Terrorist Plot in Toronto.

[Zesty Mordant]

Last Updated Sat, 03 Jun 2006 21:58:03 EDT
CBC News

Security was tight in Brampton, Ont., on Saturday as court appearances began for 15 of the 17 people arrested and accused of planning a series of attacks against targets in southern Ontario.
An officer is seen near a police station in Pickering, Ont., where the suspects were taken late Friday and early Saturday. (CBC)

In all, 12 men and five youths were arrested on Friday. Officials have alleged they were supporters of al-Qaeda.

Shackled in leg and handcuffs during their court appearances, the 15 were remanded into police custody and will appear again in court on Tuesday — along with the other two accused — for a bail hearing.

While the Canadian Press said only two of the accused had their charges read out to them, Justice of the Peace John Farnum told the court that "the charges as read are virtually the same, so they will apply to all parties."

The charges allege that the men knowingly participated in a terrorist group and either received or provided terrorist training in Toronto, nearby Mississauga, Fort Erie and Ramara Township, located on the shores of Lake Simcoe in central Ontario's cottage county.

Some family members of the accused were seen in court crying and consoling each other.

The RCMP, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), and Toronto-area law enforcement agency officials were among those providing details of the arrests earlier in the day.

"This group holds a real and serious intent," RCMP Assistant Commissioner Mike McDonell told reporters.

"Our investigation prevented the assembly of any bombs and attacks from being carried out," he said.

McDonell said Canada "is not immune to the threat of terrorism," but declined to answer questions about the intended targets. However, he said Toronto's public transit system was not one of them.

Bill Blair, Toronto's police chief, told CBC News that officials had gathered information about dates chosen for the attacks, but he, too, refused to provide details.

Ammonium nitrate seized

Police also said they seized about three tonnes of the commonly used fertilizer ammonium nitrate. Just one-third of that amount of ammonium nitrate was used in the bombing of a U.S. federal building in Oklahoma City that killed 168 people in 1995.

Officers fanned out across the Toronto area to make the arrests. They later delivered the suspects to the Durham Regional Police Station in Pickering, east of Toronto. Police officers stood guard on the street and around the building, many holding their weapons in plain sight.

All of the suspects are residents of Canada and most are Canadian citizens of various backgrounds, officials said.

"Our information is that they participated in training all together," McDonell said.

"For various reasons, they appear to have become adherents of a violent ideology inspired by al-Qaeda," said Luc Portelance, assistant director of operations for the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS).

Record number of arrests

This was the largest counter-terrorism operation and the greatest number of arrests made in Canada since the Anti-terrorism Act came into effect in December 2001.

"We are a target because of who we are and how we live, our society, our diversity and our values," Prime Minister Stephen Harper said in Ottawa.

"Their alleged target was Canada: Canadian institutions, the Canadian economy, the Canadian people."

Harper also praised the agencies involved in identifying and arresting the suspects.

"Today, Canada's security and intelligence measures worked," Harper.

"The good news is that the RCMP and CSIS and the Toronto police were aware of it, were monitoring it, and were able to apprehend the people involved before they acted," Toronto Mayor David Miller told CBC News.

Miller said he had been briefed "for a number of months" about the investigation.

"I was extremely concerned about the potential existence of this organization," he said.

http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2006/06/03/terror-suspects.html

As somebody living in Toronto, I have to say that its definitely changed a lot of resident's perspectives on their own security, for better or worse.

Nonetheless, do you think that it was only going to be a matter of time before Canada, generally perceived as a peaceful country by the rest of the world (at least, compared to its neighbours), would find itself wrapped up in this conflict. Or have Canadians and the Canadian government been "deserving" of such possible attacks given our renewed prescence in Afghanistan. Or is it merely just another face on youthful angst and confusion gone horribly awry (given that some reports have charged it has been generally perceived as a homegrown operation rather than one with direct connections to a major terrorist organization).

Or, at worst, does this suggest that Canada should have had this coming given our often-deemed "liberal" policies on immigration and and multiculturalism?

Or do you just simply not care because its Canada?

[PepsiMetal]

That's not Al-Queda. It's probably some dumbass kids trying to be cool and claim they are part of this as it's a very world known organization.

Al-Queda has nothing to gain by attacking Canada, and Canada didn't do anything to provoke an attack.

[Hababi]

Al-Queda has nothing to gain by attacking Canada, and Canada didn't do anything to provoke an attack.

Except being part of the west. It was probably home grown and the group likely had no formal links to Al Quada, but it shows that radical Islam hates the west, not merely "evil American hegemony."

[Reaganista]

That's not Al-Queda

"For various reasons, they appear to have become adherents of a violent ideology inspired by al-Qaeda," said Luc Portelance, assistant director of operations for the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS).

hmm who to trust...

[WhoDidTheElf]

If the attack did happen...

[Family Guy] Irony [/Family Guy]

[spitfirejunky]

Originally Posted by PepsiMetal

That's not Al-Queda. It's probably some dumbass kids trying to be cool and claim they are part of this as it's a very world known organization.

...

3 tons of ammonium nitrate

[Reaganista]

they were gonna blow up that space-needle thing you guys got

canuck central!

[PepsiMetal]

Originally Posted by Broadway Danny Rose

Except being part of the west. It was probably home grown and the group likely had no formal links to Al Quada, but it shows that radical Islam hates the west, not merely "evil American hegemony."

Lol, you're so brainwashed by the media it's laughable. You probably think Osama Bin Laden hates west cause they're free and a democracy, and all that other good stuff.

Originally Posted by spitfirejunky

...

So? I can have three tons of ammonium nitrate if I had the money for it. I don't have to be Al-Queda or a part of it.

[-1up!-]

Originally Posted by The Tway

hmm who to trust...

You demonstrated it yourself.

"For various reasons, they appear to have become adherents of a violent ideology inspired by al-Qaeda,"

inspired by.

Needless to say, there is a great amount of skepticism regarding those arrests. Political leaders were waiting on this occasion to demonstrate how Canada was also prone to have its terrorist worries, but people are finding holes in the police's evidence.

Ammonium nitrate, for your information, is fertilizer. Only if you damp it with some combustible can it be used as an explosive (About 1 ton of Ammonium nitrate was used in the Oklahoma City attack in 1995 which killed 168 people) But as of now, no one can give conclusions. We have to wait for the police investigation.

[nowhesingsnowhesobs]

Al-Queda has nothing to gain by attacking Canada.

um what did it have to gain by attacking America?

[-1up!-]

Popularity, legitimacy in the eyes of the Islamist extremists, the honor of martyrdom, the pride of starting the Djihad against the hated empire. Think.

There's still no point in attacking Canada. Think about it. From the reputation Canada has worldwide, one of a peaceful place, Al-Qaeda would gain nothing by attacking the country. We're more seen as a haven for immigrants than a bugger in foreign policy like the United States, and attacking us would not result in sympathies for Al-Qaeda in the Middle-East like it did for 9/11.

One could say Canada has a lot less reasons to be hated than the US.

[spitfirejunky]

Originally Posted by PepsiMetal

So? I can have three tons of ammonium nitrate if I had the money for it. I don't have to be Al-Queda or a part of it.

My point is it's definitely not some dumbass kids trying to be cool.

[guitrguy]

Originally Posted by PepsiMetal

Lol, you're so brainwashed by the media it's laughable. You probably think Osama Bin Laden hates west cause they're free and a democracy, and all that other good stuff.

I can't believe you actually said that. You truelly are the biggest idiot in PNWI.

[Reaganista]

inspired by.

people inspired by adolf hitler are nazis

[PepsiMetal]

Originally Posted by spitfirejunky

My point is it's definitely not some dumbass kids trying to be cool.

Yea I know. I didn't really mean kids, just stupid idiots who wanted to make a point by pretending to be a part of an organization because it's widely known today.

Originally Posted by nowhesingsnowhesobs

um what did it have to gain by attacking America?

US provoked the attack and has been provoking attacks from Middle East for over 50 years.

Perhaps they gained revenge on september 11th? Plus they're fighting on their land now, and with an incompetend president who doesn't like to plan things out, the war extends longer and longer, wasting billions and billions of dollars and couple thousands of US lives.

Originally Posted by Diabolus in Musica

I can't believe you actually said that. You truelly are the biggest idiot in PNWI.

Oh no, all I wanted was your respect.

Originally Posted by The Tway

people inspired by adolf hitler are nazis

Schwartznegger claimed Hitler was his inspiration, does that make him a nazi?

[Hababi]

So? I can have three tons of ammonium nitrate if I had the money for it. I don't have to be Al-Queda or a part of it.

Planning on using it to wage jihad against the west would make you a radical Muslim. Whether or not they were part of the group Al Quada, they were part of the same movement, which is radical Islam, and which, as this demonstrates, is at war with the west.

Schwartznegger claimed Hitler was his inspiration, does that make him a nazi?

No, he made a silly remark more than 20 years ago about watching "dictators" and admiring their charisma. He was not "inspired by Hitler."

[Jude]

Originally Posted by Broadway Danny Rose

Except being part of the west. It was probably home grown and the group likely had no formal links to Al Quada, but it shows that radical Islam hates the west, not merely "evil American hegemony."

Or that Canada is allied and extremely connected to the evil American hegemony.

[Hababi]

Or that Canada is allied and extremely connected to the evil American hegemony.

Canada has no troops in Iraq. Basically, it's, "If you don't wage holy jihad with us, you're against us."

[PepsiMetal]

Originally Posted by Broadway Danny Rose

Planning on using it to wage jihad against the west would make you a radical Muslim. Whether or not they were part of the group Al Quada, they were part of the same movement, which is radical Islam, and which, as this demonstrates, is at war with the west.

I said they weren't Al-Queda. And no, you can't wage jihad if the Canada did nothing to you. Do you really think that in Qu'ran it says "You can attack anyone you want and claim it a jihad"? Because it doesn't. And jihad is just about any struggle, it doesn't have anything to do with radical muslims.

So if you want to attack someone innocent and claim it a jihad, then it's not Islam.

Originally Posted by Jude

Or that Canada is allied and extremely connected to the evil American hegemony.

It is somewhat of an ally to the US, but not a strong one. Them rejecting the participation in Iraq has put Canada on the good side of the middle easterners, afghans, etc... US, Spain, UK. All involved in Iraqi war, all had terrorist attacks.

[Hababi]

I said they weren't Al-Queda. And no, you can't wage jihad if the Canada did nothing to you.

Ok you go tell them how to wage jihad They're misinterpreting Islam to begin with, so how in the world are you going to try to use reason to dictate their actions? Flying planes into buildings betrays reason.

And jihad is just about any struggle, it doesn't have anything to do with radical muslims.

For radical Muslims like OBL and these schmucks, it does.