If You Weren’t Keeping Track
One of the Harper government’s big national security hullaballooes has been the arrest and trials of the “Toronto 18,” a band of Muslim supposed-terrorists who were conspiring to blow up Parliament. (Of course, they had no idea how to do it until undercover RCMP officers explained to them how to do it, but that is neither here nor there.)
One of the “Toronto 18″ is a youth of 17. At his trial this week, it was explained by the RCMP’s own informant that this young man, a recent convert from Hinduism to Islam, had no idea what the group was planning, and believed that the training camp the group set up was a religious retreat.
But wait, it gets better:
Court has heard how the youth was among a dozen people who attended a military-style camp about two hours north of Toronto in December 2005.
While the Crown contends the camp was intended as terrorist training, Mr. Shaikh readily agreed the recruits were told they were going to a religious camp.
“That was the cover story,” Mr. Shaikh said.
“They weren’t told anything about attacking Parliament?” Mr. Chernovsky asked.
“That’s correct,” Mr. Shaikh said.
He said the campers could have viewed wearing fatigues, playing paintball or pretending to be Muslim fighters in Chechnya as a game of cowboys and Indians or cops and robbers, he added.
At one point, he said, the leaders hid in the bushes and made wolf and bear noises.
“They sat in the tent terrified,” court heard of the other campers. “They ended up huddled, shivering in the tent.”
Wolf and bear noises.
June 17th, 2008 la 2:21 pm
The threat to the West has never been more clear. They could have made those wolf or bear noises anywhere. Your house. My house. Parliament was just on their short list. Who knows who could be next?
June 17th, 2008 la 2:27 pm
@Zifnab
Worse, I’ve heard that islamic raidcals have access to state-of-1980s “cassette tape” technology. If they ever mastered control of this delivery system, they could deploy these noises remotely.
Inuit carvings, creme pies, animal noises… is there anything these monsters can’t turn into a weapon?
June 17th, 2008 la 2:36 pm
We must devote more money to the development of superior wolf/bear imitation techniques and possibly even the explore possibility of mountain lion noises.
We cannot permit a spooky noise gap!
June 17th, 2008 la 2:36 pm
A lot of the charges related to the arrests has been dropped already. I would assume that the crown had spent appropriate time interviewing and prepping this informant and consequently would have known this.
Why then, would the crown continue the charges on this individual?
It just doesn’t make sense. Even Jack McCoy would have had a twinge of conscience by now.
June 17th, 2008 la 4:10 pm
Epic Fail.
June 17th, 2008 la 4:18 pm
“‘He said the campers could have viewed wearing fatigues, playing paintball or pretending to be Muslim fighters in Chechnya as a game of cowboys and Indians or cops and robbers, he added.’”
I’m sorry…just how old are these “terrorists”? Sounds more like 7 than 17 (and older!). Next thing you know, they’d bring in the comfy chair.
June 17th, 2008 la 5:00 pm
Brad: You mean they’ve UPgraded from eight-tracks? :O
June 18th, 2008 la 8:34 am
America must quickly counter with dinosaur and shark noises! No mercy for the terrorist bastards!
June 18th, 2008 la 6:41 pm
The terrorists have been watching Colbert and discovered how dangerous bears are.
June 23rd, 2008 la 6:53 pm
I think Canada should eschew noise reproduction technology entirely. Not because I’m some weak-loined sissy who likes to press flowers and wears suspenders and a bra, but because deer are silent but deadly, even when outmatched in armament:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNGGbozilko