Original author: Michelle Shephard
Source: The Toronto Star onlnie
URL: [link] (subscribers only)
Date: November 6, 2004
Government reveals little of case against terror suspect
Lawyers challenging secret process used for detainees
It's often referred to as a quasi-judicial procedure, but even that definition might be generous when describing Mohamed Harkat's day in court last month in Ottawa.
There was little that resembled a traditional legal hearing when the Algerian refugee, one of five men currently accused by the federal government of belonging to a terrorist organization, took the stand to profess his innocence.
Harkat's defence consisted only of simple denials of the chilling accusations levelled by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service.
"No sir" or "never, ever" were his answers when asked if he was an Al Qaeda sleeper agent or a supporter of violent Islamic fundamentalism.
The government did not call any witnesses to bolster the case it laid out in a 40-page summary at the time of Harkat's arrest.
[ Read the rest ... ]
Terror court hearing: one defendant, no witnesses
posted on November 07, 2004 | in Category Mohamed Harkat | PermaLinkTerror ties out of the question
posted on November 04, 2004 | in Category Mohamed Harkat | PermaLink
Original author: Andrew Seymour
Source: The Ottawa Sun online
URL: N/A
Date: October 29, 2004
Feds avoid quizzing Harkat on al-Qaida
Government lawyers took little more than an hour to cross-examine alleged terrorist Mohamed Harkat yesterday, avoiding any direct allegations of terrorist activity and focusing their questions on where Harkat got his money to travel and a pair of lies he told CSIS agents. Although government lawyer James Matheson asked about Harkat's five years in an Afghan refugee camp in Pakistan, he did not ask any questions about Abu Zubaydah, a top al-Qaida lieutenant who CSIS alleges identified Harkat as the proprietor of a Pakistani guest house for mujahedeen fighters following his capture in March 2002.
[ Read the rest ... ]
Government lawyers took little more than an hour to cross-examine alleged terrorist Mohamed Harkat yesterday, avoiding any direct allegations of terrorist activity and focusing their questions on where Harkat got his money to travel and a pair of lies he told CSIS agents. Although government lawyer James Matheson asked about Harkat's five years in an Afghan refugee camp in Pakistan, he did not ask any questions about Abu Zubaydah, a top al-Qaida lieutenant who CSIS alleges identified Harkat as the proprietor of a Pakistani guest house for mujahedeen fighters following his capture in March 2002.
[ Read the rest ... ]
Terror suspect's trial hears of funds to buy passport
posted on November 03, 2004 | in Category Mohamed Harkat | PermaLink
Original author: Canadian Press (CP)
Source: The Globe and Mail online
URL: [link]
Date: October 29, 2004
Ottawa - Mohamed Harkat, an Ottawa man accused of being an al-Qaeda sleeper agent, was grilled yesterday about where he got $1,200 (U.S.) to buy the fake passport he used to enter Canada.
Crown counsel James Mathieson questioned whether Mr. Harkat could have saved a total of $18,000 (U.S.) working at a charitable organization in Pakistan in the early 1990s.
The government is trying to deport the 36-year-old man, a refugee from Algeria, under a national security certificate because the Canadian Security Intelligence Service says he is an Islamic extremist and collaborator with Osama bin Laden's terrorist network.
Proceedings adjourned yesterday until Dec. 6.
[ Read the rest ... ]
Source: The Globe and Mail online
URL: [link]
Date: October 29, 2004
Ottawa - Mohamed Harkat, an Ottawa man accused of being an al-Qaeda sleeper agent, was grilled yesterday about where he got $1,200 (U.S.) to buy the fake passport he used to enter Canada.
Crown counsel James Mathieson questioned whether Mr. Harkat could have saved a total of $18,000 (U.S.) working at a charitable organization in Pakistan in the early 1990s.
The government is trying to deport the 36-year-old man, a refugee from Algeria, under a national security certificate because the Canadian Security Intelligence Service says he is an Islamic extremist and collaborator with Osama bin Laden's terrorist network.
Proceedings adjourned yesterday until Dec. 6.
[ Read the rest ... ]
Terror suspect says he lost 18,000 dollars at casino
posted on November 03, 2004 | in Category Mohamed Harkat | PermaLink
Original author: Andrew Duffy
Source: The Ottawa Citizen
URL: N/A
Date: October 29, 2004
Harkat tells hearing about money borrowed from Pakistani friend
Accused terrorist Mohamed Harkat says his gambling addiction was so serious that he once lost 18,000 dollars at the Casino du Lac-Leamy and had himself banned from the facility. His admission came yesterday as government lawyer James Mathieson questioned him about the circumstances surrounding an 18,000 dollar loan he received from a friend in Peshawar, Pakistan, identified only as Mokhtar.
[ Read the rest ... ]
Accused terrorist Mohamed Harkat says his gambling addiction was so serious that he once lost 18,000 dollars at the Casino du Lac-Leamy and had himself banned from the facility. His admission came yesterday as government lawyer James Mathieson questioned him about the circumstances surrounding an 18,000 dollar loan he received from a friend in Peshawar, Pakistan, identified only as Mokhtar.
[ Read the rest ... ]
Ottawa terror suspect quizzed on fake passport
posted on November 02, 2004 | in Category Mohamed Harkat | PermaLink
Original author: Canadian Press (CP)
Source CTV News online - CTV.CA
URL: [link]
Date: October 28, 2004
OTTAWA - Mohamed Harkat, an Ottawa man accused of being an al-Qaida sleeper agent, was grilled Thursday about where he got $1,200 US to buy the fake passport he used to enter Canada.
Crown counsel James Mathieson questioned whether Harkat could have saved up a total of $18,000 US working at a charitable organization in Pakistan in the early 1990s.
"That's pretty good money for that part of the world, isn't it?'' Mathieson asked Harkat during the Federal Court of Canada hearing.
The government is trying to deport the 36-year-old Harkat, a refugee from Algeria, under a national security certificate based on information collected by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service.
[ Read the rest ... ]
Source CTV News online - CTV.CA
URL: [link]
Date: October 28, 2004
OTTAWA - Mohamed Harkat, an Ottawa man accused of being an al-Qaida sleeper agent, was grilled Thursday about where he got $1,200 US to buy the fake passport he used to enter Canada.
Crown counsel James Mathieson questioned whether Harkat could have saved up a total of $18,000 US working at a charitable organization in Pakistan in the early 1990s.
"That's pretty good money for that part of the world, isn't it?'' Mathieson asked Harkat during the Federal Court of Canada hearing.
The government is trying to deport the 36-year-old Harkat, a refugee from Algeria, under a national security certificate based on information collected by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service.
[ Read the rest ... ]
La crédibilité du SCRS mise en doute
posted on November 02, 2004 | in Category Mohamed Harkat | PermaLink
Original author: N/A
Source: RCI
URL: [link]
Date: 26 octobre 2004
Les avocats de Mohamed Harkat, un résident d'Ottawa soupçonné d'appartenir à une organisation terroriste, ont émis des doutes lundi sur la crédibilité et la compétence des agents du Service canadien du renseignement de sécurité.
Au premier jour du procès de Harkat, Me Paul Copeland a soutenu devant la juge fédérale Eleanor Dawson que les agents du SCRS sont parfois mal informés ou ne comprennent pas les communautés ethniques où ils effectuent des cueillettes de renseignements.
L'avocat a déposé trois rapports du Comité de surveillance des activités de renseignement de sécurité, un organisme gouvernemental, qui sont critiques envers le SCRC, notamment pour le cas de Maher Arar.
[ Read the rest ... ]
Source: RCI
URL: [link]
Date: 26 octobre 2004
Les avocats de Mohamed Harkat, un résident d'Ottawa soupçonné d'appartenir à une organisation terroriste, ont émis des doutes lundi sur la crédibilité et la compétence des agents du Service canadien du renseignement de sécurité.
Au premier jour du procès de Harkat, Me Paul Copeland a soutenu devant la juge fédérale Eleanor Dawson que les agents du SCRS sont parfois mal informés ou ne comprennent pas les communautés ethniques où ils effectuent des cueillettes de renseignements.
L'avocat a déposé trois rapports du Comité de surveillance des activités de renseignement de sécurité, un organisme gouvernemental, qui sont critiques envers le SCRC, notamment pour le cas de Maher Arar.
[ Read the rest ... ]
Defence slams Harkat hearing secrecy
posted on October 30, 2004 | in Category | PermaLink
Original author: CBC News Staff
Source: CBC News Online
URL: [link]
Date: October 29, 2004
OTTAWA - The first week of a special judicial hearing for accused terrorist Mohamed Harkat has ended. Lawyers for the Crown needed only two hours to cross-examine him, Thursday. Their case didn't take long, because much of the trial is being conducted in secret.
Defence lawyer Paul Copeland says both he and his client are in the dark about the real case against Harkat.
[ Read the rest ... ]
Source: CBC News Online
URL: [link]
Date: October 29, 2004
OTTAWA - The first week of a special judicial hearing for accused terrorist Mohamed Harkat has ended. Lawyers for the Crown needed only two hours to cross-examine him, Thursday. Their case didn't take long, because much of the trial is being conducted in secret.
Defence lawyer Paul Copeland says both he and his client are in the dark about the real case against Harkat.
[ Read the rest ... ]
Ottawa man grilled about buying fake passport
posted on October 29, 2004 | in Category Mohamed Harkat | PermaLink
Original author: CP
Source: The Globe and Mail online
URL: [link]
Date: October 28, 2004
Ottawa - Mohamed Harkat, an Ottawa man accused of being an al-Qaeda sleeper agent, was grilled Thursday about where he got $1,200 (U.S.) to buy a fake passport that he used to enter Canada.
Crown counsel James Mathieson questioned whether Mr. Harkat could have saved up a total of $18,000 US working at a charitable organization in Pakistan in the early 1990s.
"That's pretty good money for that part of the world, isn't it?" Mr. Mathieson asked Mr. Harkat during the Federal Court of Canada hearing.
The government is trying to deport the 36-year-old Mr. Harkat, a refugee from Algeria, under a national-security certificate based on information collected by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service.
[ Read the rest ... ]
Source: The Globe and Mail online
URL: [link]
Date: October 28, 2004
Ottawa - Mohamed Harkat, an Ottawa man accused of being an al-Qaeda sleeper agent, was grilled Thursday about where he got $1,200 (U.S.) to buy a fake passport that he used to enter Canada.
Crown counsel James Mathieson questioned whether Mr. Harkat could have saved up a total of $18,000 US working at a charitable organization in Pakistan in the early 1990s.
"That's pretty good money for that part of the world, isn't it?" Mr. Mathieson asked Mr. Harkat during the Federal Court of Canada hearing.
The government is trying to deport the 36-year-old Mr. Harkat, a refugee from Algeria, under a national-security certificate based on information collected by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service.
[ Read the rest ... ]
Harkat finally gets his day in court
posted on October 29, 2004 | in Category Mohamed Harkat | PermaLink
Original author: N/A
Source: CBC.CA
URL: [link]
Date: October 28 2004
OTTAWA - The wife of accused terrorist Mohamed Harkat says she was pleased with the way things went when he got his first-ever chance to tell his story in court, Wednesday.
Sophie Harkat says, "He told me he's innocent. So that's how he portrayed himself. He looked like an innocent man. I believe he still does have an ounce of faith in the system - that he will get out. He does. I don't."
She says she has no faith in the security-certificate system, which allows the Canadian government to jail foreigners without charging them, if it thinks they may be a threat to national security. She says the open nature of Wednesday's hearing was meaningless, because her husband can't defend himself against evidence that the Crown will later be able to present to the judge in secret.
[ Read the rest ... ]
Source: CBC.CA
URL: [link]
Date: October 28 2004
OTTAWA - The wife of accused terrorist Mohamed Harkat says she was pleased with the way things went when he got his first-ever chance to tell his story in court, Wednesday.
Sophie Harkat says, "He told me he's innocent. So that's how he portrayed himself. He looked like an innocent man. I believe he still does have an ounce of faith in the system - that he will get out. He does. I don't."
She says she has no faith in the security-certificate system, which allows the Canadian government to jail foreigners without charging them, if it thinks they may be a threat to national security. She says the open nature of Wednesday's hearing was meaningless, because her husband can't defend himself against evidence that the Crown will later be able to present to the judge in secret.
[ Read the rest ... ]
Harkat: I'm no terrorist, just a victim of chaos
posted on October 28, 2004 | in Category Mohamed Harkat | PermaLink
Original author: Andrew Duffy
Source: The Ottawa Citizen online
URL: [link] (subscriber only)
Date: October 28, 2004
Terror suspect takes stand to deny connection to al-Qaeda
To hear him tell it, Mohamed Harkat has been the innocent victim of turbulent forces the world over: a student whose university ambitions were dashed by a political crackdown in Algeria; an aid worker who lost his job in Pakistan as Afghan refugees returned home; an asylum seeker in Canada falsely accused of being a terrorist. Mr. Harkat took to the witness stand yesterday to defend himself for the first time against government allegations that he's an al-Qaeda terrorist. He flatly denied any connection to the terrorist network.
[ Read the rest ... ]
To hear him tell it, Mohamed Harkat has been the innocent victim of turbulent forces the world over: a student whose university ambitions were dashed by a political crackdown in Algeria; an aid worker who lost his job in Pakistan as Afghan refugees returned home; an asylum seeker in Canada falsely accused of being a terrorist. Mr. Harkat took to the witness stand yesterday to defend himself for the first time against government allegations that he's an al-Qaeda terrorist. He flatly denied any connection to the terrorist network.
[ Read the rest ... ]
