Hezbollah sleeper cells may be active in Canada: report
Adrian Humphreys and Stewart Bell, National Post
Published: Thursday, June 19, 2008
Disturbing "chatter" picked up recently by intelligence agencies about attacks against Jewish targets by Canadian-linked supporters of Hezbollah has prompted an alert to Canada's Jewish community urging added caution.
Anti-terrorism officials, however, are officially downplaying a startling U.S. news report that says the banned terrorist organization, which is backed by Iran, has activated four suspected "sleeper cells" in Canada and that a known Hezbollah weapons expert was followed here and seen at a firing range south of Toronto.
An ABC News report on Thursday said three U.S. law enforcement agencies confirmed being briefed on the developments.
"Suspected Hezbollah operatives have conducted recent surveillance on the Israeli embassy in Ottawa, Canada, and on several synagogues in Toronto, according to the officials," according to the ABC report.
The report says one of the cells is known as "Rashedan" and that cell members have been told to send their family members home to Lebanon.
Over the past week, the National Post has been investigating its own reports of an intelligence-led investigation of Hezbollah activities in Canada, including activity focused on the Ontario border cities of Windsor and Niagara Falls.
Those under suspicion include men who were overseas in the summer of 2006 to fight with Hezbollah during the renewed conflict with Israel in Lebanon.
There has indeed been chatter -- references to various bits of intelligence picked up by various security sources -- that attacks should be carried out against Jewish targets in Canada and abroad, the Post has learned.
The Jewish communities in Toronto and Rome were mentioned as possible or desirable targets. That does not mean an attack is imminent or a specific attack has been mapped out.
When asked on Tuesday about the Hezbollah threats, Stockwell Day, the Public Safety Minister, confirmed that Canadian authorities were keeping an eye on the organization, which is listed as an outlawed terrorist group under Canadian law.
"It's something that's watched," Mr. Day said.
On Thursday, Mélisa Leclerc, a spokeswoman for Mr. Day, declined to be any more specific.
"As you can appreciate, the Minister cannot comment on operations that Canada's security agencies may or may not be undertaking. The government of Canada remains vigilant in our efforts to preventing a terrorist act both at home and abroad.
"Hezbollah is a listed entity. It is a crime to knowingly participate in certain activities of this organization," Ms. Leclerc said.
CSIS, Canada's spy agency, referred calls on the matter to Mr. Day's office.
RCMP Superintendent Jamie Jagoe, one of the federal police force's top national security officers in Ontario, said details of ABC's report do not reflect his understanding.
"We open investigations and routinely conduct investigations relative to the national security of Canada. We treat every one seriously and conduct complete and thorough investigations," he said in an interview on Thursday.
"At the present time there is no known specific threat to any specific location in the city of Toronto or anything like that. We have many ongoing investigations involving listed terrorist organizations. I can't get into specifics, but I can say we have lots of ongoing investigations."
Special Agent Richard Kolko of the Federal Bureau of Investigation similarly characterized the report.
"Hezbollah remains a threat to security in different parts of the world. The FBI Joint Terrorism Task Forces conduct investigations into different groups that potentially pose a threat to the U.S. or our interests overseas; however, the FBI and DHS [Department of Homeland Security] have no specific intelligence about any group or so-called sleeper cells planning an attack."
That leaves Canada's Jewish community facing mixed messages.
Bernie Farber, chief executive of the Canadian Jewish Congress, said an alert is being sent to Jewish cultural institutions and synagogues.
"We will ensure that everyone is aware and remind everyone that you never let your guard down because we, as a community, just can't do that," Mr. Farber said.
"What we have been told is that there is nothing specific to Canada. That's what we have been told. Yes, there is chatter. We don't have anything to suggest there is any significant change in terms of imminence. There are some mixed messages but the bottom line is: we're aware, our security is aware and we will keep an eye out."
Supt. Jagoe said Canada has long been home to terrorist operatives.
"Every terrorist group out there has an infrastructure which allows them to raise funds, move goods or what have you. That is part of their modus operandi and Canada is not immune to that. Particularly fundraising," he said.
"Terrorist groups operate in Canada - they may not necessarily be building a bomb in their basement to kill a bunch of people, but they could be raising money or building support mechanisms or it could be a safe haven for them where they come here and bed down and not be noticed."
According to a 2006 report by Canada's Integrated Threat Assessment Centre, Hezbollah "has a presence in Canada." The report says Hezbollah "activities in Canada include fundraising ... collection and the procurement of equipment."
Another threat assessment report says Hezbollah "has had a presence in Canada since 1987, with supporters in major Canadian cities."
Concern about Hezbollah's interest in attacks on the West have increased significantly since Feb. 12, when key Hezbollah terrorist Imad Mugniyah was killed by a car bomb in Damascus.
Hasan Nasrallah, Hezbollah's Secretary-General, blamed Israel and promised revenge. Since then, counterterrorism officials have closely watching Hezbollah for signs of an attack. In 1992, Hezbollah bombed the Israeli embassy in Buenos Aires, killing 22 and, two years later, blew up a Jewish community centre in the Argentine capital, killing 85.
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