The Fall out

[minks]

Here is what happened as a result of Canadian Troops not being removed from Afghanastan....



Suspect accused of wanting to behead PM, lawyer claims
Last Updated Tue, 06 Jun 2006 13:33:33 EDT
CBC News
One of the suspects in an alleged bomb plot in Ontario is accused of wanting to storm Parliament, behead the prime minister and attack a number of sites, including the CBC building in Toronto, his lawyer says.


Gary Batasar, lawyer for Steven Vikash Chand, said he was given an eight-page synopsis of the allegations. (CBC)
Lawyer Gary Batasar, who represents Steven Chand, also known as Abdul Shakur, made the comments on Tuesday after a court appearance in Brampton, Ont., for 15 of 17 suspects arrested under Canada's Anti-terrorism Act on the weekend.

"My client's alleged to have been part of a plot to blow up Parliament Buildings in Canada, storm the CBC, take over the CBC, as well as, among other things, behead the prime minister," Batasar said.

Batasar said he was given an eight-page synopsis of the allegations, including storming Parliament, blowing up some of the buildings and taking politicians hostage to demand the withdrawal of Canadian troops in Afghanistan.

If the demands were not met, it is alleged, the hostages would be beheaded. The documents allege that Chand, 25, personally wanted to behead Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

Police allege the accused — 12 adults and five youths — were inspired by al-Qaeda and planned to make bombs to attack targets in Ontario. None of the allegations has been proven in court.

Bail hearings postponed

Defence lawyers asked that the bail hearings be postponed, saying they did not had enough time to prepare and had not seen the evidence against their clients.

The judge granted their requests, rescheduling most of the bail hearings to June 12, and the suspects were remanded into custody.

The lawyers also complained about a number of restrictions placed on their clients. They are in solitary confinement, under 24-hour surveillance and have been denied access to family members.

Lawyer Donald McLeod said he and his colleagues have only been able to speak to their clients through Plexiglas and want private visits with them.

The defence lawyers also alleged that clients' rights were being violated because a guard in full riot gear was always present when a lawyer held a privileged conversation with a client.

They demanded the situation be changed or said they would go to court on June 12 to get a court order to be allowed to communicate with their clients in private.

Armed guards patrol courthouse

As many as 400 police officers and security officials were involved in the series of raids in southern Ontario that led to the arrests on June 2 and June 3, in the largest operation carried out under the Anti-terrorism Act.


Heavily armed police stand on guard on Tuesday outside the courthouse in Brampton, Ont. (CBC)
The suspects arrived at the courthouse on Tuesday in unmarked police vehicles, under the watchful eye of armed guards patrolling the area. They were led inside the courtroom shackled together in groups of four, wearing prison-issued white T-shirts and grey pants.

Security was tight but appeared somewhat scaled back compared with the first court appearance of the suspects on Saturday.

During that appearance, snipers could be seen on rooftops and heavily armed police officers were posted inside and outside the courtrooms.

Scores of media from both Canada and the United States lined up at the courthouse Tuesday to secure a spot inside. Family members of the suspects were met by throngs of reporters as they entered.

Charges against suspects

All the adult suspects face terrorism-related charges:

The 12 men have been charged with knowingly participating, directly or indirectly, in the activity of a terrorist group.
Those charges relate to activities in Mississauga, Ont., Toronto and the Township of Ramara, which is located about 150 kilometres north of Toronto.
On Monday, six of the men were also charged with planning to cause a deadly explosion.
Three of the suspects have been charged with importing firearms and prohibited ammunition, and supplying prohibited weapons.
Ten of the men are charged with engaging in terrorism-related training. Residents in Ramara reported hearing gunshots from an area where men were seen dressed in camouflage gear.

Those alleged aims are quite spectacular. Some might say almost fantastic.

[minks]

Originally Posted by Diuretic

Those alleged aims are quite spectacular. Some might say almost fantastic.

I agree, I mean I seriously can't imagin who could get close enough to the pm, never mind behead him, but hey it is a pocket of some radical group they have found.

[OpenMind]

Weren't these the guys accused of burning the churches?

[minks]

Originally Posted by OpenMind

Weren't these the guys accused of burning the churches?

Whose churches??? Ours???

Originally Posted by minks

I agree, I mean I seriously can't imagin who could get close enough to the pm, never mind behead him, but hey it is a pocket of some radical group they have found.

I was thinking that myself. All this sounds, at first blush anyway, to be the product of fevered imaginations. I'm not saying the allegations aren't well founded, just that if these idiots thought they were going to succeed in their aims then they must have been on something prohibited by their own religion.

So they were going to attack the Parliament in Ottawa. Presumably at the same time they would also be attacking the CBC building in Toronto? What were they going to do - take over the bookshop there and replace all the CBC stock with copies of the Koran?

[minks]

Originally Posted by Diuretic

I was thinking that myself. All this sounds, at first blush anyway, to be the product of fevered imaginations. I'm not saying the allegations aren't well founded, just that if these idiots thought they were going to succeed in their aims then they must have been on something prohibited by their own religion.

So they were going to attack the Parliament in Ottawa. Presumably at the same time they would also be attacking the CBC building in Toronto? What were they going to do - take over the bookshop there and replace all the CBC stock with copies of the Koran?

you make light of it. We have to take it seriously as the USA has accused us of houseing Terrorists, and funding Terrorists, so on those "allegations" Canada acts.

[minks]

Now call me dense Di, I know you explained this in the past, .... you know a load about Canada because you have lived here in the past? Is that correct? Nothing funny I am just refreshing my brain.

Originally Posted by minks

you make light of it. We have to take it seriously as the USA has accused us of houseing Terrorists, and funding Terrorists, so on those "allegations" Canada acts.

I am making light of it, in a way. But I'm taking it seriously for the very reasons you mentioned. I'm well aware of the allegations made about Canada's immigration laws/processes by the Bush Administration and how they are somehow threatening them. I know that's ridiculous. But I also know that any Canadian government has to keep sweet with the Americans, it makes it easier for Harper that he is of a similar mind to Bush. I couldn't see PM Layton jumping too high.

So that's why I'm interested in this case. It will be interesting to see the evidence at the trial and work out whether this is good work involving valid intelligence and stopping an atrocity before it begins or whether it's bad intel from a dodgy source and it's a load of claptrap.

Originally Posted by minks

Now call me dense Di, I know you explained this in the past, .... you know a load about Canada because you have lived here in the past? Is that correct? Nothing funny I am just refreshing my brain.

Never lived there minks.