by Mohammed Adam
The Ottawa Citizen
URL: [link]
Date: February 1, 2010

[PHOTO: Mohamed Harkat chats with supporters during a break in proceedings at the Supreme Court of Canada, where his testimony began in the Security Certificate Hearing on Monday.]

OTTAWA — Mohamed Harkat took the stand Monday and denied ever running a safe house for Islamic extremists in Pakistan.

Led in evidence by lawyer Matt Webber, Harkat also said he never met or worked for Ahmed Said Khadr — a close ally of Osama bin Laden — in Pakistan. "I never worked for Khadr, I never met him in Pakistan," Harkat added.

Nor did he ever go to Afghanistan, he told the court.

"Never, never happened," when asked if he ran the guest house in the city of Peshawar for Ibn Khattab, whom CSIS says was a terrorist when he was alive.

Judge Simon Noel is presiding over a federal court hearing to decide if the government was right to detain Harkat under a security certificate as a security threat.

Harkat, 41, testified that he went to Peshawar because he feared for his life in Algeria. Once there, he worked for a charity known as Muslim World League, which he left in 1994 because Pakistani authorities asked nationals of Algeria, Egypt and Tunisia to leave the country.

The government says Harkat came to Canada in 1995 as a sleeper-agent for the Bin Laden network, a loose alliance of extremists groups and individuals, to await orders. It also alleges he also knew or associated with known extremists, including alleged 9/11 mastermind Abu Zubaydah.

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by Naseem Mithoowani, Special to QMI Agency
Source: The London Free Press
URL: [link]
Date: January 25, 2010


Recently, Federal Court Judge Richard Mosley released a landmark 182-page decision in the case of Hassan Almrei, an individual who has spent much of the past eight years in detention, on the basis of a security certificate.

Security certificates allow our federal government to deport non-citizens who appear to pose a risk to national security, except where they would face almost certain torture or death in their home country. In these cases, individuals face indefinite detention without the benefit of typical legal protections, including an open trial. Problematically, the security certificate process relies heavily on secret evidence gathered by CSIS, Canada's spy agency.

Although Almrei remained unaware of the secret evidence against him, Mosley was able to review the entire case justifying his detention. Mosley ultimately reached the conclusion that Almrei "has not engaged in terrorism and is not and was not a member of an organization that . . . has, does or will engage in terrorism. I find that there are no reasonable grounds to believe that Hassan Almrei is today, a danger to the security of Canada."

This unequivocal conclusion begs the question: How could Almrei have been kept in jail for nearly eight years, if the case against him can be so confidently dismissed?

The answer lies in the extraordinary measures that CSIS took to deceive the court. The decision describes CSIS's many underhanded tactics, including failing to disclose exculpatory evidence and relying on outdated and unreliable evidence to support its position, without verifying accuracy.

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by Mohammed Adam
Source: The Ottawa Citizen
URL: [link]
Date: January 25, 2010


OTTAWA — The Canadian Security Intelligence Agency has no evidence to suggest Mohamed Harkat was part of a terrorist cell or group, a senior agent said Monday.

On the final day of cross-examination by Harkat’s lawyer Matt Webb, the agent known as John agreed that while the Bin Laden network operates in cells of one or more people, CSIS is not saying that the Algerian immigrant is part of such a cell or group.

“We do not make that kind of allegation. It is not alleged that he (Harkat) was part of any cell structure,” John told an Ottawa federal court.

John also said while operatives of the Bin Laden network have a high degree of sophistication in security techniques such as code language, counter-surveillance and use of different communication tools, Harkat did not have any such skills.

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by The Canadian Press
Source: The Toronto Star
URL; [link]
Date: Saturday, January 23, 2010


OTTAWA – A lawyer for terror suspect Mohamed Harkat says the Algerian's one-time gambling problem doesn't fit the mould of an Islamic extremist trying to keep a low profile.

Matt Webber told a Federal Court hearing Friday that an Al Qaeda sleeper agent would hardly want to attract attention by racking up losses at a West Quebec casino.

Under questioning, a Canadian Security Intelligence Service officer, identified only as John, said gambling is a disease that can strike anyone.

"Gambling is un-Islamic," he conceded, but said many unlikely individuals become caught up to their misfortune.

During a week in which defence lawyers cross-examined the CSIS officer, two conflicting pictures of Harkat emerged.

The government alleges Harkat, arrested seven years ago, is a terrorist sleeper agent who was quietly advancing the goals of the Osama bin Laden network.

Harkat's lawyers paint him as a refugee who fled strife-torn Algeria and worked with an aid agency in Pakistan before his 1995 arrival in Canada, where he married and has tried to live a normal life.

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by Mohammed Adam Source: The Ottawa Citizen URL: [link] Date: January 23, 2010 'He has come to official attention,' CSIS agent testifies

The Canadian Security Intelligence Service doesn't believe Mohamed Harkat is much of a sleeper-agent anymore, given everything he has gone through in Canada, a senior security agent said Friday. Under cross-examination by Harkat's lawyers, the CSIS agent known as John told a federal court sustained scrutiny by Canadian security agencies and the Algerian immigrant's detention under a security certificate has basically neutered him. "I don't imagine he'll be able to act as a sleeper the way he could have acted in the early '90s. ... He has come to official attention so he can no longer be considered a sleeper in that sense," John said. "There is no recent information about Mr. Harkat having engaged in threat-related activities -- I mean as a threat to the security of Canada." CSIS alleges that when Harkat came to Canada in 1995, it was solely as a sleeper-agent for the Bin Laden network, a loose alliance of extremist groups and individuals who subscribe to the al-Qaeda leader's philosophy of global jihad and terror, but is separate from the al-Qaeda organization. Sleepers like Harkat establish themselves in communities, build an infrastructure and set up the groundwork for an attack. The CSIS agent acknowledged the security service has not indicated, at least in the public record, what organization Harkat is a sleeper for, and what his task might be. Harkat faces deportation to Algeria if federal judge Simon Noël finds that the government is right to detain him under the security certificate because he is a threat to the country. The former Ottawa pizza delivery man has always denied he is a terrorist or sleeper agent. On the fourth full day of questioning, John maintained that the government was right to declare the Ottawa man a national security threat not only because of his association with extremist groups in Pakistan, but also with known Islamic extremists in Canada, including Ahmed Said Khadr, a close associate of Osama bin Laden. Harkat's lawyer, Matt Webber, challenged the government contention that Harkat was a sleeper planted in Canada to await instructions. He said sleepers by nature avoid the spotlight and make sure they don't do anything to attract attention or bring them into contact with the authorities. © Copyright (c) The Ottawa Citizen

by Mohammed Adam Source: The Ottawa Citizen URL: [link] Date: January 22, 2010 Mujahedeen leader in Almrei case 'not a terrorist,' judge found

A man the Canadian Security Intelligence Service considers a dangerous Islamic extremist -- and for whom Mohamed Harkat is said to have worked as a chauffeur -- was not a terrorist nor was he a member of Osama bin Laden's network, according to a Federal Court judge. In a recent judgment quashing the security certificate against Syrian-born immigrant Hassan Almrei, Justice Richard Mosley rejected CSIS's allegation that the late "mujahedeen" leader Ibn Khattab, with whom Almrei was also associated, was a terrorist. The judge acknowledged that there are reasonable grounds for others to disagree. "The weight of the evidence before me in this case, favours a finding that he was not a terrorist in his own right or a terrorist patron," Mosley wrote. "The information and evidence presented in this case, does not, in my opinion, support a finding that Khattab was a member of the bin Laden network." The Mosley decision was raised by Harkat's defence lawyers during the cross-examination of a CSIS agent Thursday, who is known only as John to protect his identity.

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By Donna Casey, QMI Agency
Source: CNEWS Network
URL: [link]
Date: January 22, 2010

OTTTAWA - A senior CSIS agent denied a suggestion Friday that the spy agency was “coming up short” with its claims that Mohamed Harkat is an al-Qaida sleeper agent.

In his fifth day of cross-examination at the Ottawa man’s security certificate hearing in Federal Court, the CSIS agent — identified only as “John” — defended the spy service’s conclusion identifying the one-time pizza deliveryman as a sleeper agent ready to do the bidding of an Islamic extremist network.

While “John” told defence lawyer Matt Webber that CSIS hasn’t pinpointed what specific organization Harkat allegedly answers to, Harkat’s use of an alias, a fake passport and other intelligence points to his role as a sleeper agent.

“Ultimately, it’s a judgment call and the service concluded he was a sleeper,” said “John.”

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by The Canadian Press
Source: CBC News
URL: [link]
Date: January 23, 2010


A lawyer for terror suspect Mohamed Harkat says the Algerian's one-time gambling problem doesn't fit the mould of an Islamic extremist trying to keep a low profile.

Matt Webber told a Federal Court hearing Friday that an al-Qaeda sleeper agent would hardly want to attract attention by racking up large losses at a Quebec casino.

Under questioning, a Canadian Security Intelligence Service officer, known only as John to protect his identity, said gambling is a disease that can strike anyone.

"Gambling is un-Islamic," he conceded. But he added that many individuals gamble to the detriment of their personal well-being. "It can strike people regardless of other aspects of their lives."

During a week in which defence lawyers cross-examined the CSIS officer on a host of allegations about their client, two distinct pictures of Harkat emerged.

The government alleges that Harkat, a former pizza delivery man and gas station attendant, is a terrorist sleeper agent with ties to Islamic extremists, quietly advancing the goals of Osama bin Laden's terror network.

Harkat's lawyers paint him as a refugee who fled strife-torn Algeria and worked with an aid agency in Pakistan before arriving in 1995 in Canada, where he married and has tried to live a normal life.

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by Mohammed Adam, Canwest News Service
Source: The Montreal Gazette
URL: [link]
Date: January 22, 2010


OTTAWA — The Canadian Security Intelligence Service doesn't believe Mohamed Harkat is much of a sleeper agent anymore, given everything he's gone through in Canada, a senior security agent said Friday.

Under cross-examination by Harkat's lawyers, the CSIS agent — known as John — told a federal court sustained scrutiny by Canadian security agencies and the Algerian immigrant's detention under a security certificate has basically neutered him.

"I don't imagine he'll be able to act as a sleeper the way he could have acted in the early '90s . . . He has come to official attention so he can no longer be considered a sleeper in that sense," John said.

"There is no recent information about Mr. Harkat having engaged in threat-related activities. I mean, as a threat to the security of Canada."

CSIS alleges that when Harkat came to Canada in 1995, it was solely as a sleeper agent for the Bin Laden network, a loose alliance of extremists groups and individuals who subscribe to the al-Qaida leader's philosophy of global jihad and terror — but is separate from the al-Qaida organization.

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by Donna Casey
Source: The Ottawa Sun
URL: [link]
Date: January 22, 2010, 1:47pm


A senior CSIS official told a federal court Friday that he "muddled up" a timeline in previous testimony that put alleged terrorist Mohamed Harkat on a Toronto-bound road trip with high-profile Canadian al-Qaida operative Ahmed Said Khadr.

In his fifth day of cross-examination at Harkat's security certificate hearing, the agent identified only as "John" told defence lawyer Matt Webber he incorrectly mixed up the chronology of Harkat's admitted van trip with Khadr a few weeks after Harakat's arrival in Canada in October 1995.

"It's not that I didn't know the details. I simply muddled it when I was testifying on the stand," said "John", acknowledging he had incorrectly testified in November 2008 that Khadr had already been arrested on terrorism charges when he took the van trip with Harkat.

"John" said his error occurred to him a few days after his testimony but he didn't inform lawyers representing the federal immigration ministry, which is seeking Harkat's deportation to his native Algeria.

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