Accused's lawyers slam CSIS

posted on October 27, 2004 | in Category Mohamed Harkat | PermaLink

Original author: Andrew Seymour Source: The Ottawa Sun online URL: [link] Date: October 26, 2004 Spies ill-informed, judge told

LAWYERS FOR an Ottawa man with alleged terror ties questioned the competence and credibility of Canada's national security intelligence agency yesterday. On the first day of Mohamed Harkat's security certificate hearing, lawyer Paul Copeland argued in front of Federal Judge Eleanor Dawson that members of CSIS are sometimes ill-informed and don't understand the communities they are collecting intelligence on. "I think the competence of CSIS and the ability to do their job and to prepare reports that are actually fair is significantly limited," Copeland told reporters outside court. "I can give you chapter and verse of cases I've been involved in where people who have testified haven't known what they are talking about," he said. Copeland presented three government Security Intelligence Review Committee reports that were critical of the agency, including one pertaining to the case involving Maher Arar.

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