto Stock Exchange, another in front of the headquarters of Canada’s spy agency, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, and a third at a military base.
“The potential for loss of life existed on a scale never before seen in Canada,” Justice Bruce Durno said last week, while sentencing another of the accused ringleaders, Zakaria Amara, to life in prison.
The plot was stopped by Canada’s national police force, the RCMP, which paid two Muslim civilians to infiltrate the group of conspirators. The infiltrator who befriended Abdelhaleem received about $4 million for his work, which included a new home and identity under the witness protection program.
The infiltrator helped arrange a sting that saw the plotters buy a truckload of fake ammonium nitrate. Police arrested two of them in June 2006 as they unloaded the material, which, if it had been real, could have been used for a bomb. Sixteen others allegedly involved in the conspiracy were arrested minutes later.
The group became known as the Toronto 18. The infiltrator testified that Abdelhaleem, now 34, hoped the Al Qaeda leadership would eventually endorse the carnage as “an act of Al Qaeda in Canada.”
The plot came with a U.S. connection: In March 2005, two Georgia residents traveled to Canada to meet some of the Toronto 18 members. Ehsanul Islam Sadequee and Syed Haris Ahmed were convicted in American courts last summer of supporting terrorism in the U.S. and abroad.
In Toronto, four people were accused of being at the heart of the bomb plot — Abdelhaleem, Amara, Saad Gaya and Saad Khalid. All have been found guilty. Abdelhaleem, however, has not been convicted. His lawyer has introduced a motion to stay the case, which would see his client walk free, on the grounds of entrapment.
The others were accused of taking part in a jihad training camp in a wooden area north of Toronto, where they practiced shooting at targets with paintball guns and a handgun. Seven have had charges against them stayed or dropped, four face trials this spring, the rest were found guilty.
Fourteen of those arrested were young adults and four were under 18 years old. All were either born in Canada or spent most of their lives here. By any definition, they were homegrown. As an RCMP report recently noted, they communicated “in a sort of ‘hoser-gangsta’ patois,” and repeatedly proclaimed their love of Tim Horton’s doughnuts and the beauty of rural Ontario.
In many ways, they mirrored the profile of European or American jihadists. Some were marginalized or naive suburban youths influenced by extremist websites and angered by Western wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the plight of Palestinians.
Khalid, now 23, was shaken by personal trauma. When he was 16, he returned home from school to find his depressive mother dead, submerged in the bathtub. He turned to Islam for comfort, eventually hanging out with youths who held extremist views.
Amara, a Canadian citizen, was the lost, troubled type. Born to a Cypriot mother and a Jordanian father, he was baptized a Christian but turned to a fundamentalist brand of Islam while living in the Toronto bedroom community of Mississauga.
He married when he was 18 and became a father a year later. He dropped out of university to support his family and got a job pumping gas. His defense lawyer said he turned to extremism to get over the divorce of his parents and escape the drudgery of his life.
After pleading guilty last week, Amara apologized and read an “open letter to Canadians” in court: “I deserve nothing less than your complete contempt.”
The twist in the homegrown profile comes from Abdelhaleem. At the time of his arrest, he was a computer engineer with a six-figure salary driving a BMW. That in itself isn’t unusual: Some extremists have come from affluent backgrounds.
Also typical was evidence that he wanted change through violence; namely, getting the Canadian government to pull its troops out of Afghanistan. What made him different is evidence that he wanted to profit financially from the bombings.
The police agent who befriended him testified that Abdelhaleem said he wanted to attack the Toronto Stock Exchange, cause markets to plunge and make money by selling stocks “short.”
This is the Wall Street alchemy where investors profit by betting that stock prices will decline. Abdelhaleem, the agent testified, wanted to use the money to fund future terror attacks in New York and Chicago.
There were suspicions that “short-selling” occurred with airline stock prior to the 9/11 attacks. The Security Exchange Commission investigated but found no evidence.
Short-sellers on Wall Street were widely criticized for making a fortune by betting on the recent market collapse, helping to bring down Bear Sterns and Lehman Brothers, and precipitating the latest recession.
Some might argue that when it comes to economic sabotage, Abdelhaleem learned from the real professionals. If so, he’s as homegrown as they come.
TORONTO, Canada — A man found guilty of Canada’s biggest terrorist conspiracy since the 9/11 attacks seems to have given new meaning to the term “homegrown” extremist.
Shareef Abdelhaleem was found guilty last week of being a key player in a plot for mass murder on the streets of downtown Toronto, Canada’s financial capital.
The twist comes from evidence that Abdelhaleem’s inspiration did not solely come from extremist interpretations of Islam. It also came, the court heard, from the practices of high-rolling Wall Street investors.
The plan was to blow up a truck packed with explosives in front of the Toronto Stock Exchange, another in front of the headquarters of Canada’s spy agency, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, and a third at a military base.
“The potential for loss of life existed on a scale never before seen in Canada,” Justice Bruce Durno said last week, while sentencing another of the accused ringleaders, Zakaria Amara, to life in prison.
The plot was stopped by Canada’s national police force, the RCMP, which paid two Muslim civilians to infiltrate the group of conspirators. The infiltrator who befriended Abdelhaleem received about $4 million for his work, which included a new home and identity under the witness protection program.
The infiltrator helped arrange a sting that saw the plotters buy a truckload of fake ammonium nitrate. Police arrested two of them in June 2006 as they unloaded the material, which, if it had been real, could have been used for a bomb. Sixteen others allegedly involved in the conspiracy were arrested minutes later.
The group became known as the Toronto 18. The infiltrator testified that Abdelhaleem, now 34, hoped the Al Qaeda leadership would eventually endorse the carnage as “an act of Al Qaeda in Canada.”
The plot came with a U.S. connection: In March 2005, two Georgia residents traveled to Canada to meet some of the Toronto 18 members. Ehsanul Islam Sadequee and Syed Haris Ahmed were convicted in American courts last summer of supporting terrorism in the U.S. and abroad.
In Toronto, four people were accused of being at the heart of the bomb plot — Abdelhaleem, Amara, Saad Gaya and Saad Khalid. All have been found guilty. Abdelhaleem, however, has not been convicted. His lawyer has introduced a motion to stay the case, which would see his client walk free, on the grounds of entrapment.
The others were accused of taking part in a jihad training camp in a wooden area north of Toronto, where they practiced shooting at targets with paintball guns and a handgun. Seven have had charges against them stayed or dropped, four face trials this spring, the rest were found guilty.
Fourteen of those arrested were young adults and four were under 18 years old. All were either born in Canada or spent most of their lives here. By any definition, they were homegrown. As an RCMP report recently noted, they communicated “in a sort of ‘hoser-gangsta’ patois,” and repeatedly proclaimed their love of Tim Horton’s doughnuts and the beauty of rural Ontario.
In many ways, they mirrored the profile of European or American jihadists. Some were marginalized or naive suburban youths influenced by extremist websites and angered by Western wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the plight of Palestinians.
Khalid, now 23, was shaken by personal trauma. When he was 16, he returned home from school to find his depressive mother dead, submerged in the bathtub. He turned to Islam for comfort, eventually hanging out with youths who held extremist views.
Amara, a Canadian citizen, was the lost, troubled type. Born to a Cypriot mother and a Jordanian father, he was baptized a Christian but turned to a fundamentalist brand of Islam while living in the Toronto bedroom community of Mississauga.
He married when he was 18 and became a father a year later. He dropped out of university to support his family and got a job pumping gas. His defense lawyer said he turned to extremism to get over the divorce of his parents and escape the drudgery of his life.
After pleading guilty last week, Amara apologized and read an “open letter to Canadians” in court: “I deserve nothing less than your complete contempt.”
The twist in the homegrown profile comes from Abdelhaleem. At the time of his arrest, he was a computer engineer with a six-figure salary driving a BMW. That in itself isn’t unusual: Some extremists have come from affluent backgrounds.
Also typical was evidence that he wanted change through violence; namely, getting the Canadian government to pull its troops out of Afghanistan. What made him different is evidence that he wanted to profit financially from the bombings.
The police agent who befriended him testified that Abdelhaleem said he wanted to attack the Toronto Stock Exchange, cause markets to plunge and make money by selling stocks “short.”
This is the Wall Street alchemy where investors profit by betting that stock prices will decline. Abdelhaleem, the agent testified, wanted to use the money to fund future terror attacks in New York and Chicago.
There were suspicions that “short-selling” occurred with airline stock prior to the 9/11 attacks. The Security Exchange Commission investigated but found no evidence.
Short-sellers on Wall Street were widely criticized for making a fortune by betting on the recent market collapse, helping to bring down Bear Sterns and Lehman Brothers, and precipitating the latest recession.
Some might argue that when it comes to economic sabotage, Abdelhaleem learned from the real professionals. If so, he’s as homegrown as they come.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
TORONTO 18 BOMB PLOT : ENTRAPMENT HEARINGS
FROM: http://toronto.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20100126/tor18_trial_100126/20100126/?hub=TorontoNewHome
TORONTO — Toronto 18 member found guilty in plot to bomb Canadian targets was used by police as a conduit to reach one of the homegrown terror group's leaders, his lawyer suggested Tuesday.
Shareef Abdelhaleem was often "just a body sitting there" during meetings with ringleader Zakaria Amara and a RCMP agent, said lawyer William Naylor, who has brought a motion to stay the case, arguing his client was entrapped.
Abdelhaleem was more or less a "pathway to find out what Amara was doing," Naylor told the court while cross-examining a RCMP officer who handled the police informant.
The informant, Shaher Elsohemy, was a former friend of Abdelhaleem, and Naylor suggested Elsohemy was instructed to get Abdelhaleem and Amara to meet to try to get information about the plot.
"I guess you felt because of their friendship that he'd tell everything he knew to Elsohemy," Naylor said.
The RCMP officer testified that Abdelhaleem discussed the plot at length with Amara and was privy to many of its details, and that was the reason Elsohemy was sent to him.
"Your client was the point of contact and he was involved in the conspiracy," the officer said.
Abdelhaleem was found guilty last week of plotting to bomb financial, intelligence and military targets, but the judge did not enter a conviction pending the outcome of the entrapment motion.
On Tuesday, Naylor questioned why Elsohemy was often instructed to contact Abdelhaleem and not simply asked to speak with Amara directly. He also suggested his client was only included in a plan to acquire and deliver the chemicals needed to make bombs because of Elsohemy's involvement in what was essentially, he said, a police-engineered situation.
"Abdelhaleem wasn't looking for any chemicals before he came in contact with Elsohemy," Naylor said.
But the officer repeatedly shot down his suggestions, insisting Abdelhaleem was a clear participant in the plot.
The RCMP-controlled delivery of the chemicals, the officer said, was "just one final investigative step."
Abdelhaleem and 17 others were arrested and charged with terrorism offences in 2006 and came to be known as the Toronto 18. The group plotted to detonate three one-tonne truck bombs at the Toronto offices of CSIS, the Toronto Stock Exchange and an unspecified Ontario military base.
Court began hearing evidence on the entrapment motion Monday with testimony from Elsohemy's handler at CSIS. Elsohemy had been in contact with CSIS for several months about Abdelhaleem as well as Amara -- who was sentenced to life in the plot -- before becoming an RCMP agent given a compensation package worth up to nearly $4 million.
The CSIS contact testified that Elsohemy's decision to give information about Abdelhaleem to the spy agency was in part motivated by the desire to do "exciting and meaningful work," but noted he also had a fractured relationship with Abdelhaleem.
The court has also heard that Abdelhaleem initially balked at the plan after hearing Amara lay it out, saying it was not correct under Islam. But he became excited at the prospect of profiting from an attack on the stock exchange and also sought the advice of his father, Tariq Abdelhaleem.
His father issued a fatwa, or religious ruling, that such action would be acceptable, placating Abdelhaleem's moral objections, Elsohemy testified.
TORONTO — Toronto 18 member found guilty in plot to bomb Canadian targets was used by police as a conduit to reach one of the homegrown terror group's leaders, his lawyer suggested Tuesday.
Shareef Abdelhaleem was often "just a body sitting there" during meetings with ringleader Zakaria Amara and a RCMP agent, said lawyer William Naylor, who has brought a motion to stay the case, arguing his client was entrapped.
Abdelhaleem was more or less a "pathway to find out what Amara was doing," Naylor told the court while cross-examining a RCMP officer who handled the police informant.
The informant, Shaher Elsohemy, was a former friend of Abdelhaleem, and Naylor suggested Elsohemy was instructed to get Abdelhaleem and Amara to meet to try to get information about the plot.
"I guess you felt because of their friendship that he'd tell everything he knew to Elsohemy," Naylor said.
The RCMP officer testified that Abdelhaleem discussed the plot at length with Amara and was privy to many of its details, and that was the reason Elsohemy was sent to him.
"Your client was the point of contact and he was involved in the conspiracy," the officer said.
Abdelhaleem was found guilty last week of plotting to bomb financial, intelligence and military targets, but the judge did not enter a conviction pending the outcome of the entrapment motion.
On Tuesday, Naylor questioned why Elsohemy was often instructed to contact Abdelhaleem and not simply asked to speak with Amara directly. He also suggested his client was only included in a plan to acquire and deliver the chemicals needed to make bombs because of Elsohemy's involvement in what was essentially, he said, a police-engineered situation.
"Abdelhaleem wasn't looking for any chemicals before he came in contact with Elsohemy," Naylor said.
But the officer repeatedly shot down his suggestions, insisting Abdelhaleem was a clear participant in the plot.
The RCMP-controlled delivery of the chemicals, the officer said, was "just one final investigative step."
Abdelhaleem and 17 others were arrested and charged with terrorism offences in 2006 and came to be known as the Toronto 18. The group plotted to detonate three one-tonne truck bombs at the Toronto offices of CSIS, the Toronto Stock Exchange and an unspecified Ontario military base.
Court began hearing evidence on the entrapment motion Monday with testimony from Elsohemy's handler at CSIS. Elsohemy had been in contact with CSIS for several months about Abdelhaleem as well as Amara -- who was sentenced to life in the plot -- before becoming an RCMP agent given a compensation package worth up to nearly $4 million.
The CSIS contact testified that Elsohemy's decision to give information about Abdelhaleem to the spy agency was in part motivated by the desire to do "exciting and meaningful work," but noted he also had a fractured relationship with Abdelhaleem.
The court has also heard that Abdelhaleem initially balked at the plan after hearing Amara lay it out, saying it was not correct under Islam. But he became excited at the prospect of profiting from an attack on the stock exchange and also sought the advice of his father, Tariq Abdelhaleem.
His father issued a fatwa, or religious ruling, that such action would be acceptable, placating Abdelhaleem's moral objections, Elsohemy testified.
Friday, January 15, 2010
MONEY NOT A MOTIVATION FOR RCMP AGENT
*** Hey simple question for the naysayers and complainers: are you willing to go undercover as an agent for your country's police service in a massive investigation like this, with a real plot by (some) people with real know-how, risk it all, give it all up, cut off friends and family FOR FREE?
I didn't think so.
Canada spent over $100 million in the Air India inquiry and no one was prosecuted properly for it yet hundreds of Canadians died. 4 mil is a drop in the bucket. MS ***
FROM: http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=2446374
The moral imperative, and not an expectation of compensation, motivated Shaher Elsohemy to go undercover as a police agent to infiltrate the now-notorious "Toronto 18" terrorism plot, a court heard on Friday.
"The money did not play any role in my motivation," Mr. Elsohemy, the Crown's star witness, told a Brampton Superior Court judge. Though he would ultimately receive a $4-million witness protection package after helping police foil the 2006 bomb plot, Mr. Elsohemy said he was driven by his "responsibility as a Canadian citizen, and nothing but that."
Financial compensation was not discussed until mid-April, Mr. Elsohemy testified, several days after he had already unravelled for police the full Toronto 18 plot, which involved detonating powerful explosives at the Toronto Stock Exchange, a downtown CSIS facility and a military base between Toronto and Ottawa.
Mr. Elsohemy gained inside access to the terrorism plot with promises of obtaining bomb-making chemicals, including three tonnes of ammonium nitrate.
He has been testifying all week at the trial of Shareef Abdelhaleem, who is charged with playing a key role in the Toronto 18 scheme.
The court heard that right up until his arrest on June 2, 2006, Mr. Abdelhaleem was unwittingly arranging illicit dealings involving several undercover police agents: Mr. Elsohemy, an officer posing as the landlord of a warehouse the group rented to store chemicals, and a third officer who drove a truck purportedly filled with nitric acid and ammonium nitrate to that warehouse.
Right up until the moment the plot fell apart, Mr. Elsohemy testified, Mr. Abdelhaleem was finetuning a myriad of small details to ensure the chemical delivery went off without a hitch. He developed a code for communicating with two accomplices manning the Newmarket warehouse -- who were to wear shirts emblazoned with the logo "student farmers" to alleviate suspicion over the large chemical shipment -- and discussed how they pair should adapt their behaviour, the court heard.
"They will dress as we told them to, and they will shave and smoke cigarettes in front of the [chemical truck] driver," he allegedly told Mr. Elsohemy.
The accused suggested coating the warehouse doors with a layer of wax so the group could determine whether there had been any unauthorized entry, the judge heard.
Mr. Abdelhaleem also requested that once the delivery was complete, Mr. Elsohemy should bring him a small sample of the chemicals for a "trial explosion," the witness testified.
After the shipment on June 2, 2006, Mr. Elsohemy says he talked to Mr. Abdelhaleem on the phone and relayed the message, "thank God," meant to indicate a successful delivery.
"That was the last time I spoke to Mr. Abdelhaleem," Mr. Elsohemy testified. The arrests followed swiftly afterward.
Defence lawyer William Naylor is scheduled to begin his cross-examination this afternoon.
I didn't think so.
Canada spent over $100 million in the Air India inquiry and no one was prosecuted properly for it yet hundreds of Canadians died. 4 mil is a drop in the bucket. MS ***
FROM: http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=2446374
The moral imperative, and not an expectation of compensation, motivated Shaher Elsohemy to go undercover as a police agent to infiltrate the now-notorious "Toronto 18" terrorism plot, a court heard on Friday.
"The money did not play any role in my motivation," Mr. Elsohemy, the Crown's star witness, told a Brampton Superior Court judge. Though he would ultimately receive a $4-million witness protection package after helping police foil the 2006 bomb plot, Mr. Elsohemy said he was driven by his "responsibility as a Canadian citizen, and nothing but that."
Financial compensation was not discussed until mid-April, Mr. Elsohemy testified, several days after he had already unravelled for police the full Toronto 18 plot, which involved detonating powerful explosives at the Toronto Stock Exchange, a downtown CSIS facility and a military base between Toronto and Ottawa.
Mr. Elsohemy gained inside access to the terrorism plot with promises of obtaining bomb-making chemicals, including three tonnes of ammonium nitrate.
He has been testifying all week at the trial of Shareef Abdelhaleem, who is charged with playing a key role in the Toronto 18 scheme.
The court heard that right up until his arrest on June 2, 2006, Mr. Abdelhaleem was unwittingly arranging illicit dealings involving several undercover police agents: Mr. Elsohemy, an officer posing as the landlord of a warehouse the group rented to store chemicals, and a third officer who drove a truck purportedly filled with nitric acid and ammonium nitrate to that warehouse.
Right up until the moment the plot fell apart, Mr. Elsohemy testified, Mr. Abdelhaleem was finetuning a myriad of small details to ensure the chemical delivery went off without a hitch. He developed a code for communicating with two accomplices manning the Newmarket warehouse -- who were to wear shirts emblazoned with the logo "student farmers" to alleviate suspicion over the large chemical shipment -- and discussed how they pair should adapt their behaviour, the court heard.
"They will dress as we told them to, and they will shave and smoke cigarettes in front of the [chemical truck] driver," he allegedly told Mr. Elsohemy.
The accused suggested coating the warehouse doors with a layer of wax so the group could determine whether there had been any unauthorized entry, the judge heard.
Mr. Abdelhaleem also requested that once the delivery was complete, Mr. Elsohemy should bring him a small sample of the chemicals for a "trial explosion," the witness testified.
After the shipment on June 2, 2006, Mr. Elsohemy says he talked to Mr. Abdelhaleem on the phone and relayed the message, "thank God," meant to indicate a successful delivery.
"That was the last time I spoke to Mr. Abdelhaleem," Mr. Elsohemy testified. The arrests followed swiftly afterward.
Defence lawyer William Naylor is scheduled to begin his cross-examination this afternoon.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
TORONTO BOMB ATTACK WOULD SCREW HARPER
FROM: http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5jHHt-2v3PNh8EgLa9nUEDCGt7Brg
BRAMPTON, Ont. — A Brampton, Ont., court is hearing about the intricate plans of an accused Toronto 18 member who said a terror attack would shut down Canada, leaving blood, glass and debris everywhere.
Shareef Abdelhaleem, 34, has pleaded not guilty to participating in a terror group and intending to cause an explosion.
He and 17 others were charged in an alleged plot to bomb targets around Ontario in 2006.
A former friend turned informant is testifying in court today that Abdelhaleem said an attack would be the battle of Toronto as explosions detonated outside the Toronto Stock Exchange.
Shaher Elsohemy said the bomb would have been strong enough to blow up three city blocks.
Elsohemy spoke about meetings that took place in local coffee shops and restaurants, and testified that Abdelhaleem described the terror attack as "the perfect crime."
"Then he goes on to say this plot will screw Stephen Harper, the government and the military," Elsohemy told the court.
Abdelhaleem had considered being out of the country at his sister's place when the attacks happened.
Elsohemy testified that by being out of the country during that time, Abdelhaleem thought he would be assisting with the attack but not performing the attack.
"If he did not drive the truck he was not a performer," said Elsohemy, describing how Abdelhaleem predicted he would end up in prison in Kingston, Ont., for about ten years.
"He also said Kingston would be full of black Muslims and these guys would consider him (their) leader," said Elsohemy.
Elsohemy said Abdelhaleem thought he would come out of prison at 40 and still be able to have a family.
Copyright © 2010 The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
BRAMPTON, Ont. — A Brampton, Ont., court is hearing about the intricate plans of an accused Toronto 18 member who said a terror attack would shut down Canada, leaving blood, glass and debris everywhere.
Shareef Abdelhaleem, 34, has pleaded not guilty to participating in a terror group and intending to cause an explosion.
He and 17 others were charged in an alleged plot to bomb targets around Ontario in 2006.
A former friend turned informant is testifying in court today that Abdelhaleem said an attack would be the battle of Toronto as explosions detonated outside the Toronto Stock Exchange.
Shaher Elsohemy said the bomb would have been strong enough to blow up three city blocks.
Elsohemy spoke about meetings that took place in local coffee shops and restaurants, and testified that Abdelhaleem described the terror attack as "the perfect crime."
"Then he goes on to say this plot will screw Stephen Harper, the government and the military," Elsohemy told the court.
Abdelhaleem had considered being out of the country at his sister's place when the attacks happened.
Elsohemy testified that by being out of the country during that time, Abdelhaleem thought he would be assisting with the attack but not performing the attack.
"If he did not drive the truck he was not a performer," said Elsohemy, describing how Abdelhaleem predicted he would end up in prison in Kingston, Ont., for about ten years.
"He also said Kingston would be full of black Muslims and these guys would consider him (their) leader," said Elsohemy.
Elsohemy said Abdelhaleem thought he would come out of prison at 40 and still be able to have a family.
Copyright © 2010 The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
Monday, January 11, 2010
AGENT # 2 IN TORONTO BOMB PLOT PAID $4 MILLION
*** The headlines are misleading: $4 million refers to RELOCATION & OTHER COSTS not the amount of money paid out to him. MS ***
FROM: http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/749191--undercover-agent-paid-4-1m-to-infiltrate-toronto-18-court-told?bn=1
A police agent who was paid $4.1 million to infiltrate an alleged terror group today testified for the first time on the opening day of the trial for Shareef Abdelhaleem, a member of the so-called Toronto 18.
Abdelhaleem, 34, is alleged to have used his friend, undercover police agent Shaher Elsohemy, to set up the purchase of three tones of ammonium nitrate fertilizer, destined for truck bombs targeting sites in downtown Toronto.
This morning, Elsohemy, currently in witness protection, told a Brampton court that he had developed a "strong" friendship with Abdelhaleem and frequented an Islamic school in Mississauga run by the accused's father. Their relationship was such that the two vacationed together, taking a trip to Morocco in 2005.
The Crown's star witness in this case has yet to testify about details involving the purchase of the ammonium nitrate, but Abdelhaleem's lawyer, William Naylor, has said he believes his client was entrapped and paid handsomely for it.
"A $4.1 million payoff is pretty steep...It's unprecedented in Canada," Naylor later told reporters, adding that's one of the problems with the case against his client. He went on to suggest that Elsohemy was more concerned with getting money than searching for the truth.
Naylor described his client as "relatively unIslamic," who doesn't fit the typical profile of a terror suspect. Before his arrest in the summer of 2006, Abdelhaleem was a well-educated engineer programmer earning six figures and driving around in a BMW convertible.
In court documents, the Crown alleges Abdelhaleem wanted to profit from the bomb plot by buying up stocks right before what he dubbed would be the "Battle of Toronto." The intended targets included the Toronto Stock Exchange, the Front Street offices of Canada's spy agency and a military base off of Hwy 401.
Abdelhaleem is the first adult linked to the Toronto 18 to stand trial. The Mississauga man, who will testify in his own defence, is charged with participating in a terrorist group and intending to cause an explosion. He pleaded not guilty to both counts.
Of the 18 people who were charged, four have pleaded guilty, a youth was convicted and seven had their charges stayed. Five remaining accused are scheduled to begin their trial in late March.
Abdelhaleem has elected to be tried by a judge alone and not a jury. He has been in custody since his June 2006 arrest.
*** Please note that the other 3 major players in this plot have all plead guilty. MS ***
FROM: http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/749191--undercover-agent-paid-4-1m-to-infiltrate-toronto-18-court-told?bn=1
A police agent who was paid $4.1 million to infiltrate an alleged terror group today testified for the first time on the opening day of the trial for Shareef Abdelhaleem, a member of the so-called Toronto 18.
Abdelhaleem, 34, is alleged to have used his friend, undercover police agent Shaher Elsohemy, to set up the purchase of three tones of ammonium nitrate fertilizer, destined for truck bombs targeting sites in downtown Toronto.
This morning, Elsohemy, currently in witness protection, told a Brampton court that he had developed a "strong" friendship with Abdelhaleem and frequented an Islamic school in Mississauga run by the accused's father. Their relationship was such that the two vacationed together, taking a trip to Morocco in 2005.
The Crown's star witness in this case has yet to testify about details involving the purchase of the ammonium nitrate, but Abdelhaleem's lawyer, William Naylor, has said he believes his client was entrapped and paid handsomely for it.
"A $4.1 million payoff is pretty steep...It's unprecedented in Canada," Naylor later told reporters, adding that's one of the problems with the case against his client. He went on to suggest that Elsohemy was more concerned with getting money than searching for the truth.
Naylor described his client as "relatively unIslamic," who doesn't fit the typical profile of a terror suspect. Before his arrest in the summer of 2006, Abdelhaleem was a well-educated engineer programmer earning six figures and driving around in a BMW convertible.
In court documents, the Crown alleges Abdelhaleem wanted to profit from the bomb plot by buying up stocks right before what he dubbed would be the "Battle of Toronto." The intended targets included the Toronto Stock Exchange, the Front Street offices of Canada's spy agency and a military base off of Hwy 401.
Abdelhaleem is the first adult linked to the Toronto 18 to stand trial. The Mississauga man, who will testify in his own defence, is charged with participating in a terrorist group and intending to cause an explosion. He pleaded not guilty to both counts.
Of the 18 people who were charged, four have pleaded guilty, a youth was convicted and seven had their charges stayed. Five remaining accused are scheduled to begin their trial in late March.
Abdelhaleem has elected to be tried by a judge alone and not a jury. He has been in custody since his June 2006 arrest.
*** Please note that the other 3 major players in this plot have all plead guilty. MS ***
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
SIX REMAINING ACCUSED TO FACE TRIAL IN TORONTO 18
FROM: http://www.cp24.com/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20091229/091229_terror_trial/20091229/?hub=CP24Home
Remaining six alleged Toronto 18 members face trials in 2010 on terror charges
TORONTO — The case of Canada's notorious homegrown terror plot enters a significant phase in 2010 with the trials upcoming for the final six alleged members, accused of attending a training camp and plotting to bomb various targets.
The prosecution of the so-called Toronto 18 seemed on shaky ground at the start of this year, with seven people no longer facing charges and one conviction of a youth characterized as a peripheral member.
"Some people, I think on the basis of that set of events, leapt to the conclusion that maybe the government's case was falling apart, maybe there wasn't a serious plot here at all," said security and intelligence expert Wesley Wark.
But then came four surprise guilty pleas in fairly quick succession, with each of the young men admitting to roles in the plot to detonate bombs outside the Toronto Stock Exchange and CSIS headquarters, as well as an unnamed Ontario military base in 2006.
What Wark found unexpected was not that some of the 18 people arrested would plead or eventually be found guilty, but the facts that they admitted to in court.
"The thing that did surprise me was simply some of the details that emerged about the seriousness about the plot itself and the seeming capabilities of some of the key individuals involved," said the professor at the Munk Centre for International Studies at the University of Toronto.
Video evidence made public in October shows the dancing wires of a cellphone bomb detonator on a tape made by Zakaria Amara, 24, a leader of the plot who pleaded guilty.
The RCMP also made a video demonstrating the massive destructive power of what kind of damage a truck bomb using one tonne of ammonium nitrate could do. Saad Gaya, 22, and Saad Khalid, 23, who have pleaded guilty, were arrested unloading bags labelled "ammonium nitrate" from a truck driven by an undercover police officer.
Court heard Amara planned to rent U-Haul trucks, pack them with explosives and detonate them via remote control in downtown Toronto. Amara also planned to put metal chips in bombs to exact more casualties in what they called the "Battle of Toronto."
The goal of the planned destruction and carnage was to pressure Canada to withdraw troops from Afghanistan, Gaya told police in his post-arrest interview.
The judge in the youth's case, in handing down his ruling, said there clearly was a homegrown Islamic terrorist cell bent on wreaking havoc and bloodshed in Canada.
The Crown has alleged some of the men held a terrorism training camp north of Toronto and that others were involved in the bomb plot.
One of the remaining men is expected to have his trial by judge in January, while the other five men's case is expected to be put in front of a jury starting in March.
The guilty pleas and the outcome of the first man's trial will have absolutely no bearing on the last five men's case, said lawyer William Naylor, who represents the man who will stand trial in January.
"The people that are going to get tried, their case has nothing to do with the people who pleaded guilty," Naylor said.
"The outcome of Mr. Gaya, Mr. Khalid, Mr. Amara and my client has nothing whatsoever to do with the remaining accused."
The fact that those five men have elected trial by jury is breaking new ground. This is the first time an Anti-Terrorism Act case will be tried by a jury, Wark said.
"This will be something new, to see how juries are selected, how juries respond to the evidence, what the outcome of jury trials might be when it comes to terrorism offences," he said.
How those found guilty of such offences are sentenced and what credit is given for time already served should also become clearer in 2010.
The youth walked free after being sentenced to 2 1/2 years due to time served. Khalid was sentenced to 14 years, with seven years' credit for time served, though the government is appealing the sentence.
Ali Dirie, 26, was sentenced to seven years, with five years' credit for time served. Gaya and Amara are expected to be sentenced in January. No one has yet been sentenced to life in prison, the maximum sentence under the anti-terror law.
All of the six men awaiting trial have been in custody since their arrests in June 2006, except for one, who was granted bail in August.
Remaining six alleged Toronto 18 members face trials in 2010 on terror charges
TORONTO — The case of Canada's notorious homegrown terror plot enters a significant phase in 2010 with the trials upcoming for the final six alleged members, accused of attending a training camp and plotting to bomb various targets.
The prosecution of the so-called Toronto 18 seemed on shaky ground at the start of this year, with seven people no longer facing charges and one conviction of a youth characterized as a peripheral member.
"Some people, I think on the basis of that set of events, leapt to the conclusion that maybe the government's case was falling apart, maybe there wasn't a serious plot here at all," said security and intelligence expert Wesley Wark.
But then came four surprise guilty pleas in fairly quick succession, with each of the young men admitting to roles in the plot to detonate bombs outside the Toronto Stock Exchange and CSIS headquarters, as well as an unnamed Ontario military base in 2006.
What Wark found unexpected was not that some of the 18 people arrested would plead or eventually be found guilty, but the facts that they admitted to in court.
"The thing that did surprise me was simply some of the details that emerged about the seriousness about the plot itself and the seeming capabilities of some of the key individuals involved," said the professor at the Munk Centre for International Studies at the University of Toronto.
Video evidence made public in October shows the dancing wires of a cellphone bomb detonator on a tape made by Zakaria Amara, 24, a leader of the plot who pleaded guilty.
The RCMP also made a video demonstrating the massive destructive power of what kind of damage a truck bomb using one tonne of ammonium nitrate could do. Saad Gaya, 22, and Saad Khalid, 23, who have pleaded guilty, were arrested unloading bags labelled "ammonium nitrate" from a truck driven by an undercover police officer.
Court heard Amara planned to rent U-Haul trucks, pack them with explosives and detonate them via remote control in downtown Toronto. Amara also planned to put metal chips in bombs to exact more casualties in what they called the "Battle of Toronto."
The goal of the planned destruction and carnage was to pressure Canada to withdraw troops from Afghanistan, Gaya told police in his post-arrest interview.
The judge in the youth's case, in handing down his ruling, said there clearly was a homegrown Islamic terrorist cell bent on wreaking havoc and bloodshed in Canada.
The Crown has alleged some of the men held a terrorism training camp north of Toronto and that others were involved in the bomb plot.
One of the remaining men is expected to have his trial by judge in January, while the other five men's case is expected to be put in front of a jury starting in March.
The guilty pleas and the outcome of the first man's trial will have absolutely no bearing on the last five men's case, said lawyer William Naylor, who represents the man who will stand trial in January.
"The people that are going to get tried, their case has nothing to do with the people who pleaded guilty," Naylor said.
"The outcome of Mr. Gaya, Mr. Khalid, Mr. Amara and my client has nothing whatsoever to do with the remaining accused."
The fact that those five men have elected trial by jury is breaking new ground. This is the first time an Anti-Terrorism Act case will be tried by a jury, Wark said.
"This will be something new, to see how juries are selected, how juries respond to the evidence, what the outcome of jury trials might be when it comes to terrorism offences," he said.
How those found guilty of such offences are sentenced and what credit is given for time already served should also become clearer in 2010.
The youth walked free after being sentenced to 2 1/2 years due to time served. Khalid was sentenced to 14 years, with seven years' credit for time served, though the government is appealing the sentence.
Ali Dirie, 26, was sentenced to seven years, with five years' credit for time served. Gaya and Amara are expected to be sentenced in January. No one has yet been sentenced to life in prison, the maximum sentence under the anti-terror law.
All of the six men awaiting trial have been in custody since their arrests in June 2006, except for one, who was granted bail in August.
Friday, December 25, 2009
SAAD GAYA ASKS FOR LENIENCY
*** Saad Gaya received 12 years with 7 1/2 years credit for pre-trial custody leaving him with 4 1/2 years. MS ***
Former Mac student accused in terror trial apologizes, asks for leniency
December 23, 2009
Isabel Teotonio
Toronto Star
BRAMPTON, Ont. — An Oakville man who confessed to being part of a homegrown terror cell that was plotting to blow up truck bombs in Toronto apologized to a Brampton court on Wednesday for his “shameful crime.”
Addressing the court at the end of his sentencing hearing, Saad Gaya said he was “extremely grateful” the scheme “did not progress any further” and asked for leniency.
“Some people believe that I must have been driven by a dark ideology of hatred, nihilism and destruction,” said the member of the so-called Toronto 18, requesting people not brand him a “terrorist.”
He said he was “politically naive” and believed the group’s actions would result in Canada withdrawing troops from Afghanistan.
Gaya, 22, said he didn’t know the intended targets were the Toronto Stock Exchange and the downtown offices of Canada’s spy agency.
He said he initially thought a police station was the target, but was later told it was a military base around the Greater Toronto Area, adding he believed no one would be hurt.
Gaya is among 18 people charged in 2006. He was arrested while unloading a delivery truck filled with three tonnes of bags marked ammonium nitrate fertilizer.
The plot involved using three times more ammonium nitrate than was used in the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing that killed 168 people.
Gaya has pleaded guilty to belonging to a terrorist group and intending to cause an explosion that would likely cause serious bodily harm.
The Crown is seeking a sentence of up to 18 years. The prosecution has argued Gaya was a willing participant and should have known a plot involving three tonnes of explosives would have caused serious harm or death — and if not, he was willfully blind.
But the defence argued Gaya was duped and didn’t know the plan was to unleash a series of explosives deadlier than the London subway bombings of 2005.
If the judge rules there was intent to kill, the defence suggested a sentence in the range of 9 to 15 years. If there was no intent, an appropriate sentence would be five to eight years, says the defence.
According to a psychiatric report by Drs. Steven Cohen and Lisa Ramshaw, Gaya’s motivation for joining the group “did not flow from antisociality, impulsivity or psychopathy.
It stemmed from “his religious beliefs, his sympathy toward the suffering ”limbs“ of the Muslim nation and in his perceived sense of duty to stand up to the Canadian government toward change in foreign policy.”
While there is no evidence the former McMaster University science student poses a significant risk to himself or others in the short-term, the doctors noted that based on his past behaviour “risk over the long-term period cannot ruled out.”
*** Did not know whether it was a police station or military base but thinks no one would have been killed? And this is the same guy who got 90's in class then a scholarship to MacMaster in Engineering and yet, did not think anyone would die in a 1-ton bomb explosion. Riiiiiight. ***
Try this version from the Toronto Sun:
Terrorist pleads for leniency
'Irrational decision' to aid T.O. plot
By IAN ROBERTSON, TORONTO SUN
Last Updated: 24th December 2009, 3:43am
BRAMPTON -- A "Toronto 18" recruit in a terror plot labelled the Battle of Toronto -- a plan to bomb the CSIS building, the Toronto Stock Exchange and a military base -- apologized yesterday for betraying his fellow Canadians.
Appealing for leniency at a pre-sentencing hearing, Saad Gaya, 22, said: "What I was a part of was absolutely wrong.
"Not only have I let myself down, but I have also let down everyone whom I have ever been associated," the slender science student who was raised in Oakville and Toronto read in a clear, steady voice.
Apologizing "for my irrational decision," he told Mr. Justice Bruce Durno: "I should have realized I was playing with fire.
"I was young and politically naive."
Insisting he was not raised in a "hate-filled environment" or brainwashed, Gaya said: "This is not why my parents sacrificed and worked so hard for and this is not what my teachers and professors dedicated their time for."
Arrested in June 2006 after helping unload two tonnes of fertilizer bought for use as explosives, Gaya pleaded guilty in September to intending to cause an explosion to benefit a terrorist group.
PULL TROOPS
Prosecutors have quoted al-Qaida-inspired organizer Zakaria Amara telling recruits bombings would influence Canada to pull troops from Afghanistan.
During final submissions, prosecutor Croft Michaelson said Gaya was "perhaps a naive man perhaps upset by events overseas," who showed "a willingness to participate in urban terrorism.
"He was prepared to wage war on the country of his birth," the Crown attorney said.
Quoting from an interrogation transcript, Michaelson said Gaya told a detective Amara promised he would become "a hero, like in the eyes of God," that preparing bombs was "our duty."
Lawyer Paul Slansky said his client would have quit if he thought people would die.
SUICIDE BOMBERS
Amara, 24, who pleaded guilty in October to knowingly participating in a terrorist group, plus intending to cause an explosion to benefit a terrorist group, intended to turn his team into truck-driving suicide bombers.
Two psychiatrists warned that Gaya -- whose parents and about 40 men and women sat silently throughout the proceedings -- might participate in future extremist violence, Michaelson said.
"He was motivated by his religious beliefs and his sympathy over the suffering limbs of the Muslim nation," he said, quoting the psychiatrists.
"That's the definition of an extremist," Michaelson said, asking Durno for a 17-year sentence.
Saudi-born Saad Khalid, 23, of Erin Mills, who was also arrested after unloading the fertilizer, was previously sentenced to 14 years.
Slansky argued Gaya should get a lower term since his involvement was less.
Gaya will be sentenced Jan. 18 -- the same day as Amara.
Others, whose names cannot be published yet, await trial.
IAN.ROBERTSON@SUNMEDIA.CA
Former Mac student accused in terror trial apologizes, asks for leniency
December 23, 2009
Isabel Teotonio
Toronto Star
BRAMPTON, Ont. — An Oakville man who confessed to being part of a homegrown terror cell that was plotting to blow up truck bombs in Toronto apologized to a Brampton court on Wednesday for his “shameful crime.”
Addressing the court at the end of his sentencing hearing, Saad Gaya said he was “extremely grateful” the scheme “did not progress any further” and asked for leniency.
“Some people believe that I must have been driven by a dark ideology of hatred, nihilism and destruction,” said the member of the so-called Toronto 18, requesting people not brand him a “terrorist.”
He said he was “politically naive” and believed the group’s actions would result in Canada withdrawing troops from Afghanistan.
Gaya, 22, said he didn’t know the intended targets were the Toronto Stock Exchange and the downtown offices of Canada’s spy agency.
He said he initially thought a police station was the target, but was later told it was a military base around the Greater Toronto Area, adding he believed no one would be hurt.
Gaya is among 18 people charged in 2006. He was arrested while unloading a delivery truck filled with three tonnes of bags marked ammonium nitrate fertilizer.
The plot involved using three times more ammonium nitrate than was used in the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing that killed 168 people.
Gaya has pleaded guilty to belonging to a terrorist group and intending to cause an explosion that would likely cause serious bodily harm.
The Crown is seeking a sentence of up to 18 years. The prosecution has argued Gaya was a willing participant and should have known a plot involving three tonnes of explosives would have caused serious harm or death — and if not, he was willfully blind.
But the defence argued Gaya was duped and didn’t know the plan was to unleash a series of explosives deadlier than the London subway bombings of 2005.
If the judge rules there was intent to kill, the defence suggested a sentence in the range of 9 to 15 years. If there was no intent, an appropriate sentence would be five to eight years, says the defence.
According to a psychiatric report by Drs. Steven Cohen and Lisa Ramshaw, Gaya’s motivation for joining the group “did not flow from antisociality, impulsivity or psychopathy.
It stemmed from “his religious beliefs, his sympathy toward the suffering ”limbs“ of the Muslim nation and in his perceived sense of duty to stand up to the Canadian government toward change in foreign policy.”
While there is no evidence the former McMaster University science student poses a significant risk to himself or others in the short-term, the doctors noted that based on his past behaviour “risk over the long-term period cannot ruled out.”
*** Did not know whether it was a police station or military base but thinks no one would have been killed? And this is the same guy who got 90's in class then a scholarship to MacMaster in Engineering and yet, did not think anyone would die in a 1-ton bomb explosion. Riiiiiight. ***
Try this version from the Toronto Sun:
Terrorist pleads for leniency
'Irrational decision' to aid T.O. plot
By IAN ROBERTSON, TORONTO SUN
Last Updated: 24th December 2009, 3:43am
BRAMPTON -- A "Toronto 18" recruit in a terror plot labelled the Battle of Toronto -- a plan to bomb the CSIS building, the Toronto Stock Exchange and a military base -- apologized yesterday for betraying his fellow Canadians.
Appealing for leniency at a pre-sentencing hearing, Saad Gaya, 22, said: "What I was a part of was absolutely wrong.
"Not only have I let myself down, but I have also let down everyone whom I have ever been associated," the slender science student who was raised in Oakville and Toronto read in a clear, steady voice.
Apologizing "for my irrational decision," he told Mr. Justice Bruce Durno: "I should have realized I was playing with fire.
"I was young and politically naive."
Insisting he was not raised in a "hate-filled environment" or brainwashed, Gaya said: "This is not why my parents sacrificed and worked so hard for and this is not what my teachers and professors dedicated their time for."
Arrested in June 2006 after helping unload two tonnes of fertilizer bought for use as explosives, Gaya pleaded guilty in September to intending to cause an explosion to benefit a terrorist group.
PULL TROOPS
Prosecutors have quoted al-Qaida-inspired organizer Zakaria Amara telling recruits bombings would influence Canada to pull troops from Afghanistan.
During final submissions, prosecutor Croft Michaelson said Gaya was "perhaps a naive man perhaps upset by events overseas," who showed "a willingness to participate in urban terrorism.
"He was prepared to wage war on the country of his birth," the Crown attorney said.
Quoting from an interrogation transcript, Michaelson said Gaya told a detective Amara promised he would become "a hero, like in the eyes of God," that preparing bombs was "our duty."
Lawyer Paul Slansky said his client would have quit if he thought people would die.
SUICIDE BOMBERS
Amara, 24, who pleaded guilty in October to knowingly participating in a terrorist group, plus intending to cause an explosion to benefit a terrorist group, intended to turn his team into truck-driving suicide bombers.
Two psychiatrists warned that Gaya -- whose parents and about 40 men and women sat silently throughout the proceedings -- might participate in future extremist violence, Michaelson said.
"He was motivated by his religious beliefs and his sympathy over the suffering limbs of the Muslim nation," he said, quoting the psychiatrists.
"That's the definition of an extremist," Michaelson said, asking Durno for a 17-year sentence.
Saudi-born Saad Khalid, 23, of Erin Mills, who was also arrested after unloading the fertilizer, was previously sentenced to 14 years.
Slansky argued Gaya should get a lower term since his involvement was less.
Gaya will be sentenced Jan. 18 -- the same day as Amara.
Others, whose names cannot be published yet, await trial.
IAN.ROBERTSON@SUNMEDIA.CA
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
MUBIN SHAIKH : TORONTO BOMB PLOT - A PIOUS MOLE
http://www.q-news.com/368-PiousMole.html
A Pious Mole
Page 24
Q-News, Issue 368
Sept-Oct 2006
In the aftermath of the high-profile anti-terror arrests in Toronto earlier this year there were murmurings that behind the intelligence used to finger the 17 suspects, lurked a devout informant – a bearded, kurta-wearing spook who was able to get between the alleged plotters and their dastardly plans. Mudasser Ali reports on how Mubin Shaikh became the silver lining in the Muslim Canada’s stormy cloud.
The Muslim community in Toronto has been unanimous (officially at least) in its condemnation of the foiled alleged plans of 17 Muslims suspects to launch a potentially devastating terrorist attack in Canada. In an interesting twist, there had been angry whispers in some circles that on the day of the arrests, the media had refused to acknowledge the help of a fellow Muslim who has been instrumental in the investigation that lead to the arrests. This missing piece of information, they said, would have created a clear schism between ordinary Muslims who had nothing to do with this and an isolated band of lunatics, thereby sparing ‘the rest of us’ any potential backlash. Such talk was also evidence that elements within the Muslim community were fully aware that certain people were being watched and that there was a ‘mole’ amongst them. The disgruntled didn’t have long to wait.
On 13 July 2006, Mubin Shaikh, in an interview with senior journalist Linden McIntyre of the prime-time current affairs show The Fifth Estate, broadcast his role in the arrests while working as an informant for the Canadian Security and Intelligence Service and, once the formal criminal investigation had commenced, as a paid-agent for Royal Canadian Mounted Police. To say that things had gotten interesting was an understatement: Shaikh’s intrigues sent shockwaves through the Muslim grapevine. If Shaikh’s aim was to bolster the Muslim image, mission accomplished.
A quick glance at the comments received by the CBC by non-Muslim Canadians on its website gave ample evidence that Shaikh had already become a hero of sorts and people were starting to make the long-awaited distinction between terrorism and Muslims. In one instance, someone had even praised Shaikh for showing the true meaning of patriotism to the rest of Canada.
Some time has passed and it now apparent that there is no actual consensus on what Muslims are saying about Mubin Shaikh. On one side, there are those who believe that Shaikh did his patriotic (some would argue Islamic) duty, citing the maxim that whether Muslim or not, a crime remains a crime regardless of who is committing it and that turning the criminal in is simply a no-brainer. On the other hand, people who disapprove of his actions cite the fact that Shaikh, more than an informant, was an agent of ‘entrapment’ who not only spurned the chance to wean the youth in question towards safety but furthermore, became the de-facto leader of the group essentially leading them into wrong-doing. Entrapment is often used in non-terrorist cases and it is by no means free of the ‘morally questionable’ label. “It’s going to depend on the disclosure and what role the operative played,” said Paul Copeland, a Toronto criminal lawyer representing one of the 17 accused, to the Hamilton Spectator. “It’s not appropriate for police to encourage a crime and then arrest those suspected of committing that crime.”
The courts will most definitely deal with this aspect of the case meticulously. It is an exercise in futility to discuss the specifics of this case over chai and biscuits for the simple fact that in the absence of publicly declared evidence, nobody really knows what happened. In regards to Shaikh’s decision of non-guidance in favour of getting the 17 arrested, most people arguing against his decision have, become self-anointed arbiters with an exclusive right to absolute moral judgment. This is even more dangerous when the criterion for this judgment happens to be media tidbits, urban myth and an outright disregard for the nuances of being employed by the federal government.
Of his critics, Saffiyah Ali, a blogger, activist and PhD student at the University of Toronto, has been the most prominent. Quoted eagerly by Daniel Pipes as the de facto Muslim response to Shaikh’s doings, her piece is a perfect case of empty rhetoric laced with misinformed, sheltered naivety. Not only does she manage to reassert the stereotypical alarmist Muslim response, but also does a splendid job of furthering the unfortunate hackneyed idea that Muslims see justice not universally but in a selfish and opportunistic way.
Ali proclaims, “All citizens have an obligation to report a terrorist plot to the police should they find out about it… But this type of informing is different from the kind whereby one actually seeks out suspicious members of the community, wins their confidence, infiltrates the group, appears to be in the game, and then betrays the trust of those individuals (and the wider community) in the process.” Too bad that the taboo variety of ‘informing’ Ali criticizes happens to be the very definition of espionage. One does not ‘find out’ about terror plots in the happy-go-lucky manner described above unless you are standing beside the charred remains of the Parliament buildings and happen to spot some bearded fellows. This is a case with many potential complications. Before rushing to judgment in the absence of empirical fact, one should at least have the courtesy to perform the Islamic duty of giving an apparently well-intentioned believer the benefit of doubt.
Looking at this from a pragmatic point of view, it becomes increasingly harder to mount a case that makes Shaikh out to be a malicious attention-monger who was in it for the money. Being eccentric does not make you immoral. Apart from being a respected community leader in the Keele-Eglinton area of Toronto and a conflict resolution specialist at the local Masjid El Noor, Shaikh is also Multiculturalism Chair for his local Liberal Party riding association. While not being sterling evidence of his innocence from the charges of mischievousness made against him, his profile stands in his defense. It makes little sense that Shaikh (while refusing court protection) would risk potential backlash – and the possibility of being an outcast – from the very community he aimed to help by revealing himself. There are easier ways to get famous.
Being unprincipled in times of tribulation – fitnah – can expose a community for lacking true mettle. The question that needs to be asked now is, why unnecessarily unload the burden of condemnation on the basis of a hunch? Leave the demonizing at the door and let the courts do their job. The defense is sure to diligently make use of the circumstances that point to entrapment. If Shaikh, and by extension, the government is found guilty of entrapment, the legal system will undoubtedly penalize the offender and clear the accused of any wrongdoing.
In the meantime, we should collectively chalk one up for the Muslims in Canada who were delivering a rare public relations triumph by a pious mole.
A Pious Mole
Page 24
Q-News, Issue 368
Sept-Oct 2006
In the aftermath of the high-profile anti-terror arrests in Toronto earlier this year there were murmurings that behind the intelligence used to finger the 17 suspects, lurked a devout informant – a bearded, kurta-wearing spook who was able to get between the alleged plotters and their dastardly plans. Mudasser Ali reports on how Mubin Shaikh became the silver lining in the Muslim Canada’s stormy cloud.
The Muslim community in Toronto has been unanimous (officially at least) in its condemnation of the foiled alleged plans of 17 Muslims suspects to launch a potentially devastating terrorist attack in Canada. In an interesting twist, there had been angry whispers in some circles that on the day of the arrests, the media had refused to acknowledge the help of a fellow Muslim who has been instrumental in the investigation that lead to the arrests. This missing piece of information, they said, would have created a clear schism between ordinary Muslims who had nothing to do with this and an isolated band of lunatics, thereby sparing ‘the rest of us’ any potential backlash. Such talk was also evidence that elements within the Muslim community were fully aware that certain people were being watched and that there was a ‘mole’ amongst them. The disgruntled didn’t have long to wait.
On 13 July 2006, Mubin Shaikh, in an interview with senior journalist Linden McIntyre of the prime-time current affairs show The Fifth Estate, broadcast his role in the arrests while working as an informant for the Canadian Security and Intelligence Service and, once the formal criminal investigation had commenced, as a paid-agent for Royal Canadian Mounted Police. To say that things had gotten interesting was an understatement: Shaikh’s intrigues sent shockwaves through the Muslim grapevine. If Shaikh’s aim was to bolster the Muslim image, mission accomplished.
A quick glance at the comments received by the CBC by non-Muslim Canadians on its website gave ample evidence that Shaikh had already become a hero of sorts and people were starting to make the long-awaited distinction between terrorism and Muslims. In one instance, someone had even praised Shaikh for showing the true meaning of patriotism to the rest of Canada.
Some time has passed and it now apparent that there is no actual consensus on what Muslims are saying about Mubin Shaikh. On one side, there are those who believe that Shaikh did his patriotic (some would argue Islamic) duty, citing the maxim that whether Muslim or not, a crime remains a crime regardless of who is committing it and that turning the criminal in is simply a no-brainer. On the other hand, people who disapprove of his actions cite the fact that Shaikh, more than an informant, was an agent of ‘entrapment’ who not only spurned the chance to wean the youth in question towards safety but furthermore, became the de-facto leader of the group essentially leading them into wrong-doing. Entrapment is often used in non-terrorist cases and it is by no means free of the ‘morally questionable’ label. “It’s going to depend on the disclosure and what role the operative played,” said Paul Copeland, a Toronto criminal lawyer representing one of the 17 accused, to the Hamilton Spectator. “It’s not appropriate for police to encourage a crime and then arrest those suspected of committing that crime.”
The courts will most definitely deal with this aspect of the case meticulously. It is an exercise in futility to discuss the specifics of this case over chai and biscuits for the simple fact that in the absence of publicly declared evidence, nobody really knows what happened. In regards to Shaikh’s decision of non-guidance in favour of getting the 17 arrested, most people arguing against his decision have, become self-anointed arbiters with an exclusive right to absolute moral judgment. This is even more dangerous when the criterion for this judgment happens to be media tidbits, urban myth and an outright disregard for the nuances of being employed by the federal government.
Of his critics, Saffiyah Ali, a blogger, activist and PhD student at the University of Toronto, has been the most prominent. Quoted eagerly by Daniel Pipes as the de facto Muslim response to Shaikh’s doings, her piece is a perfect case of empty rhetoric laced with misinformed, sheltered naivety. Not only does she manage to reassert the stereotypical alarmist Muslim response, but also does a splendid job of furthering the unfortunate hackneyed idea that Muslims see justice not universally but in a selfish and opportunistic way.
Ali proclaims, “All citizens have an obligation to report a terrorist plot to the police should they find out about it… But this type of informing is different from the kind whereby one actually seeks out suspicious members of the community, wins their confidence, infiltrates the group, appears to be in the game, and then betrays the trust of those individuals (and the wider community) in the process.” Too bad that the taboo variety of ‘informing’ Ali criticizes happens to be the very definition of espionage. One does not ‘find out’ about terror plots in the happy-go-lucky manner described above unless you are standing beside the charred remains of the Parliament buildings and happen to spot some bearded fellows. This is a case with many potential complications. Before rushing to judgment in the absence of empirical fact, one should at least have the courtesy to perform the Islamic duty of giving an apparently well-intentioned believer the benefit of doubt.
Looking at this from a pragmatic point of view, it becomes increasingly harder to mount a case that makes Shaikh out to be a malicious attention-monger who was in it for the money. Being eccentric does not make you immoral. Apart from being a respected community leader in the Keele-Eglinton area of Toronto and a conflict resolution specialist at the local Masjid El Noor, Shaikh is also Multiculturalism Chair for his local Liberal Party riding association. While not being sterling evidence of his innocence from the charges of mischievousness made against him, his profile stands in his defense. It makes little sense that Shaikh (while refusing court protection) would risk potential backlash – and the possibility of being an outcast – from the very community he aimed to help by revealing himself. There are easier ways to get famous.
Being unprincipled in times of tribulation – fitnah – can expose a community for lacking true mettle. The question that needs to be asked now is, why unnecessarily unload the burden of condemnation on the basis of a hunch? Leave the demonizing at the door and let the courts do their job. The defense is sure to diligently make use of the circumstances that point to entrapment. If Shaikh, and by extension, the government is found guilty of entrapment, the legal system will undoubtedly penalize the offender and clear the accused of any wrongdoing.
In the meantime, we should collectively chalk one up for the Muslims in Canada who were delivering a rare public relations triumph by a pious mole.
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