by Christian Legeais, spokesperson for Comité Justice pour Mohamed Harkat Source: Comité Justice pour Mohamed Harkat URL: N/A Date: 15 février, 2010 À vous tous qui ont assité aux audiences, nous vous remercions de votre solidarité et surtout de ce que vous avez tranmis dans votre entourage sur l'iniquité du certificat de sécurité. Ces audiences sont la partie publique d'un procès secret. Le contexte est toujours et encore le certificat de sécurité qui repose sur la violation des droits, sur la propabilité, l'impunité des services secrets au nom de la sécurité nationale, les allégations au lieu de faits. Comme vous le savez, le certificat de sécurité est injuste aux yeux de tous et inconstitutionel, y compris pour la cour suprême du Canada. Votre appui est crucial. Nous vous invitons tous à: - être présent le 8 mars à la cour fédérale pour manifester votre appui et solidarité avec Mohamed Harkat, votre opposition au certificat de sécurité et aux procés secrets au Canada - informer vos amis, familles, comunautés, députés, réseaux, médias, institutions sur l'injustice du certificat de sécurité et de ses conséquences pour Mohamed Harkat, Mahmoud Jaballah, Mohammad Majhoub: la déportation vers la torture, la disparition ou la mort. - tenir des réunions ou rencontres d'information pour rencontrer le Comité justice pour Mohamed Harkat et vous informer. -faire un don. info. au www.justiceforharkat.com

Merci, Christian Legeais, porte parole Comité Justice pour Mohamed Harkat

by Jeff Sallot Source: PRISM Magazine URL: [link] Date: February 17, 2010 The Know-Nothing Witness Against Mohammed Harkat [sic]

The strange case of Mohamed Harkat, a pizza deliveryman who has been labeled a national security threat by the federal government, plays out in the wood-paneled grandeur of the east courtroom of the Supreme Court of Canada building. Mr. Harkat, 42, a short man with close-cropped dark hair, enters the courtroom each morning almost unnoticed. He walks with a slight limp, the result of a childhood accident. He sits quietly in the first row of the spectators’ section as up to eight different lawyers, a string of witnesses who have never met him, and others talk about him. The four government lawyers sit at tables cluttered with stacks of transcripts, exhibit books and other documents. Thirteen cardboard boxes the size of orange crates were used to haul the government’s Harkat files into the room. And these are only the declassified records. The government says it has other, secret records it cannot bring into a public courtroom because of a risk to national security.

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by The Canadian Press Source: The News (New Glasgow, Nova Scotia) URL: [link] Date: February 10, 2010 Alleged terrorist Harkat doesn’t appear to have concealed much, expert says

OTTAWA — A perceived lack of evidence about the activities of an alleged terrorist could be the result of the accused man keeping secrets about his past, a government lawyer suggested Wednesday. David Tyndale, lead counsel for Citizenship and Immigration Canada, asked terrorism expert Wesley Wark if it was possible Mohamed Harkat, an Algerian-born Ottawa man, has not been forthcoming about who he knows and what he’s done since his arrival in Canada in 1995. “Could it be that facts about the life of Mr. Harkat are not known because he’s concealing something?” asked Tyndale. “In the reading of his actions since he’s been in Canada, it doesn’t appear he concealed much,” said Wark. Officials from Citizenship and Immigration are seeking to have Harkat deported back to his native Algeria based on a report by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service that suggests Harkat was sent to Canada by Osama bin Laden and al-Qaida to be a sleeper agent.

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by Terri Saunders
Source: The Ottawa Sun
URL: [link]
Date: February 9, 2010 8:09PM


The Canadian government had little concrete evidence when it declared an Ottawa man a national security threat, an intelligence expert suggested Tuesday.

Wesley Wark, an expert in international intelligence and security, told a federal court he believes officials with the Canadian Security Intelligence Service had little to go on when they arrested and jailed Mohamed Harkat in 2002 and kept him in jail for three-and-a-half years on a security certificate.

CSIS officials have already testified they considered Harkat, an Algerian native who came to Canada as a refugee in 1995, a threat to national security based on information Harkat had ties to international terrorist organizations such as an Egyptian Islamic group, Le Groupe Islamique Arme (GIA) and Al-Qaida.

Wark said the CSIS report that forms the basis of the government’s case against Harkat contains “no concrete evidence” Harkat was associated with any known terrorist organizations, pointing out some of their allegations against him are based solely on media reports.

“It’s like trying to grab at thin air,” said Wark. “It’s a paper trail you can’t follow.”

Wark pointed to one source the CSIS report cites to show Harkat’s connection to the Egyptian group known as AGAI — an Italian news article which reported an address book found at a safehouse during an investigation into a French terror cell contained the name Mohamed Adnani, one of the names CSIS claims Harkat used as an alias.

Wark said he found nothing in the report which proved such an allegation.

“There’s no explanation as to why they believe Adnani and Harkat are one and the same person,” said Wark. “Harkat never spent time in Egypt. How he would have become a member of AGAI is not explained.”

Wark also suggested the government’s assertions Harkat was sent to Canada as an Al-Qaida sleeper agent are not supported by evidence. He said there’s no clear link between Harkat and Osama Bin Laden’s core network or any affiliated terrorist groups.

“Very little evidence has come to light in the post-9/11 world that sleeper cells do exist,” said Wark. “The fear they might exist is understandable, but evidence is an entirely different thing. With time, you have to wonder if that fear was reasonable.”

terri.saunders ATsunmedia.ca

Copyright © 2010 Ottawa Sun All Rights Reserved.

by Terri Saunders, QMI Agency
Source: The North Bay Nugget
URL: [link]
Date: February 9, 2010


There's next to no evidence terrorist groups like Al-Qaida train and deploy sleeper agents to countries around the world, an intelligence expert told a federal court Monday.

Thomas Quiggin, a contract intelligence analyst, testified as part of hearings to determine the validity of a security certificate issued against Mohamed Harkat by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service.

The agency has alleged Harkat is a sleeper agent planted in Canada by Al-Qaida in the mid-1990s. Harkat, who is originally from Algeria, has denied involvement with any terrorist organizations.

Quiggin said Monday there has been no concrete proof any terrorist plots in recent memory have been carried out with the aid of trained sleeper agents sent around the world to await instructions before carrying out or facilitating acts of violence.

If they (terrorism groups) spent time and money and effort developing sleeper agents, why aren't they using them?" Quiggin asked. There is no evidence of sleeper agents being employed."

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Source: Radio-Canada URL: [link] Date: 8 février 2010 ========= Voir aussi: AUDIO: Le reportage de René Hardy

========= Thomas Quiggin, le premier témoin expert de la défense dans l'affaire Mohamed Harkat a été entendu lundi en Cour fédérale à Ottawa. Il a tenté de démontrer que M. Harkat, soupçonné d'activités terroristes, n'a pas le profil d'un agent dormant du réseau terroriste Al-Qaïda, comme le prétendent les autorités canadiennes. Le Dr Martin Rudner, un témoin expert de la Couronne, a soutenu la semaine dernière que les liens de Mohamed Harkat avec des groupes liés de près ou de loin au réseau de Ben Laden sont évidents. Le spécialiste en sécurité nationale et terrorisme Thomas Quiggin a plutôt remis en doute l'existence même des cellules dormantes du réseau terroriste Al-Qaïda. Selon le témoin expert de la défense, la majorité des attentats terroristes dans le monde ou des attentats déjoués ont été exécutés par des terroristes ou encore par des gens qui ont embrassé l'idéologie de Ben Laden. Contre-interrogé par la Couronne, l'expert a dû défendre sa thèse. La Couronne a fait des liens entre le Front islamique du salut (FIS), un parti politique dont Harkat a reconnu avoir été partisan, et le groupe islamique armé (GIA), dont certains partisans ont glissé vers des activités terroristes. Plus tard cette semaine, Wesley Wark, un expert en sécurité nationale, souvent intervenu sur la place publique pour dénoncer la procédure des certificats de sécurité, témoignera en faveur de Mohamed Harkat. Le tribunal se penche depuis la fin janvier sur la validité du certificat de sécurité émis contre Mohamed Harkat en décembre 2002. Les autorités canadiennes soupçonnent l'ex-livreur de pizza d'être un agent dormant du réseau terroriste Al-Qaïda, ce qu'il a toujours nié. TOUS DROITS RÉSERVÉS © CBC/RADIO-CANADA 2010.

by Aedan Helmer Source: The Ottawa Sun URL: [link] Date: February 4, 2010 ================= See also: VIDEO REPORT : "Harkat Testimony"

================= Insists he fled Algeria fearing arrest, not to join mujahedeen

Accused terror “sleeper agent” Mohamed Harkat refuted allegations from government lawyers that he fabricated testimony to cover up his participation in a jihad during the first full day of cross examination Wednesday. David Tyndale, lead counsel for Citizenship and Immigration, which is seeking to deport Harkat to his native Algeria, repeatedly suggested to Harkat that the sworn account of his flight from Algeria through Saudi Arabia into Pakistan was “incredibly unlikely” and “implausible.” During testimony on Monday, court heard that Harkat, fearing arrest based on his association with the Islamic Salvation Front (FIS) political party in Algeria, dropped out of university, went into hiding and fled the country in 1990. According to Harkat, he left the country with his entire $250 US savings in his pocket and the telephone numbers of Saudi contacts provided by a fellow student with ties to FIS. “The only thing I start thinking about is to get out of my country,” Harkat testified.

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by Mohammed Adam Source: The Ottawa Citizen URL: Date: February 4, 2010 Suspected terrorist rejects accusation he cooked up plan to join jihad

Mohamed Harkat Wednesday rejected a government assertion that his flight from Algeria in 1989 to Saudi Arabia to escape arrest was really part of an elaborate plan to become a jihadist. Government lawyer David Tyndale, during cross-examination of the former Ottawa gas station attendant, suggested Harkat was never in danger in Algeria, but cooked up the escape plan as a cover for his Afghan adventure. Harkat said it made no sense for him to quit university where he was studying to be an engineer, and give up a promising life. He insisted his was life in danger then, as, he said, it is now if he ends up in his homeland. "I will get arrested and I will pay the price," he said.

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by Mohammed Adam
Source: The Ottawa Citizen
URL: [link]
Date: February 4, 2010


OTTAWA — Federal Judge Simon Noël Thursday denied Mohamed Harkat’s special advocate permission to speak on security certificates at a Toronto law conference this month, citing national security.

Paul Copeland, who represents Harkat in the closed hearings where sensitive information on national security is discussed, cannot speak publicly about the case without permission from Noël. In December, Copeland asked the court for permission to speak about the public phase of the Harkat hearing at the annual conference of the Law Union of Ontario, of which he is a founding member. The Toronto lawyer, who has been practising for more than 40 years, promised “not to discuss any aspect of the closed hearings or evidence that was regarded as subject to national security confidentiality.”

Government lawyers objected, saying Copeland could inadvertently revealed sensitive information that could harm national security. They pointed out that the speakers include Barbara Jackman who represents two people whose security certificate hearing is to begin soon. As well, Hassan Almrei, whose security certificate was quashed recently, had been invited to speak, even though he had not confirmed his participation. Copeland also acted as special advocate for Almrei.

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by Aedan Helmer, QMI Agency
Source: CANOE.CA CNEWS
URL: [link]
Date: February 3, 2010


OTTAWA - Accused terror "sleeper agent" Mohamed Harkat refuted allegations from government lawyers that he fabricated testimony to cover up his participation in a jihad during the first full day of cross-examination Wednesday.

David Tyndale, lead counsel for Citizenship and Immigration, which is seeking to deport Harkat to his native Algeria, repeatedly suggested to Harkat that the sworn account of his flight from Algeria through Saudi Arabia into Pakistan was "incredibly unlikely" and "implausible."

During testimony on Monday, court heard that Harkat, fearing arrest based on his association with the Islamic Salvation Front (FIS) political party in Algeria, dropped out of university, went into hiding and fled the country in 1990.

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