Al-Qaeda said to favour Canadian recruits
Last Updated Sat, 14 May 2005 15:29:56 EDT
CBC News
OTTAWA - The majority of al-Qaeda recruits in Canada are being trained at home, not abroad, making the terror network a direct threat to Canada, according to a recently declassified intelligence report.
The homegrown recruits are highly prized for their familiarity with Western societies, says the Canadian Security Intelligence Service report, obtained by the Toronto Star.
The group once trained recruits in the hills of Afghanistan, but the camps were dismantled as the U.S.-led "war on terror" became firmly established.
Michael Juneau-Katsuya, who spent 21 years as a CSIS agent, told the Star the U.S. campaign itself has fuelled anger and frustration in a new generation of potential al-Qaeda fighters.
Security investigators have responded to the trend of expanded recruitment by doing things like monitoring internet chat rooms for angry youths willing to join a cause, the report says.
They're also keeping their eyes on who's playing paintball. Paintball is mentioned in Canada's only arrest under new anti-terrorism legislation.
Mohammad Momin Khawaja, a Canadian who's charged in Britain with planning terrorist bombings, played paint ball near his Ottawa-area home in the summer of 2003.
Khawaja is being held without bail.
http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2005/05/14/alqaeda-canada050514.html
Abandoned Truck Causes Brooklyn Bridge To Shut Down
Police Look For Driver
UPDATED: 5:14 pm EDT May 14, 2005
NEW YORK -- Police shut down the Brooklyn Bridge in both directions Saturday afternoon after discovering an unoccupied truck on the bridge's Brooklyn side.
Police were investigating the scene and looking for the driver.
Police spokesman Sgt. Kevin Hayes said it was possible that while crossing the bridge, the truck's driver may have realized the car was taller than the height restriction, and left the truck.
The truck was found at about 3 p.m., Hayes said.
All lanes were reopened at about 5 p.m., officials said.
No further information was immediately available.
http://www.wnbc.com/news/4489475/detail.html
Thanks to little jeremiah for pointing to this thread. Here's another article and and another thread on this issue:
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Note: The following post is an exact quote:
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http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1404634/posts
Canada: Al-Qaeda recruiting Muslim converts, says intelligence service
AKI ^ | 2005 May 16
Posted on 05/16/2005 10:41:45 PM PDT by Wiz
Toronto, 16 May (AKI) - Converts to Islam in Canada are becoming a major source of al-Qaeda operatives and pose a security risk in the country, according to a report by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service that was released to the Toronto Star newspaper under the federal access to information legislation. The report cited in the daily, said that there is a "direct threat to Canada and Canadian interests from al-Qaeda and related groups," and that those groups are attempting to expand their support in Canada.
"Converts are highly prized by terrorist groups for their familiarity with the West and relative ease at moving through Western society," said the recently declassified report.
(Excerpt) Read more at adnki.com ...