Terror suspect Chiheb Esseghaier met with Al Qaeda operative abroad, sources
say
Recent "change in behaviour" triggered police to arrest Esseghaier and Jaser
on Monday, not political expediency nor the Boston bombing
By: Tonda MacCharles and Michelle Shephard Published on Thu Apr 25 2013
The Montreal suspect accused of plotting a terrorist attack on a passenger
train allegedly met in person with an Al Qaeda operative before coming to
Canada in the summer of 2008, putting him on the radar of security officials
here, sources with knowledge of the investigation told the Star.
Tunisian-born Chiheb Esseghaier has been under surveillance for a year, and
police became increasingly concerned after what was seen as erratic conduct
aboard an airliner en route to Mexico last spring. The event resulted in no
charges, but worried law enforcement.
However, it was a recent change in behaviour that triggered police to arrest
him at a McDonald's in Montreal's Central Station and his co-accused, Raed
Jaser, at his North York workplace on Monday, not political expediency or
the Boston bombing, sources said.
Esseghaier appeared in a Toronto courtroom Wednesday on charges of
conspiring to derail a train on the Toronto-New York City route.
Appearing before a justice of the peace to hear the allegations against him,
Esseghaier refused a translator and a lawyer, and asked to speak, saying,
"We know that this Criminal Code is not a holy book."
"It's just written by set of creations and the creations they're not perfect
because only the creator is perfect."
It was a glimpse into the man whose alleged meeting abroad with a
significant Al Qaeda member set in motion a massive surveillance effort
first by CSIS and then by the RCMP.
It's not clear when that overseas meeting was, nor where. But the Star has
learned that Esseghaier first met Jaser at a mosque in 2009.
Sources confirm Jaser is of Palestinian descent and lived in the United Arab
Emirates before coming to Canada, where he has been for 20 years.
The London-based newspaper Al Arab reported Wednesday that Jaser used a
Jordanian passport when travelling the UAE. He was last there in September
2011, the paper said, citing unnamed sources in the Gulf.
How Esseghaier's behaviour changed, prompting the RCMP to suddenly arrest
the 30-year-old doctoral student and Jaser, 35, against the wishes of the
FBI is not known.
Law enforcement officials on this side of the border were unwilling to wait
while the FBI completed questioning of at least one individual on the U.S.
side, though RCMP insisted Monday "there was no imminent threat."
They hastily summoned Muslim community members in Toronto to a briefing on
Monday, followed by a nationally televised news conference to announce the
sweep, even as officers were in the midst of executing search warrants.
Those search warrants are sealed by a Brampton court order.
One source told the Star limited federal resources to keep a 24/7 watch on
the suspects was a factor.
"It was overdue. The resources it takes to monitor them and ensure they were
not a threat to public security was tremendous," said the source. "What
other evidence did we need? How much stronger does this case have to be?"
Another tied it solely to the question of the suspect's "behaviour that
concerned us."
"Boston had nothing to do with it" nor did the Canadian government's
decision to bump up a debate on a contentious anti-terror bill, the source
said.
If anything, the political context -with Bill S-7 suddenly thrown back into
to the Commons for debate on the day of the arrests - appears to have to
complicated matters, said one source.
It led Jaser's lawyer John Norris, among others, to challenge federal
authorities, forcing the government to deny it was scheduled for maximum
political pressure. The bill, already passed in the Senate, easily passed
the final Commons vote Wednesday night 183-93.
What is clear is the alleged direct involvement of Al Qaeda associates in
Iran or along the Afghan-Iran border, makes the case uncharted territory and
a high priority.
"That in itself for us is quite significant," said a source, who spoke, as
all did on condition of anonymity. "It's the first time we have a situation
where there's support or direction being provided from Al Qaeda or Al Qaeda
associates."
The individual declined to give details about what the alleged Al Qaeda
support entailed - whether it was financial, training, or otherwise - except
to say it was substantive and more than casual online encouragement.
As for the territorial reach of investigative resources, sources suggested
it is not absent, but "limited."
The Iranian government has vehemently denied any role direct in the alleged
plot and the RCMP said it had no evidence the plot was "state-sponsored."
The investigation is ongoing, as authorities are probing not just whether
the two men tried to recruit or influenced others, but "who influenced them"
in the words of one. "Anytime you're dealing with radicalization, whether it
is youth or adults, it's a significant worry," said the source.
One high-ranking source held out the possibility of more arrests on either
side of the border. It is not believed the plot is as broad as the 2006 case
known as the "Toronto 18," however sources say it is "premature" to say.
"We talk to associates, we talk to people who have come into contact with
these individuals to try to clarify whether there is something bigger than
this, all of that is still very much ongoing."
"At the end of the day we may end up with just two people charged, we may
end up with more, it's too premature to say well there's going to be half a
dozen or whatever."
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