par Hakim Arous
Source: TSA - Tout Sur l'Algerie
URL: [link]
Date: 21 janvier 2010


L'affaire de Mohamed Harkat rebondit au Canada. La Cour fédérale d’Ottawa étudie actuellement la validité du certificat de sécurité émis contre Mohamed Harkat, un citoyen canadien d'origine algérienne, soupçonné d'activités terroristes.

De plus en plus, il apparaît que la décision de placer Mohamed Harkat sous certificat de sécurité a été prise sur la base d'informations qui n'ont jamais été corroborées par les enquêteurs du Service canadien du renseignement de sécurité (SCRS).

En fait, cette affaire dure depuis sept ans maintenant. Tout commence en 2002. Mohamed Harkat, ressortissant algérien est soupçonné par les autorités canadiennes d'être un agent dormant d'Al Qaida. L'homme est présent depuis plusieurs années au Canada où, après avoir obtenu un statut de réfugié, travaille comme livreur de pizzas. Il est incarcéré dans une prison fédérale en vertu d'un « certificat de sécurité ». Cette disposition légale très controversée, permet au gouvernement d'incarcérer ou de renvoyer du pays un ressortissant étranger qui constitue une grave menace à la sécurité nationale, sans avoir à justifier publiquement des raisons de cette décision. Depuis sont instauration en 1978, elle n'a été appliquée qu'à cinq reprises, dont trois ont été annulées par les tribunaux.

Dans le cas de Mohamed Harkat, la situation se complique car ce dernier estime qu'il pourrait être victime de torture s'il rentrait en Algérie. Une crainte liée à son passé avant son installation au Canada.

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by Donna Casey, QMI Agency
Source: Canada.com CNEWS Network
URL: [link]
Date: January 21, 2010


OTTAWA -- The judge overseeing the Mohamed Harkat terrorism case said the Ottawa man knew Ahmed Said Khadr and was responsible for “specific tasks” for the high-profile Canadian al-Qaida associate.

Judge Simon Noel’s statement came during cross-examination of a CSIS agent about the spy agency’s case against Harkat, an alleged al-Qaida sleeper agent.

Harkat’s lawyers — who don’t have the top-secret classified information CSIS amassed about their client — said Harkat and Khadr both worked for different Islamic charity groups in Pakistan in the early 1990s.

However, the Federal Court judge in Harkat’s security certificate case — who has overseen closed-door hearings on the confidential CSIS information — said Thursday there’s evidence from the secret hearings that links Harkat “doing specific tasks” for Khadr and his charity, Human Concern International.

“If I could say more...but there’s a limit,” said Noel of the information that can’t be made public due to national security concerns. Noel said it’s now up to Harkat “if he decides to respond to it.”

“He knew him well enough to be trusted by Mr. Khadr to assume specific tasks,” Noel said of Harkat’s connection to Khadr before his arrival in Canada in 1995.

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by Canwest News Service
Source: Canada.com News
URL: [link]
Date: January 21, 2010


TORONTO — 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, Justice Richard Mosley rejected CSIS's allegation that the late "mujahedeen" leader Ibn Khattab was a terrorist. The ruling was made while quashing a security certificate against Syrian-born immigrant Hassan Almrei, who was also associated with Khattab.

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, known only as John, to protect his identity.

A key part of the government's contention that Harkat is a danger to national security is that while in Pakistan in the mid-1990s, he worked for Khattab, who was involved in terrorist activities. The decision by Mosley raises questions about that part of the government case against Harkat, Harkat's lawyers say.

© Copyright (c) Canwest News Service

by Mohammed Adam Source: The Ottawa Citizen URL: [link] Date: January 21, 2010 Accused Ottawa man declared false Saudi passport: lawyers

Federal Court Judge Simon Noël promised Wednesday that justice will be done in the Mohamed Harkat case, and if the Algerian immigrant accused of being an al-Qaeda sleeper agent is innocent, he'll be set free. "The truth will come out. If he is innocent, he'll be declared innocent. If there is the other alternative to consider, that will be the situation," said Noël, who is presiding over the hearing. "To me it's clear. There won't be false results coming out of this because there is too much information out." The judge gave the assurance after Harkat's lawyers complained repeatedly during the cross-examination of a CSIS agent known only as John, that they are hamstrung in their defence by lack of access to secret evidence against their client. Norm Boxall's frustration boiled over during the cross-examination, and he told the judge that he was "in a state of lack of knowledge" and could do a better job "if I knew more."

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Source: The Canadian Press
URL: [link]
Date: January 21, 2010

[PHOTO: Mohamed Harkat and wife Sophie arrive at the Supreme Court for a hearing on the validity of national security certificates against Harkat in Ottawa on Thursday, Jan. 21, 2010. Algerian-born Harkat is accused of terrorist links.]

OTTAWA — A lawyer for terror suspect Mohamed Harkat says his client's alleged declaration of loyalty to an Algerian extremist group - even if true - hardly makes him a member.

The Canadian Security Intelligence Service claims Harkat, arrested in Ottawa more than seven years ago, has ties to Islamic extremists and that he professed loyalty to Algeria's Armed Islamic Group.

Lawyer Matt Webber told a CSIS officer during a Federal Court hearing today it's hard to know what that means without more information and context.

Under cross-examination, the CSIS officer said it is significant because it indicates Harkat's support for the methods of a violent terrorist organization.

The government is trying to deport Harkat under a national security certificate, a rarely employed immigration provision.

The former gas-station attendant and pizza delivery man denies involvement with terrorism.

Copyright © 2010 The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

by Donna Casey, QMI Agency
Source: The North Bay Nugget
URL: [link]
Date: January 21, 2010


The judge in the Mohamed Harkat terrorism case says there's "ample evidence" from closed-door secret hearings to mount a defence for the alleged al-Qaida sleeper agent.

Answering concerns from Harkat's lawyers about their lack of access to classified security documents, Judge Simon Noel acknowledged their challenge.

I sympathize with you all," Noel told the defence. It's a tough situation to be in."

However, the Federal Court judge reassured the defence team the truth about Harkat's case will eventually come out.

The truth is, if he's innocent, he will be declared innocent," said Noel, who oversaw in-camera hearings last year looking at confidential CSIS evidence collected against Harkat.

Matt Webber, Harkat's lawyer, argued the security certificate process -- under which the federal immigration department arrested the Algerian-born pizza deliveryman in 2002 -- keeps evidence from the defence, forcing the accused to only give blanket denials.

But during the third day of public hearings, Noel told Webber "there's just too much information out now" for Harkat's lawyers to claim a crippled defence.

"I think your client is in a position to say, 'That $18,000 came from this and not from there,'" said Noel, referring to a sum of cash CSIS claims Harkat received from an Islamic extremist in the 1990s.

"To me, it's not a question of not having everything. There's a lot on the table to eat, if he wants to," said Noel, reminding the defence that two court-appointed special advocates representing Harkat also heard the top-secret information collected by Canada's spy agency.

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by The Canadian Press
Source: CTV News
URL: [link]
Date: January 20, 2010


OTTAWA — A lawyer for terror suspect Mohamed Harkat says the Algerian's use of a false Saudi passport to enter Canada is something many legitimate refugees do.

Norm Boxall told a Federal Court hearing today that Harkat didn't hide the fact he had the fake document when he arrived from Pakistan.

The government is trying to deport Harkat under a national security certificate, a rarely employed immigration provision.

The Canadian Security Intelligence Service alleges Harkat, arrested more than seven years ago, has ties to Islamic extremists.

The former gas-station attendant and pizza delivery man, who lives in Ottawa with his wife, denies involvement with terrorism.

Under questioning today, a CSIS officer said Harkat's use of a false passport was a "contributing factor" in deciding he was an extremist.

© 2010 CTV All rights reserved.

Source: Radio-Canada
URL: [link]
Date: 20 janvier 2010



Le contre-interrogatoire d'un agent du Service canadien du renseignement de sécurité (SCRS) s'est poursuivi, mercredi, pour une deuxième journée consécutive, en Cour fédérale à Ottawa. Le tribunal se penche sur la validité du certificat de sécurité émis contre Mohamed Harkat, un citoyen d'Ottawa soupçonné d'activités terroristes.

Le témoin du SCRS a été malmené par l'avocat de Mohamed Harkat, Norman Boxall. Celui-ci a questionné le témoin en demandant comment le SCRS pouvait conclure que Harkat était lié à des activités terroristes sur la base d'informations qui n'ont pas été corroborées.

Me Boxall a confronté à plusieurs reprises le témoin sur des éléments d'informations recueillies par le SCRC, qui ne reposent pas sur des faits. Il a cité en exemple une lettre de l'ambassade du Canada et de l'Algérie qui comportaient plusieurs erreurs de fait sur le passé de Mohamed Harkat.

Mohamed Harkat, d'origine algérienne, fait l'objet d'un certificat de sécurité depuis décembre 2002. Les autorités canadiennes le soupçonnent d'être un agent dormant du réseau terroriste Al-Qaïda, ce que Harkat a toujours nié.

by Mohammed Adam, Canwest News Service Source: The Montreal Gazette URL: [link] Date: January 20, 2010 Some of agency's evidence doesn't match suspect's affidavit, trial hears

Lawyers for Mohamed Harkat said Tuesday that the Canadian Security Intelligence Services made serious errors in their investigation of the alleged al-Qaeda sleeper agent that cast doubt on the veracity of evidence against him. In his cross-examination of a senior CSIS agent named John, Norm Boxall said the security agency often drew inferences without any real evidence to back them up. It can also get things wrong, the court heard. In one particular instance, Boxall said, the spy agency said Harkat told them during a 1998 immigration hearing that a man in the agency's crosshairs gave him a large sum of money, but the claim was contradicted not only by the sworn testimony of the terror suspect, but by his lawyer as well. Boxall said who gave Harkat money is of importance because it goes to the heart of the government case that the Algerian-born immigrant associates with extremists. Boxall also raised numerous concerns, including the use of uncorroborated information from a newspaper to tag Harkat as a soldier in Afghanistan and sending questionable, but damaging information about Harkat to the RCMP. He also questioned the integrity of the CSIS investigation of Harkat because one of the early investigators was dismissed for having relations with a man of interest to the agency. John, a 19-year veteran of the security agency, acknowledged CSIS has made mistakes, some of which he could not explain. Still, he maintained that the basic case against Harkat remains valid, and he has confidence in it.

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Source: Radio-Canada
URL: [link]
Date: 19 janvier 2010

Les audiences publiques sur la validité du certificat de sécurité émis contre l'Ottavien Mohamed Harkat, soupçonné d'activités terroristes, se poursuivent en Cour fédérale à Ottawa. Le contre-interrogatoire de la défense a porté, mardi, sur la fiabilité des sources du Service canadien du renseignement de sécurité (SCRS) dans cette affaire.

La défense a bombardé de questions l'agent du service secret canadien qui a témoigné lundi sous le pseudonyme de John.

Dans sa défense, l'avocat de Mohamed Harkat, Norman Boxall, s'est inspiré du jugement de Richard Mosley, qui a annulé en décembre un certificat de sécurité contre Hassan Almrei, qui a été détenu pendant sept ans. Des agents avaient omis de dire à la cour que plusieurs informateurs avaient échoué à des tests de polygraphes.

Nathalie Desrosiers, de l'Association canadienne des libertés civiles, affirme que ces ratés illustrent la faiblesse de la procédure qui repose sur des allégations souvent secrètes. « C'est un peu normal qu'il y ait des cafouillages dans ce contexte-là, parce que le droit a changé. Donc, les agents de sécurité ont opéré un peu dans le brouillard, ne sachant pas qu'elles étaient les limites que le droit leur imposait », soutient-elle.

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