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RCMP raids in Kingston part of national security investigation

211RadOp

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RCMP raids in Kingston part of national security investigation

Steph Crosier

Published on: January 25, 2019 | Last Updated: January 25, 2019 9:08 AM EST

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police arrested two individuals in Kingston on Thursday afternoon as part of a national security investigation.

The two individuals, who have yet to be identified, were arrested during raids on houses by the RCMP and Kingston Police. The houses in question were located on Kingsdale Avenue and Macdonnell Street. A spokesperson with the RCMP stated that their operations in the city are ongoing and that more information will be provided on Friday.

“The RCMP and Kingston Police confirm that police operations are taking place in Kingston,” Cpl. Louise Savard said in an email to the Whig-Standard. “All actions are being taken to ensure public safety.”

More at link
https://www.thewhig.com/news/local-news/rcmp-raids-in-kingston-part-of-national-security-investigation
 
A bit more detail here

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/rcmp-arrests-security-kingston-1.4992518
 
Remius said:
A bit more detail here

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/rcmp-arrests-security-kingston-1.4992518


The father of Hussam Eddin Alzahabi says his 20-year-old son has been arrested in what he believes is a terror-related investigation in Kingston, Ont.

"They tell me they search about him about terrorists. I know my son, he didn't think about that. He like Canada. He like the safety in Canada. How could he think about that?" Amin Alzahabi, who has been in Canada since 2017, told CBC News in an interview from his home Friday morning.

"It's fake news about my son," Alzahabi said. "I trust my son. I know he cannot do anything against any human, humanity."

Of course not.  But I guess we will find out.
 
This will be interesting to see how it all plays out.  A cursory check of the guy's FB page doesn't show any political leanings at all. Looked like he was just a guy who wanted to get into computer programming.
 
CBC has updated their story and the charges are: “Police have laid two charges against the young person — who's accused of knowingly facilitating a terrorist activity and counselling another person to "deliver, place, discharge or detonate an explosive or other lethal device ... against a place of public use with the intent to cause death or serious bodily injury."


 
Strike said:
This will be interesting to see how it all plays out.  A cursory check of the guy's FB page doesn't show any political leanings at all. Looked like he was just a guy who wanted to get into computer programming.

The guy just immigrated with his father a year or so ago it seems from the news articles. Wouldn't be a very bright idea to be advertising your political beliefs in that situation.

They seemed to have done their due diligence so I'm interested as well to see what they actually found when it's released.
 
RelentlessTsunami said:
They seemed to have done their due diligence so I'm interested as well to see what they actually found when it's released.

Truer words were never spoken. Clearly something substantiated both the search warrant and resulting charges. Eventually the case will wind its way through the justice system, and we'll learn more. Until that time, it's all speculation based on rumour and innuendo and an extremely selective release of information from all parties.
 
According to the RCMP at the news conference at 1300, they found elements capable of making homemade explosives in the residence belonging to the 18 yo.  He has been charged with two criminal code offences.  The 20 yo is still in custody but has not been charged.
 
I am interested in where and how they were living. To be honest I am extremely paranoid that the Syrian refugees due to where they get settled and the community that may start to influence them, will create a very serious terrorism epidemic in Canada.

I am not a fan of the fact we brought them all over here, we could have taken care of them somewhere else and allowed more immigrants in. Creating much less risk to all of us.

I am sorry if I am off topic or a touch bigoted, but this story is possibly exactly why I do not like the refugees being here. Not all are bad, but the way this happened creates a situation with much more risk then if it was done in other ways.

Abdullah
 
I agree with you Abdullah, as I think most folks probably do also.

A bit off topic of this thread, so I do apologize...but just to comment on what you mentioned above, Abdullah.



A man I met via chuch a few years ago was an immigrant with a family.  He followed the proper channels, applied the way the government wanted him to, and didn't have much to show for it.

He was actually an air traffic controller in Turkey, prior to moving here.  An air traffic controller, in one of the busiest airports in the world!  Well educated, very nice, very generous with his time & what little he had.  Great person.

He had to flee Turkey because - despite being a member of NATO - he legitimately feared for his life because of his ethnic background, and a focus on him & his family by Turkish authorities.  (Who knew Turkey wasn't as safe or as human-rights friendly as they claim to be?)

Long story short, his family had been living in a refugee camp in Sweden for 3 YEARS at the time we spoke.  He got to Skype with them for about 10 minutes a week, while the Government of Canada processed their applications.


He applied the right way, and didn't have much to show for it.  Yet we brought over 25,000 Syrian refugees en mass because it was a political bright-spot during the height of the Syrian civil war.  Absolutely made Canada look great, no doubt about it - but you are right, there are plenty of other folks ahead of them in line who went through the proper channels, background investigations, etc etc who still haven't been given the green light to come over.  Shame.


Sorry for hijacking the thread with the above.  Curious to see what comes out of the Kingston arrests, interesting indeed.
 
I have Syrian neighbours, two large families in close proximity.

I've not had better neighbours.

Both are very good families, very happy and thankful to be here, doing their best to learn and fit in, with the fathers working as well as the two oldest boys in one family. Those kids who are old enough are in school. They're polite and friendly and we get along quite well, despite a still-remaining language barrier. Both families are privately-sponsored, and have been well looked-after and supported by their sponsors. I have no problem whatsoever with them being here. They followed the proper procedure, and were already in the line - like many others - prior to Trudeau's great self-promotion exercise. He's actually drastically cut the number of privately-sponsored refugee slots.

There is the chocolate-making Syrian family in Nova Scotia who is doing their best to give back, and this fellow https://alepposavon.ca/ as well.

There are bound to be problems with a few, given the number that we've taken in. They have a lot of challenges, especially the government-sponsored ones. We immigrated from England in 1965, but, despite similar language and culture, some adjustment was required. I had it easy, in comparison. They've all got a lot more adjustment to make, and I sympathize.

I'll be interested to see how this develops, and I'll be watching for any signs of backlash.
 
Loachman said:
They're polite and friendly and we get along quite well, despite a still-remaining language barrier.

Does that mean your French isn't as good as theirs?  ;D
 
Loachman said:
I have Syrian neighbours, two large families in close proximity.

I've not had better neighbours.

Both are very good families, very happy and thankful to be here, doing their best to learn and fit in, with the fathers working as well as the two oldest boys in one family. Those kids who are old enough are in school. They're polite and friendly and we get along quite well, despite a still-remaining language barrier. Both families are privately-sponsored, and have been well looked-after and supported by their sponsors. I have no problem whatsoever with them being here. They followed the proper procedure, and were already in the line - like many others - prior to Trudeau's great self-promotion exercise. He's actually drastically cut the number of privately-sponsored refugee slots.

There is the chocolate-making Syrian family in Nova Scotia who is doing their best to give back, and this fellow https://alepposavon.ca/ as well.

There are bound to be problems with a few, given the number that we've taken in. They have a lot of challenges, especially the government-sponsored ones. We immigrated from England in 1965, but, despite similar language and culture, some adjustment was required. I had it easy, in comparison. They've all got a lot more adjustment to make, and I sympathize.

I'll be interested to see how this develops, and I'll be watching for any signs of backlash.


Well said Loachman.
 
Loachman that is awesome and all the Syrian refugees that I personally know are like that too.

But I still worry and I hope to God I am wrong.. I'd love to look the fool on this issue... but I'm worried about the ones in ghettos today, tomorrow they may be fine but 5 or 10 years?

Abdullah
 
I think it's important to remember that in twenty five thousand of ANYTHING, there are bound to be some bad apples.

For example, if you take twenty five thousand military members at random, statistically speaking, you will have at least a few pedophiles, some sexual predators, some thieves, some violent drunks, some wife beaters and so forth.

I was not opposed to taking in those refugees (though I hated the political stuntiness of it). They really do need somewhere to be other than Syria and it's not like we're running out of available land. I expect the vast vast majority of them will adjust to their lives, be thankful they were picked and get on getting on. Even if 1% of them ended up being bad actors, I'd still support taking in large amounts of refugees. I'm done with the argument (and politics of) fear getting in the way of responsibility and compassion.

Most of us have won the birth lottery by being born here and I'd argue there is an inherent moral duty to look out for those who didn't.

Edited to add: The virtue of being lucky enough to be born here does not justify the entitlement I see from lots of people who take it for granted and refuse to share even when it costs nothing to them.
 
AbdullahD said:
Loachman that is awesome and all the Syrian refugees that I personally know are like that too.

But I still worry and I hope to God I am wrong.. I'd love to look the fool on this issue... but I'm worried about the ones in ghettos today, tomorrow they may be fine but 5 or 10 years?

Abdullah

And absolutely a few may radicalize; others may become ‘normal’ criminals, unfortunately no population is immune from that. “Born and bred” Canadians seem capable of producing a share of violent radicals too. I’m leery of any reflexive backlash that drives a wedge between established Canadians and newly arrived, vulnerable populations. Building bridges is what’s needed here.

It appears that in this case the system worked. I would not be surprised if there’s more to come on this. Let’s not forget the other immigrants to a Canada who are on the flip side of this coin, serving in law enforcement and intelligence capacities, lending their cultural and linguistic knowledge to our collective national security. I think we’ll get more of them out of any immigrant cohort than we will get terrorists.
 
For the record, what's come out of the RCMP info-machine to date ...
RCMP Integrated National Security Enforcement Team lays terrorism charge in Ontario

January 25, 2019
Kingston, Ontario

News release

Following a national security investigation, the RCMP's Integrated National Security Enforcement Team (INSET) in Ontario has arrested and charged one young person with a terrorism-related offence and Criminal Code infraction.

Charges include:

    Knowingly facilitating a terrorist activity, contrary to section 83.19 of the Criminal Code; and,
    Counselling a person to deliver, place, discharge or detonate an explosive or other lethal device to, into, in or against a place of public use with intent to cause death or serious bodily injury, contrary to section 431.2 of the Criminal Code, offence which was not committed, and did thereby commit an offence contrary to section 464(a) of the Criminal Code.

Youth Criminal Justice Act prevents any further release of information regarding this individual. A second individual, an adult male, has also been arrested but has not been charged.

"I want to reassure the citizens of the greater Kingston, Ontario area and all Canadians, that during the investigation, our primary focus was the safety and protection of the public," said Chief Superintendent Michael LeSage, Criminal Operations Officer in O Division. "I would also like to highlight the efforts of our INSET here in Ontario which worked diligently to obtain the evidence required for these charges. Investigations of this nature are complex and require significant time and resources to come to a successful conclusion, while ensuring public safety at all times."

In particular, the RCMP would like to thank the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Kingston Police, the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) and Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC) for their cooperation and collaboration.

"The Kingston Police assisted the RCMP in the public engagement and community outreach on this investigation. We recognize the tremendous value of law enforcement, working in close collaboration, to protect the safety our communities," said Kingston Police Chief Antje McNeely.

The RCMP and Kingston Police will be holding a media availability to provide more information.
RCMP Speaking Points – Media Availability – Jan 25 – LeSage

January 25, 2019
Kingston, Ontario

News release

Let me begin by thanking everyone for your cooperation and patience yesterday during the significant police presence in your community. I want to assure you that there is no threat to public safety at this time and we took every possible measure to mitigate any potential threat at the time of arrest. Yesterday's operation was conducted in a manner to protect citizens and police.

I acknowledge there has been a delay in communicating with the public on the nature of the threat and the arrests. It is imperative that we follow appropriate judicial processes, engage with the community and ultimately ensure the integrity of the investigation.

I am now in a position to confirm a few more details with you.

Earlier today, the RCMP charged one young person under the following criminal code offences:

    Knowingly facilitating a terrorist activity, contrary to section 83.19 of the Criminal Code; and,
    Counselling a person to deliver, place, discharge or detonate an explosive or other lethal device to, into, in or against a place of public use with intent to cause death or serious bodily injury, contrary to section 431.2 of the Criminal Code, offence which was not committed, and did thereby commit an offence contrary to section 464(a) of the Criminal Code.

No further details will be provided due to the age of the individual.

A second individual, an adult male, has also been arrested. We continue to have an active, ongoing investigation.

To give you some background, the RCMP received credible information of a potential terrorist threat in late December 2018. We immediately started a robust national security investigation and the RCMP was able to gather sufficient evidence for the Attorney General to approve laying s.83.19 charges against the individual.

As I alluded to earlier, we are mindful of the impacts that arrests like this have on the community. I would like to once again assure you that the RCMP immediately took the necessary steps to ensure public safety. While these are significant charges, there was no imminent threat to the public or infrastructure.

Many of you may have wondered about the airplane reported over Kingston recently. We can confirm that RCMP air assets were involved in this investigation. Investigations of this nature are extremely complex and resource intensive, as the RCMP must balance the collection of evidence with maintaining public safety. I can confirm that at this time, the RCMP has required over 300 resources to support this investigation.

Investigations of this nature require extensive cooperation and collaboration with domestic and international partners. I would like to acknowledge our partners in this investigation, notably the Federal Bureau of Investigation, whose continued collaboration with the RCMP on operational files such as these contribute to a safe and secure border. Here in Canada, we'd like to emphasize the support of:

    Kingston Police
    OPP - Ontario Provincial Police
    CBSA - Canada Border Services Agency
    CSIS - Canadian Security Intelligence Services
    FINTRAC - Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada

We encourage the public to remain vigilant and to report any information on terrorism or related suspicious activities to the National Security Information Network at 1-800-420-5805 or by contacting the police in their community.

We will now take a few questions from the media.

Check against delivery
 
I'm sorta biased about the RCMP, having bought into the conspiracy theory that they try and cover up or at least mitigate  politiclally uncomfortable stories but this stuff really puts me in my place (if that makes sense).

Looks like  super police work by them and a host of other organizations. I think we (as a society) might get caught up in this belief we have a right to immediately know everything the police are doing.  I expected to hear "just mental illness". Happy to be wrong.

As for the fact he was a Syrian refugee I don't think that plays into the situation at all. Along with the bad apples explination there's plenty of examples of westerners or home grown terrorists who are radicalized. Its not fair to presume someone from Syria has more inclination to be radicalized than the proverbial disinfranchized angry western kid in the basement.

Assuming the parents didn't know I feel bad for the online abuse I'm sure is being thrown at them. Parents get stuck  between public wrath and an instinct to protect their kids.
 
Well done update and summary of the situation by CBC.

"What we know and don't know about the alleged Kingston terrorist plot

1 Ontario youth charged with a terrorism-related offence"

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/rcmp-arrests-security-kingston-what-we-know-1.4994339
 
Jarnhamar said:
I think we (as a society) might get caught up in this belief we have a right to immediately know everything the police are doing.

That was the gist of a thread on another forum I follow. "The police are not being forthcoming! Why won't they release the details now? What are they hiding?"  Along with "The police should've informed the public of an ongoing terror investigation. How else would we be aware and able to protect ourselves?"  Not a single schmeck about OPSEC for either the current or follow-on investigations or the need to prevent panic and fear mongering.  This time, the participating agencies got it right.
 
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