TORONTO, Ontario (CNN) – Canadian police said on Saturday they had halted a “real and serious” terror threat in and around Toronto.
Twelve men and five youths said to have been inspired by al Qaeda were arrested in the operation involving hundreds of officers, authorities said.
The group was “planning to commit a series of terrorist attacks against solely Canadian targets in southern Ontario,” Royal Canadian Mounted Police Assistant Commissioner Mike McDonell said at a news conference.
“This group took steps to acquire three tons of ammonium nitrate and other components necessary to create explosive devices,” he said. (Watch police chief describe how suspects got bomb materials – 0:36)
**“**To put this in context, the 1995 bombing of the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City that killed 168 people took one ton of ammonium nitrate.”
The detained suspects are all males, Canadian residents “from a variety of backgrounds” and followers of a “violent ideology inspired by al Qaeda,” said Luc Portelance, assistant director of operations for Canadian Security Intelligence Service. (Full list of adult suspects)
The adults ranged in age from 19 to 43, and all lived in Ontario, according to Canadian police. No information was released on the youths.
The charges they face include participating in terrorist group activity such as training and recruitment; the provision of property for terrorist purposes; and the “commission of indictable offenses, including firearms and explosives in association with a terrorist group.”
The targets were all in Toronto, CNN’s Jeanne Meserve reported at least one source as telling her.Authorities did not release information on targets except to say they did not include the Toronto Transit Commission.
“This group posed a real and serious threat,” McDonell said. “It had the capacity and intent to carry out these attacks.” U.S. link probed
Some suspects “may have had limited contact with the two people recently arrested from Georgia,” FBI spokesman Richard Kolko said, referring to Syed Ahmed, a 21-year-old Georgia Insitute of Technology student, and 19-year-old Ehsanul Sadequee.
Both men traveled from Atlanta to Canada in March 2005 to meet with three men who were the subjects of an FBI international terrorism investigation, an FBI agent said, according to an affidavit unsealed in April.
Ahmed told authorities that “during some of these meetings, he, Sadequee and the others discussed strategic locations in the United States suitable for a terrorist strike, to include oil refineries and military bases,” the court paper said. (Full story)
U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff spoke by telephone with his counterpart, Canadian Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day, on Saturday morning to discuss the latest events north of the border. (Watch Canada’s prime minister explain why his country was targeted – 1:24)
“We believe we have a strong posture at the Canadian border and we will continue to do so,” said a U.S. Department of Homeland Security spokesman, adding that no additional protective measures were being taken.
The overnight Canadian raids involved most of the police forces in the Toronto area, police spokeswoman Cpl. Michele Paradis said.
Federal agencies including border and intelligence agents worked with the police under the auspices of the Integrated National Security Enforcement Team, Paradis said.
Such anti-terror operations in Canada are rare. It is not clear if the sweep is related to a raid in East London Friday, one of the largest there since the London transit bombings in July. That raid was carried out with the help of police and Britain’s domestic spy agency, MI5. (Full story)
In March 2004 a man from Ottawa, Canada – Mohammad Momin Khawaja – was charged in connection with terror-related offenses that involved activities there and in London.
And Ahmed Ressam, who was convicted of conspiracy to detonate a suitcase bomb at Los Angeles International Airport during millennium celebrations, was stopped upon entering Washington state from Canada. His trunk contained explosives and timing devices.
*CNN’s Jeanne Meserve and Kevin Bohn contributed to this report. *
very disappointed, worried and pissed off all at the same time. Can't believe these people are willing to go to these lengths. IDIOTS
but being the resident of GTA, im glad that these ppl got caught. However, i am not relaxed at all anymore because if there was one group of people in Canada thinking about this, there must be more. I just never really thought that Canada ever played such a major role in international politics that someone would want to kill Canadians.
but being the resident of GTA, im glad that these ppl got caught. However, i am not relaxed at all anymore because if there was one group of people in Canada thinking about this, there must be more. I just never really thought that Canada ever played such a major role in international politics that someone would want to kill Canadians.
Lets all hope and pray for peace.
Why isnt this attack justified?
Canada is doing a brutal occupation of Afghanistan and has killed many Afghan resistence fighters in their aim to liberate afghanistan from foreign occupation.
This attack will send a message to all Canadians that they cannot continue their occupation of Afghanistan without reprecussions.
This attack is as justified as when Hamas resistence heroes blow up the criminal Israelis on buses and restaurants.
By the way, I am being sarcastic, but you can see the irony.
actually this attack will be as justified as wht USA did in iraq by killing innocent women and children in cold blood to cover up their crimes. and wht israel does in palestinian territories to have a good field day by killing 8-10years old kids. they are the true heroes of humanity. hamas and co are nothing but terrorists who are fighting for an unjust cause. i guess u lift ur ass and let some jew come and take over ur house and let u and ur family live in slums. palestinians enjoy that so i’m sure u’d enjoy it aswell. :k:
its funny how canadians think they are 'loved' throughout the world. The people who have an agenda against the west, consider 'canada' as a possible target.
that's disturbing indeed " took steps to acquire three tons of ammonium nitrate", that's quite void:(
from complaince officers in europe i know it's more dangerous to send money to relatives in afghanistan/pakistan than to launder money from drug traffic and other crimes because having links to afghanistan is "terrorsit" while killing, drug traffic, slave traffic and prostitution" is not dangerous as long as no afghan/pakistani/irani/arab is involved:D
they have given Canadian Immigration to so many mullah type people from Pakistan and elsewhere,what do they expect?.i know a whole mullah family out there who are anti-west,anti-shiah and what not,a lot of their friends n family here are getting sponsored by them for canadian immigration.
hmmm. WHAT attack? These idiots gathered 3 TONS of ammonium nitrate and electronic timing devices and I'm ASSUMING that they werent planning to fertilize their farm on timers with it yeah? Anyway....what did these big brave warriors accomplish? They got their sorry asses thrown in the slammer and have the Canadians more sharply on the lookout for more of these idiots. If you think they're shaking in their boots and running to change their foreign policy due to this, you're smoking some pretty good sheet.
from complaince officers in europe i know it's more dangerous to send money to relatives in afghanistan/pakistan than to launder money from drug traffic and other crimes because having links to afghanistan is "terrorsit" while killing, drug traffic, slave traffic and prostitution" is not dangerous as long as no afghan/pakistani/irani/arab is involved:D
M2k, why is it that in every thread in WA you are acting as a representative of the Jews and the Isrealites. Do you ever get tired of repeating the same old banter?
Great way to derail the topic of this thread and hijack it.
Last I heard they found Ammonium Nitrate, a handgun and a voltmeter...
How does this constitute a 'terror plot' 'attack against way of life, freedoms, Canada' and all that jizz from the propaganda handbook and furthermore, how does that equate to foiling it?
Oh...The people in posession of it have Muslim names...What more proof could we want to fry them?
Last I heard they found Ammonium Nitrate, a handgun and a voltmeter...
How does this constitute a 'terror plot' 'attack against way of life, freedoms, Canada' and all that jizz from the propaganda handbook and furthermore, how does that equate to foiling it?
Oh...The people in posession of it have Muslim names...What more proof could we want to fry them?
its an ongoing investigation, so lets see where it leads
but personally, its nothing more than a bunch of guys who were bored and watched the deaths in iraq and tried to something stupid...
First of all Mr Lajo, the people arrested havent been thrown into a deep fryer, at least not yet. They will get their fair day in court, its a democratic society there - no kangaroo court etc. A jury will decide their fates I think....
Anyway, that must be a pretty HUGE farm they got if they needed 3 TONS of ammonium nitrate....how will they EVER find the time to tour those gov't buildings that they so carefully obtained maps of for their "vacations"???? I guess thats why they wanted timing devices....let that huge farm fertilize itself on timers while they take their tours of those buildings they so badly want to see.
