by Mohammed Adam
Source: The Edmonton journal
URL: [link]
Date: January 19, 2010
Although terrorism suspect Mohamed Harkat was a "jihadist," CSIS has no evidence to suggest he was engaged in acts of violence, a CSIS agent said Monday.
And while his threat to Canada has diminished, there is still concern about him, the agent said.
On the first day of a Federal Court hearing to determine if the government was right to detain Harkat on suspicion that he is an al-Qaida sleeper agent, the CSIS agent -- identified only as John -- said the former Ottawa pizza deliveryman was a facilitator who handled logistics and ran errands.
"Ultimately, he is part of the support network that permits groups associated with the Bin Laden network to operate," John said. "He is part of the logistical underpinning of the threat."
[ Read the rest ... ]
Accused terrorist not violent: CSIS agent
posted on January 20, 2010 | in Category Security Certificates | PermaLinkLawyer for terror suspect probes CSIS on information exchanges with foreign spies
posted on January 20, 2010 | in Category Mohamed Harkat | PermaLink
by Jim Bronskill (CP)
Source: The Winnipeg Free Press
URL: [link]
Date: January 19, 2010
OTTAWA - Canada's spy agency conceded Tuesday that some of the information it gathers originates with its own employees - a phenomenon known as "circular reporting."
A Canadian Security Intelligence Service officer told the Federal Court of Canada that CSIS might provide information to another country, which in turn passes it on before it boomerangs back to Canada. "In fact that has happened," said the officer, known only as John for security reasons.
If the information was incorrect in the first place, "it could be a problem," he said during a hearing on the case of terror suspect Mohamed Harkat.
Norm Boxall, one of Harkat's lawyers, peppered the CSIS officer with questions about the reliability of evidence put before the court in a public summary.
Boxall noted that a commission of inquiry into the torture of three Canadians blasted CSIS in October 2008 for careless labelling of suspects.
[ Read the rest ... ]
Source: The Winnipeg Free Press
URL: [link]
Date: January 19, 2010
OTTAWA - Canada's spy agency conceded Tuesday that some of the information it gathers originates with its own employees - a phenomenon known as "circular reporting."
A Canadian Security Intelligence Service officer told the Federal Court of Canada that CSIS might provide information to another country, which in turn passes it on before it boomerangs back to Canada. "In fact that has happened," said the officer, known only as John for security reasons.
If the information was incorrect in the first place, "it could be a problem," he said during a hearing on the case of terror suspect Mohamed Harkat.
Norm Boxall, one of Harkat's lawyers, peppered the CSIS officer with questions about the reliability of evidence put before the court in a public summary.
Boxall noted that a commission of inquiry into the torture of three Canadians blasted CSIS in October 2008 for careless labelling of suspects.
[ Read the rest ... ]
Harkat's lawyer chips away at CSIS agents
posted on January 19, 2010 | in Category Mohamed Harkat | PermaLink
by Scott Taylor, QMI Agency
Source: The Toronto Sun
URL: [link]
Date: January 19, 2010
OTTAWA - Terror suspect Mohamed Harkat's defence attorney continued hammering away at the reliability of CSIS sources Tuesday morning.
The lawyer, Norm Boxall, asked a CSIS agent known only as "John" if polygraph tests are routinely administered to CSIS sources or only when there are questions about whether that source is lying.
John admitted only testing one source out of seven he has directly overseen.
"A polygraph is conducted because of serious doubts about the source," Boxall told an Ottawa court during the second day of testimony.
"In this case I agree," John replied. He added it is crucial to know if sources are loyal to the service.
Boxhall then pointed out that a critical source in the agency's case against Harkat had failed "all relevent questions" when issued the polygraph in 2002.
"You place great weight on the polygraph," Boxall suggested, asking how such a fact could be left out of he report that led to Harkat being arrested in 2002. He was released in 2006, but faced the most stringent bail conditions in Canadian history.
"It should not have happened," the agent replied.
Testimony continues today in the case. Harkat, who is accused of having ties to al-Qaida, has had his freedom severely restricted under a so-called security certificate issued through the federal government. The hearing is the latest bid by Harkat and his supporters to have the certificate quashed.
Harkat, an Ottawa resident of Algerian descent, has denied any links to terrorist organizations.
The hearing continues.
Copyright © 2010 Toronto Sun All Rights Reserved.
Source: The Toronto Sun
URL: [link]
Date: January 19, 2010
OTTAWA - Terror suspect Mohamed Harkat's defence attorney continued hammering away at the reliability of CSIS sources Tuesday morning.
The lawyer, Norm Boxall, asked a CSIS agent known only as "John" if polygraph tests are routinely administered to CSIS sources or only when there are questions about whether that source is lying.
John admitted only testing one source out of seven he has directly overseen.
"A polygraph is conducted because of serious doubts about the source," Boxall told an Ottawa court during the second day of testimony.
"In this case I agree," John replied. He added it is crucial to know if sources are loyal to the service.
Boxhall then pointed out that a critical source in the agency's case against Harkat had failed "all relevent questions" when issued the polygraph in 2002.
"You place great weight on the polygraph," Boxall suggested, asking how such a fact could be left out of he report that led to Harkat being arrested in 2002. He was released in 2006, but faced the most stringent bail conditions in Canadian history.
"It should not have happened," the agent replied.
Testimony continues today in the case. Harkat, who is accused of having ties to al-Qaida, has had his freedom severely restricted under a so-called security certificate issued through the federal government. The hearing is the latest bid by Harkat and his supporters to have the certificate quashed.
Harkat, an Ottawa resident of Algerian descent, has denied any links to terrorist organizations.
The hearing continues.
Copyright © 2010 Toronto Sun All Rights Reserved.
Vic Toews named new Public Safety Minister
posted on January 19, 2010 | in Category Canada | PermaLink
by Mia Rabson
Source: The Winnipeg Free Press
URL: [link]
Date: January 19, 2010
Toews shuffled to plum Public Safety post
OTTAWA -- Manitoba senior cabinet minister Vic Toews was just sworn in this morning as Canada’s new Public Safety Minister.
Toews has been the Treasury Board President since 2007 and was the Justice Minister for a year before that.
He is the MP for Provencher, a role he’s held since 2000.
Toews, 57, is replacing Ontario MP Peter Van Loan, who is moving to International Trade.
In total Prime Minister Stephen Harper shuffled 10 of his cabinet ministers. His main front bench ministers are staying put -- Jim Flaherty in finance, John Baird in transport, Tony Clement in Industry, Peter MacKay in Defence and Lawrence Cannon in Foreign Affairs.
Manitoba's other cabinet minister, Steven Fletcher, is staying put as the minister of state for democratic reform.
Stockwell Day is being tapped to stick handle the upcoming hard times in Treasury Board. The job entails keeping a hold on the country's purse strings, and with a $56 billion deficit to overcome, the government's agenda will include a severe tightening of those purse strings in the months and likely even years to come.
[ Read the rest ... ]
Questions raised about Harkat evidence
posted on January 19, 2010 | in Category Mohamed Harkat | PermaLink
by Donna Casey
Source: The Ottawa Sun
URL: [link]
Date: January 18, 2010
A Canadian Security and Intelligence Service agent told a federal court Monday that he didn’t expect to testify about the acknowledged failures of Canada’s spy agency in the Mohamed Harkat terrorism case.
Identified only as “John” to protect his identify, the CSIS agent appeared caught off-guard during late-afternoon questioning by Harkat’s lawyer Norm Boxall about the spy agency’s admitted mishandling of a key source failing a lie-detector test.
“John”, a 19-year CSIS veteran who spent most of Monday outlining Harkat’s alleged Islamic extremist connections, said he had a limited recollection of Justice Simon Noel’s judgment on the CSIS snafu that sent the spy agency into damage control last summer.
During closed-door hearings last year in Harkat’s security certificate case, Noel learned CSIS had neglected to tell the court that a key informant had failed a polygraph test in 2002.
In October 2009, the judge issued a ruling saying the spy agency “seriously damaged confidence” in the reliability of human sources — but it was a ruling “John” had not reviewed before coming to court Monday as CSIS’s appointed point-man on the Harkat file.
“I remember seeing something on it,” said “John” of Noel’s ruling.
“You didn’t expect to be cross-examined on the reliability of the service?” Boxall asked, referring to the spy agency.
[ Read the rest ... ]
Source: The Ottawa Sun
URL: [link]
Date: January 18, 2010
A Canadian Security and Intelligence Service agent told a federal court Monday that he didn’t expect to testify about the acknowledged failures of Canada’s spy agency in the Mohamed Harkat terrorism case.
Identified only as “John” to protect his identify, the CSIS agent appeared caught off-guard during late-afternoon questioning by Harkat’s lawyer Norm Boxall about the spy agency’s admitted mishandling of a key source failing a lie-detector test.
“John”, a 19-year CSIS veteran who spent most of Monday outlining Harkat’s alleged Islamic extremist connections, said he had a limited recollection of Justice Simon Noel’s judgment on the CSIS snafu that sent the spy agency into damage control last summer.
During closed-door hearings last year in Harkat’s security certificate case, Noel learned CSIS had neglected to tell the court that a key informant had failed a polygraph test in 2002.
In October 2009, the judge issued a ruling saying the spy agency “seriously damaged confidence” in the reliability of human sources — but it was a ruling “John” had not reviewed before coming to court Monday as CSIS’s appointed point-man on the Harkat file.
“I remember seeing something on it,” said “John” of Noel’s ruling.
“You didn’t expect to be cross-examined on the reliability of the service?” Boxall asked, referring to the spy agency.
[ Read the rest ... ]
Accused terrorist Harkat not violent: CSIS
posted on January 19, 2010 | in Category Mohamed Harkat | PermaLink
by Mohammed Adam
Source: The Montreal Gazette / Canwest News Service
URL: [link]
Date: January 18, 2010
OTTAWA — A CSIS agent said Monday that while terrorism suspect Mohamed Harkat was a "jihadist," the federal spy agency has no evidence to suggest he was engaged in acts of violence.
And while his threat to Canada has diminished, there is still concern about him, the agent said.
On the first day of a Federal Court hearing to determine if the government was right to detain Harkat on suspicion that he is an al-Qaida sleeper agent, the CSIS agent — identified only as John — said the former Ottawa pizza deliveryman was a facilitator who handled logistics and ran errands.
"Ultimately, he is part of the support network that permits groups associated with the Bin Laden network to operate," John told the court. "He is part of the logistical underpinning of the threat."
The federal government says Harkat was a soldier in Afghanistan in the early 1990s and has links to terrorist groups associated with al-Qaida. CSIS says he came to Canada as a "sleeper agent" who could be called upon later to engage in terrorist activities.
[ Read the rest ... ]
Source: The Montreal Gazette / Canwest News Service
URL: [link]
Date: January 18, 2010
OTTAWA — A CSIS agent said Monday that while terrorism suspect Mohamed Harkat was a "jihadist," the federal spy agency has no evidence to suggest he was engaged in acts of violence.
And while his threat to Canada has diminished, there is still concern about him, the agent said.
On the first day of a Federal Court hearing to determine if the government was right to detain Harkat on suspicion that he is an al-Qaida sleeper agent, the CSIS agent — identified only as John — said the former Ottawa pizza deliveryman was a facilitator who handled logistics and ran errands.
"Ultimately, he is part of the support network that permits groups associated with the Bin Laden network to operate," John told the court. "He is part of the logistical underpinning of the threat."
The federal government says Harkat was a soldier in Afghanistan in the early 1990s and has links to terrorist groups associated with al-Qaida. CSIS says he came to Canada as a "sleeper agent" who could be called upon later to engage in terrorist activities.
[ Read the rest ... ]
Spy at Harkat hearing didn't read classified docs for fear of spilling secrets
posted on January 18, 2010 | in Category Mohamed Harkat | PermaLink
Source: The Canadian Press
URL: [link]
Date: January 18, 2010
OTTAWA — An intelligence official testifying about Mohamed Harkat's alleged extremist ties told the Federal Court he did not review classified information on the case for fear of letting something slip in public.
But the veteran Canadian Security Intelligence Service agent told the court he'd prepared for his testimony by reading the non-classified summaries of the case provided to federal cabinet ministers and also two books on Islamic extremism.
Justice Simon Noel is reviewing whether the seven-year-old security certificate against the Algerian-born Harkat should be maintained or thrown out.
The seldom-used certificates allow immigration officials to deport suspected terrorists and spies who are not Canadian citizens.
Harkat's supporters maintain the security certificate process is deeply flawed because suspects are never permitted to know the full details of the allegations against them.
[ Read the rest ... ]
URL: [link]
Date: January 18, 2010
OTTAWA — An intelligence official testifying about Mohamed Harkat's alleged extremist ties told the Federal Court he did not review classified information on the case for fear of letting something slip in public.
But the veteran Canadian Security Intelligence Service agent told the court he'd prepared for his testimony by reading the non-classified summaries of the case provided to federal cabinet ministers and also two books on Islamic extremism.
Justice Simon Noel is reviewing whether the seven-year-old security certificate against the Algerian-born Harkat should be maintained or thrown out.
The seldom-used certificates allow immigration officials to deport suspected terrorists and spies who are not Canadian citizens.
Harkat's supporters maintain the security certificate process is deeply flawed because suspects are never permitted to know the full details of the allegations against them.
[ Read the rest ... ]
Hearing to determine Harkat's fate
posted on January 18, 2010 | in Category Mohamed Harkat | PermaLink
by Andrew Duffy
Source: The Ottawa Citizen
URL: [link]
Date: January 18, 2010
[ PHOTO: Mohamed Harkat, on bail while being held under a national security certificate, is illuminated by a beam of light while waiting in the foyer of the Supreme Court of Canada in Ottawa February 28, 2007. ]
OTTAWA — Canada's beleaguered security certificate regime begins another test this week as Ottawa's Mohamed Harkat returns to Federal Court to face allegations he's an al-Qaida sleeper agent.
Five years ago, a judge endorsed the government's view that Harkat poses a threat to national security. But the Supreme Court of Canada effectively threw out that finding in 2007 when it ruled the secretive legal process denied Harkat the right to defend himself.
Harkat, 41, returns to court Monday to complete a hearing that is to decide whether it's reasonable to label him a terrorist.
The Algerian-born Harkat faces a dramatically altered legal landscape. Much has changed in the five years since his first hearing: the security certificate regime has been remade and the credibility of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service — and its informants — has come under concerted attack.
[ Read the rest ... ]
Source: The Ottawa Citizen
URL: [link]
Date: January 18, 2010
[ PHOTO: Mohamed Harkat, on bail while being held under a national security certificate, is illuminated by a beam of light while waiting in the foyer of the Supreme Court of Canada in Ottawa February 28, 2007. ]
OTTAWA — Canada's beleaguered security certificate regime begins another test this week as Ottawa's Mohamed Harkat returns to Federal Court to face allegations he's an al-Qaida sleeper agent.
Five years ago, a judge endorsed the government's view that Harkat poses a threat to national security. But the Supreme Court of Canada effectively threw out that finding in 2007 when it ruled the secretive legal process denied Harkat the right to defend himself.
Harkat, 41, returns to court Monday to complete a hearing that is to decide whether it's reasonable to label him a terrorist.
The Algerian-born Harkat faces a dramatically altered legal landscape. Much has changed in the five years since his first hearing: the security certificate regime has been remade and the credibility of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service — and its informants — has come under concerted attack.
[ Read the rest ... ]
CTV NEWS: Supporters of terror suspect call for amnesty
posted on January 18, 2010 | in Category Mohamed Harkat | PermaLink
Source: CTV News / The Canadian Press
URL: [link]
Date: January 15, 2010
[PHOTO: Mohamed Harkat smiles as he leaves a news conference, Tuesday September 22, 2009 in Ottawa.]
OTTAWA — Supporters of Mohamed Harkat called for abolition of the security certificate system on the eve of court hearings that may finally decide the Algerian-born man's fate.
Proceedings resume Monday in the case of Harkat, a former Ottawa pizza delivery man arrested just over seven years ago under a certificate on the basis of alleged extremist ties.
National security certificates are seldom-used immigration tools for deporting suspected terrorists and spies.
Opponents led by Harkat's wife Sophie said Friday the certificate process is unfair because detainees like her husband are not given full details of the allegations against them.
"Why is this injustice still going on?" she said at a news conference. "Give him a fair and open trial. Give him the evidence."
[ Read the rest ... ]
URL: [link]
Date: January 15, 2010
[PHOTO: Mohamed Harkat smiles as he leaves a news conference, Tuesday September 22, 2009 in Ottawa.]
OTTAWA — Supporters of Mohamed Harkat called for abolition of the security certificate system on the eve of court hearings that may finally decide the Algerian-born man's fate.
Proceedings resume Monday in the case of Harkat, a former Ottawa pizza delivery man arrested just over seven years ago under a certificate on the basis of alleged extremist ties.
National security certificates are seldom-used immigration tools for deporting suspected terrorists and spies.
Opponents led by Harkat's wife Sophie said Friday the certificate process is unfair because detainees like her husband are not given full details of the allegations against them.
"Why is this injustice still going on?" she said at a news conference. "Give him a fair and open trial. Give him the evidence."
[ Read the rest ... ]
OTTAWA CITIZEN: Mohamed Harkat timeline
posted on January 18, 2010 | in Category Mohamed Harkat | PermaLink
Source: The Ottawa Citizen
URL: [link]
Date: January 16, 2010
Eight years later, Mohamed Harkat is still waiting for a decision on his fate after being accused of ties to al-Qaeda.
SEE THE INTERACTIVE TIMELINE HERE (Flash-enabled Web browser required)
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