Canada - Three charged in NYC/Toronto VIA Rail terror plot, April 2013

New Posts

:giggle: I'm getting a giggle out of his pronunciation of the word threat.

Not a lot out of the presser. They knew what route was targeted, but not a specific train.
 
from:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/story/2013/04/22/pol-terror-plot-ontario-quebec-arrests.html

In a press conference that followed an exclusive report by CBC's Greg Weston, police named the two accused as Chiheb Esseghaier, 30, of Montreal, and Raed Jaser, 35, from Toronto. They have been charged with conspiracy to carry out a terrorist attack and "conspiring to murder persons unknown for the benefit of, at the direction of, or in association with a terrorist group."

The two men arrested are not Canadian citizens, police said Monday, but would not provide any details about their nationalities.

The RCMP accused the two men of conspiring to commit an "al-Qaeda-supported" attack.

Police said the two accused were getting "direction and guidance" from al-Qaeda elements in Iran. There was no information to suggest the attacks were state sponsored, police said.
Click to expand...
 
The two suspects had been under investigation since last August, a person briefed by police told Agence France-Presse. The police were tipped a year and a half ago by members of the Muslim community in Toronto, the source said.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news...alleged-canadian-terror-plot/article11483696/

Bless those Muslim community members who flagged these two to LE all that time ago. I feel so badly for non extremist Muslims who are stuck dealing with the anti Muslim sentiments these kinds of situations always dredge up.
 
RCMP announced the arrest of two men who were plotting a terrorist attack on a Toronto to New York VIA train. The men had been under surveillance by RCMP and the investigation involved the FBI and other law agencies.

The two suspects were identified as Chiheb Esseghaier, 35, who has been living in Toronto, and Raed Jaser, 30, of Montreal. The police said they were not Canadian citizens but declined to identify their nationalities or to describe their immigration status in Canada.

Chief Police Superintendent Jennifer Strachan said that the two men had studied train movements and rail lines in and around Toronto and were plotting to attack a train operated by Via Rail Canada, the government-owned rail system, within Canada.
Click to expand...

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/national_world/2013/04/23/2-arrested-in-derailment-plot.html


The plan received “direction and guidance” from an element of al-Qaeda based in Iran, said the force, refusing to elaborate. That connection with the Islamic terrorist organization made the plot particiularly significant, said Asst. Supt. Malizia.

However, officers said there was no evidence the plan was in any way “state-sponsored.”
Click to expand...

http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/04/22/two-men-arrested-over-al-qaeda-inspired-plan-to-attack-a-via-rail-train-in-the-greater-toronto-area/

I can't find it right now, but other articles specified a Toronto to NYC train.

There seems to be much discussion around whether there was an Al-Queda element in Iran. Iran is denying it in the media.
 
One of the reasons this particular case caught my attention (other than the obvious) is that one of the men charged, who is from Tunisia, is working on his PhD and doing research on biosensors.

Here is his LinkedIn page:
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/chiheb-esseghaier/46/604/314

This is from the Wikipedia page on biosensors:

Applications: There are many potential applications of biosensors of various types. The main requirements for a biosensor approach to be valuable in terms of research and commercial applications are the identification of a target molecule, availability of a suitable biological recognition element, and the potential for disposable portable detection systems to be preferred to sensitive laboratory-based techniques in some situations. Some examples are given below:

Glucose monitoring in diabetes patients ←historical market driver
Other medical health related targets
Environmental applications e.g. the detection of pesticides and river water contaminants such as heavy metal ions[31]
Remote sensing of airborne bacteria e.g. in counter-bioterrorist activities
Detection of pathogens[32]
<snip>
Click to expand...

According to this article Esseghaier was not the type of person we should allow to be working with pathogens!

Faouzi Bellili, a doctoral student at INRS, said that a few months ago Esseghaier had told him he shouldn't help Canadians because they are non-believers.

"I actually told my wife, keep an eye on this guy, he's dangerous," he said. However, Bellili added that he didn't believe Esseghaier could harm anyone.
Click to expand...

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2013/04/22/terror-plot-suspects.html

And why the he** didn't that fellow student say something to officials?!

ETA: Just to be clear, officials said that the plan was to derail the train. There is no mention of biological agents from LE.
 
http://ca.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idCABRE93M0RW20130423

Canadian passenger train attack suspects set for court hearings

Neither suspect is a Canadian citizen but police did not reveal their nationalities.

Little is known about Jaser but a spokeswoman for the Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique near Montreal confirmed to Reuters that Esseghaier, said to be Tunisian, was a doctoral student at the research institute.

-----------------------

It was revealed today in the news that Jaser has been in Canada for about 20yrs and has Landed Immigrant Status
 
http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/0...ars-in-toronto-court-publication-ban-granted/

Toronto man in &#8216;state of shock&#8217; after terror charges laid in alleged plot to derail VIA train

Defence lawyer John Norris told reporters Mr. Jaser had spent 20 years in Canada and had deep roots in the country. He chided police for &#8220;demonizing&#8221; his client by describing him as a non-Canadian. Mr. Jaser is a permanent resident of Canada but not a citizen."

--------------------

The Police have it RIGHT Mr Norris your client is a non-Canadian...he is not a Citizen and he most likely received Landed Immigrant/Permanent Resident Status via his family application 20 yrs ago when he was a minor.

I am 1st generation Canadian
My family came to Canada in the 1960's like many others from European countries....WE LOVE THIS COUNTRY!!
 
I don't know which forum this topic goes in, but can we merge the threads to whichever forum they belong?

[ame="http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?t=206559"]Major terror plot uncovered in Canada - Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community[/ame]
 
MONTREAL - A bearded, bespectacled Chiheb Esseghaier, of Montreal, opted to represent himself during a brief court appearance Tuesday, and he made a statement.

&#8220;The conclusions that were drawn do not match the facts as they appear,&#8221; he told Quebec court judge Pierre Labelle as dozens of journalists looked on.

Esseghaier, believed to be the ringleader of a plot to blow up a passenger train between New York City and Toronto, was charged with an extra three counts on top of those faced by his co-accused, including an allegation that he knowingly instructed someone to carry out terrorist activity.
Click to expand...

Hmm ... I guess he can always claim "ineffective counsel" ;)

It's also noted that Raed Jaser's lawyer said Jaser has lived in Canada for 20 years. Don't know if that really has anything to do with the price of tea in China.

full article:
http://www.torontosun.com/2013/04/23/terror-suspect-raed-jaser-in-toronto-court
 
Toronto terrorism suspect Raed Jaser had 2001 death threat conviction pardoned ...

A Toronto man accused of an al-Qaeda-linked plot to derail a passenger train received a pardon in Canada for a criminal conviction for uttering death threats about the same time his father asked for help in dealing with his son&#8217;s hardening views of Islam.

Raed Jaser, 35, was convicted of threatening death in 2001, receiving a sentence of two years&#8217; probation and a $1,000 fine, but his record was recently cleared after he applied for &#8212; and received &#8212; a pardon, the National Post has learned.

The circumstances of the threat are unknown but a previous charge of fraud, laid in 1995, was stayed in 1996 after being diverted to an alternate form of resolution, according to court records.
Click to expand...

http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/0...er-had-2001-death-threat-conviction-pardoned/

I wonder what his dad is yukking it up about as they leave the courthouse.
 
Hello everyone! :seeya:
I had my own personal thread on this topic over in the "Crimes in the news" forum. I'm happy to talk to myself, but I thought I'd be a bit more social and join in here. ;)

I'm copying the content of one of my posts below:
--

One of the reasons this particular case caught my attention (other than the obvious) is that one of the men charged, who is from Tunisia, is working on his PhD and doing research on biosensors.

Here is his LinkedIn page:
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/chiheb-e...ier/46/604/314

This is from the Wikipedia page on biosensors:


Applications: There are many potential applications of biosensors of various types. The main requirements for a biosensor approach to be valuable in terms of research and commercial applications are the identification of a target molecule, availability of a suitable biological recognition element, and the potential for disposable portable detection systems to be preferred to sensitive laboratory-based techniques in some situations. Some examples are given below:

Glucose monitoring in diabetes patients &#8592;historical market driver
Other medical health related targets
Environmental applications e.g. the detection of pesticides and river water contaminants such as heavy metal ions[31]
Remote sensing of airborne bacteria e.g. in counter-bioterrorist activities
Detection of pathogens[32]
<snip>
Click to expand...


According to this article Esseghaier was not the type of person we should allow to be working with pathogens!


Faouzi Bellili, a doctoral student at INRS, said that a few months ago Esseghaier had told him he shouldn't help Canadians because they are non-believers.

"I actually told my wife, keep an eye on this guy, he's dangerous," he said. However, Bellili added that he didn't believe Esseghaier could harm anyone.
Click to expand...

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/...-suspects.html

And why the he** didn't that fellow student say something to officials?!

ETA: Just to be clear, officials said that the plan was to derail the train. There is no mention of biological agents from LE.
 
And a more timely contribution on my part....

An alleged terror plot to derail a passenger train on a Via Rail track involved two suspects in Canada and at least two others in the New York area who have been under FBI surveillance, CTV News has learned.

Insiders say the alleged U.S. suspects do not pose an imminent threat and no one has been arrested there.
Click to expand...

CTV News has learned that the Mounties and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service have been watching Esseghaier for almost two years before the official investigation began in August 2012.

Sources say Esseghaier caused a disturbance on an Air Canada flight to Cancun last year with what was described as bizarre behaviour in the bathroom.
Click to expand...

http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/at-least-two-other-suspects-in-terror-plot-sources-1.1249868


I wonder what his strange behaviour in the washroom was?

And, I guess the FBI and the RCMP aren't singing from the same song sheet. RCMP moved to make the arrest of the "Canadians", while the FBI are holding back on the "American" suspects. Would the arrest in Canada tip them off?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

DNASolves

Who is Escambia County John Doe (1989)?

Staff online

Members online

... and 219 more.
Total: 4,277 (members: 220, guests: 4,057)

Online statistics

Members online
220
Guests online
4,057
Total visitors
4,277
Totals may include hidden visitors.

Forum statistics

Threads
592,323
Messages
17,967,437
Members
228,746
Latest member
mintexas
Back
Top