Be wary of extremists: Intelligence expert

By IAN ROBERTSON, Toronto Sun

Last Updated: May 10, 2010 9:21pm

Canadian government and police agencies risk Muslim extremist infiltration should they remain naive and wary of questioning people’s backgrounds and motives, an intelligence expert warned Monday.

“We’ve had the luxury of so many warnings” from around the world, former top CSIS planner David Harris said in an interview.

In a country renowned for cultural tolerance, too many officials, fearful of being called racists, don’t do thorough background checks, he said.

With limited intelligence resources, you cannot begin to pretend you are screening the 260,000 newcomers to Canada each year in any meaningful way, Harris said.

Even after trials disclosed radical cells wooing disenchanted youths, Canadian laws limited investigations, he said.

Canada has genuine non-violent Muslims, Harris stressed.

But he said some immigrants pose a “stealth Jihad” threat, trying to lull Canadians into complacency with moderate statements decrying violence, while influencing lawmakers by branding investigations as Islamophobic.

He said documents in the early 1990s showed radical Muslims — implanted in the U.S. three decades earlier — vowing to “undo the infidel’s house from within.”

“Many reasonable people don’t want to believe there is a threat,” Harris said.

ian.robertson@sunmedia.ca

Another Toronto 18 plotter pleads guilty

By Megan O’Toole May 10, 2010 – 11:10 am

An accused ringleader of the “Toronto 18” terrorist group has pleaded guilty. Fahim Ahmad, 25, was on trial for participating in a terrorist group four years ago, importing firearms and instructing others to carry out activities for the benefit of a terrorist group.

The Crown said Ahmad hoped to “cripple Canadian infrastructure” with a series of attacks on power grids, nuclear plants and Parliament. He led a faction of the terrorist group that aimed to launch an assault on politicians in Ottawa, where they would “cut off some heads” and then broadcast victory over public radio, the jury heard. Ahmad and his defence lawyer were absent from court on Monday, but the trial judge informed the jury of the plea.

The development leaves Ahmad’s two co-accused to continue in their joint trial, which has been ongoing for about a month. The judge told the 12-person jury:

“You must understand [this plea] has no impact on the guilt or innocence of the two men who remain on trial.”

Asad Ansari, 25, and Steven Chand, 29, both stand charged with participating in a terrorist group between 2005 and 2006, while Mr. Chand faces an additional charge of counselling someone to commit fraud over $5,000 in association with a terrorist group. Their trial continues with the testimony of star Crown witness and police agent Mubin Shaikh, who has been on the stand for weeks

Posted in: Crime, Posted Toronto

Former hooker avoids deportation

By TOM GODFREY, Toronto Sun

Last Updated: May 9, 2010 5:23pm

A former prostitute who is on the run from Interpol has won a temporary bid to remain in Canada, avoiding deportation to Belarus to stand trial for theft.

Anna Valerievna Klochek, 29, who lives in Toronto, is sought by police in Minsk, in her native Belarus, for theft, according to an Interpol fugitives poster.

Klochek, who speaks Russian, is described on a warrant as having grey eyes, light brown hair and weighing 121 pounds. The poster asks anyone with information on her whereabouts to contact Interpol.

She arrived in Canada from Belarus in 2004 and filed a failed refugee claim which led to a deportation order. The removal order is being appealed to the Federal Court of Canada, court records show.

“She sought refugee protection on the basis that she was forced into prostitution and was sought by criminal elements at home,” Judge James O’Reilly said in a decision last week.

He said Klocheks’ applications to stay on humanitarian and compassionate grounds were refused in 2009.

Klochek was found inadmissable to Canada due to the Interpol warrant, according to court documents. Details of the allegtions against her were unavailable.

In granting her a temporary stay, O’Reilly said the immigration officer who made the initial ruling in her case erred by “failing to hold a hearing, ignoring evidence and overlooking an important part of her application.”

Court heard the officer didn’t consider the situation of prisons in Belarus which “pose a threat to life and health and have little supplies of food and medicine.” The prisons are also overcrowded, have communicable diseases and prisoners who complain are threatened or blackmailed, court heard.

“Ms. Klochek’s main allegation was that she would suffer a risk to her life,” O’Reilly said, adding she faces “a risk of cruel or unusual punishment if returned to Belarus to face a charge of larceny.”

He said the officer failed to consider the risks to which Klochek would be subject if returned to Belarus.

“The officer’s failure to address this issue could be characterized as an error of law,” O’Reilly said.

Klochek will undergo a new appeal by another immigration officer who will decide if she should be deported or extradited to stand trial in Belarus.