Apprehending Terrorism

"I just did my duty as a citizen. I don't want a medal."
 Father of 15-year-old jihad-sympathizer

"The RCMP is relentless in the pursuit of those who would seek to participate in terrorist activity."
Assistant Commissioner James Malizia

Liberal-minded Canadians who rail in frustration against the Conservative government's stance on Omar Khadr, convicted in a U.S. court of jihadist activity in Afghanistan as a member of the mujahideen associated with the Taliban, through his father's contacts as a charity worker siphoning off donations to the forces of al-Qaeda for his friend Osama bin Laden, insist that as a 15-year-old at the time of the fierce battle between U.S. forces and the jihadists, he was not responsible for the death of an American medic. 

As a child soldier, the very fact of his youth should exonerate him from all responsibilities. He is now, imprisoned in Canada to complete his prison sentence, himself taking up the legal challenge to have himself freed so he can get on with his life and study at a university, insisting he wants only to live a normal life and contribute to society. His father also of course, felt compelled to 'contribute to society', only the society he felt he had to contribute to had a deadly quarrel with the West.

In the instance of a teenager living in Montreal whose own father alerted authorities to his son's activities, the 15-year-old informed investigators he was merely an enterprising young man who took an opportunity to gain enough funds to enable himself to travel to a country whose laws were that of Sharia; it was 'sinful' for a Muslim like himself to continue living in a non-Muslim country. It just happened that the steps he took to acquire that needed funding were unlawful.

But of course, that is according to Western law, where theft is not permitted irrespective of the reason. His father became suspicious when his son arrived home without his backpack. When he went to investigate he discovered the backpack in the backyard, stuffed with money that had been taken from robbing a convenience store at knifepoint. As far as those subscribing to the Islamist code of jihad, the source of enablement to travel to fight alongside jihadists is irrelevant to the cause and the course.

It would appear that the youth whose name remains protected, was inspired by the Montreal-area convert who in October waited patiently in his vehicle for the opportunity to lethally assault a member of the Canadian military through vehicular homicide. The charge levelled against the teen renders him the first minor to face such charges in Canada. He appeared in Quebec Court's youth division on Wednesday. 

www.cbc.ca

The casket of warrant officer Patrice Vincent leaves St-Antoine-de-Padoue Church

He had exchanged Facebook pleasantries with Martin Couture-Rouleau before the murder of Warrant Officer Patrice Vincent in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu. Interestingly enough, Couture-Rouleau's father too, contacted authorities to inform them of his concerns over his son's behaviour. Which did nothing to prevent him, though he was under watch, from carrying out his deadly personal jihad. His passport had been retained to prevent him from leaving the country; soon afterward Warrant Officer Vincent was dead.

 The teen faces one charge of committing a crime "for the benefit of, at the direction of or in association with a terrorist group." Another charge is that alleging he was focused on leaving Canada for the purpose of aiding a terrorist group. "This is a reminder that terrorism remains a very real threat to Canadians", said a spokesman for Public Safety Minister Steven Blaney.

As a minor, if found guilty of the offences he is charged with, it is unlikely that the youth will spend more than three years in detention.