Security Assurances

"We learned that, in 2010, there were fifty terrorist organizations operating in Canada. Today, the government has designated fifty-three organizations as security threats. Senators were also told that, in 2010, CSIS was tracking 200 individuals believed to be involved in terrorist-related activity. Today -- according to a broad and necessarily imprecise approximation shared by Commissioner Paulson -- we can talk about thousands of police occurrences where people will have identified individuals who will require a response."
"...Clearly more needs to be done to address what is happening in Canada. This includes the need to confront, charge and detain those who are spreading hate and financing terrorism. We need to use all the tools at our disposal to stop those who are materially supporting terrorist organizations and terrorist activity -- including applying the full force of the law to those undertaking what lawyers call 'acts preparatory' to related terror crimes."
"Canadians want a clear and honest picture of what terrorist threats we face Where is the danger coming from? How are Canadians being encouraged to embrace radical Islamism? What support systems are facilitating radicalization and terrorism? And most importantly, what preventive prosecution and other counter-terrorism strategies can be employed to head off terrorist violence?"
Senator Daniel Lang, chairman, Senate Standing Committee on National Security and Defence

The Senate's Standing Committee on National Security and Defence heard from RCMP Commissioner Bob Paulson and CSIS Assistant Director of Intelligence Michael Peirce this week, following the murder of two members of the Canadian military, Warrant Officer Patrice Vincent and Corporal Nathan Cirillo, in Quebec and at the National Cenotaph last week, followed by Corporal Cirillo's murderer bursting armed into the Centre Block of the Parliament Buildings.

They were there to give assurances to the senators that Canada's security agencies were informed and on the alert, tracking  suspicious agents within Canadian society sympathetic to, and involved with Islamist jihadist activities. Some of them planning to travel abroad to join jihad groups like the Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham, others to fight alongside Boko Haram and al-Qaeda affiliates in Libya and Somalia.

It was estimated that around 30 agents would have to be involved around the clock to follow one suspicion lead. The problem, obviously, is a huge one. For every individual, let alone group that has been implicated in terrorist activity, tens of agents are tied down. And now, for the second time, the RCMP has lost track of yet another suspect who failed to attend a court hearing for the second time, with no one knowing of his whereabouts, but from all appearances he is no longer in the country.

This, despite the vaunted new collaboration between the RCMP and the Canadian Border Security Agency that has resulted in passports being confiscated to prevent Canadians from leaving the country to fight in Syria and Iraq. It is now well enough known that some who have gone to fight and gained expertise and confidence in the use of explosives and firearms in guerrilla-type conflicts have returned to Canada. A number, having returned to Canada, have again.

An alert has now gone out that Mohammed El Shaer, one of the identified "high-risk travellers" under investigation of radicalized Canadians involved in violent extremism is gone. "I think he went out of the country and is unable to fly back. He may be on a no-fly list", offered his lawyer, Paul Esco. "If he left the country he's in breach of the court order", responded the judge, issuing a bench warrant for his arrest. In a "catch-me-if-you-can" choreography played out again by a jihadist-Canadian.

A 26-year-old Palestinian-Canadian, he was arrested in June on return to Canada from Turkey, the transit country leading into Syria. "The RCMP is doing everything it can under its mandate to prevent individuals radicalized to violence from leaving the country" assured Sgt. Greg Cox, in response to a question asking how it was that Mr. El Shaer managed to evade police, even while he has been flagged as a high-risk traveller.

Abdullah Mahmoud, imam at the Al Hijra mosque last saw the man at a congregational prayer months earlier. A spokesman for the nearby Windsor Mosque had no idea what had happened to him: "I haven't seen him for a while. He attended our prayers every now and again; the mosque is an open area of worship. It's unfortunate that this is happening", he said, with a man over whom there were never any concerns.

There are, according to the RCMP, 93 "extremist travellers" under investigation by an interagency tactical group formed in the wake of the realization that young radicalized Canadians were committing acts of terrorism in Algeria and Syria. "The group will examine cases of extremist travellers and intervene in the most serious and urgent cases", stated Public Safety Minister Steven Blaney.

"I think it's mostly a resources issue for agencies like CSIS and RCMP. With dozens of individuals on their list, the agencies are simply stretched too thin. It can be easy for one of these guys to secure a fake passport and be out of the country before anyone notices", noted Amarnath Amarasingam at Dalhousie University's Resilience Research Centre.

"For privacy reasons and in order to not compromise the integrity of any possible ongoing investigations, we cannot comment on specific information about individuals who may have left the country to engage in terrorist activities overseas", stated St. Cox. So, then, on whom do Canadians rely when they have the assurances of our intelligence agencies that they have the matter of extremism well in hand?

But oops! the Mounties got their man, after all, on his arrival back in Canada, and they arrested him in Toronto. Here's hoping they'll be able to keep their eye on him this time. According to his lawyer, Mohammed is confused about being on a wanted list, cannot understand what all the fuss is about. He's here now, isn't he? "He flew back on his own", said his lawyer. Anyone blushing over there in RCMPland?