Two arrested in Ottawa terrorism probe

[[R_H]]

The Globe and Mail

The RCMP has arrested two people, and more arrests are expected, in a terrorism probe in Ottawa.

Search warrants were executed Wednesday morning at around 8 a.m., and police search teams were reportedly at two different sites in the city’s west-end.

One source said police believe the group being targeted resembles a smaller, less mature version of the “Toronto 18” – the group of young extremists arrested in Canada's largest city in 2006.

That group's ringleaders have been sentenced to life in prison for a bomb plot against government targets.

During the current round of arrests, matters do not seem to have advanced as far in this case.

One of the raided sites appeared to be a seventh-floor apartment in Ottawa's Bayshore area.

Three squad cars – one RCMP and two Ottawa Police – were parked outside the building. Several uniformed and officers in plain clothes were inside the building. They had apparently arrived around 7 a.m., according to one resident.

The police had only standard issue guns and were not wearing body armour during the arrests. Police told building residents there was nothing to fear.

Prosecutors in Canada have recently had some successes in convicting individuals for terrorist propaganda and terrorist fundraising, crimes that do not directly involve imminent violence.

One Mountie stood outside a seventh floor apartment but refused comment. A neighbour on the seventh floor, who declined to be identified, said a young Muslim couple in their late 20s or early 30s lived in the apartment in question.

The neighbour, who declined to give her name, said officers – mostly female – arrived at around 7:15 a.m., a fact that suggested to her that police arrived targeting a female suspect.

No one was taken into custody, the neighbour said.

Another neighbour, a young woman who wore a hijab, expressed shock when she heard RCMP characterizations of terrorist offences.

“They're nice people,” she said of the residents of the raided apartment. “They were my friends.”

She refused to divulge their name or her own.

She said that the couple had two young toddlers. They prayed in an Ottawa mosque, she said, and were observing the Ramadan fast.

But, she said, they were not extremist.

Police paid the most attention to a rented townhouse in the western Ottawa area of Carlingwood, where residents said more than eight police cars arrived to seize a purple Mazda car.

“They went over it with a fine tooth comb,” said Mary Surtees, a resident of Easterlawn Private who said police meticulously took many photos of the vehicle before towing it away.

She said a young couple in their 30s lived in the townhouse with their young baby. They moved in recently, and some neighbours claimed to see a young mother crying during the dawn police raids.

Ms. Surtees said she hadn't actually seen anyone be arrested.

The RCMP is refusing to release details about the two arrested individuals and where they were when they were apprehended.

The Mounties plan to hold a press conference Thursday afternoon to release details on the arrests.

[Aaron]

Well now I know what the subject of my MP's next newsletter will be, "look we stopped a potential attack! Aren't we awesome!!!???"

But a younger and less mature version of the 18? Does that refer to age or ability? Because the 18 were pretty damn pathetic.

[Solauren]

Well now I know what the subject of my MP's next newsletter will be, "look we stopped a potential attack! Aren't we awesome!!!???"

But a younger and less mature version of the 18? Does that refer to age or ability? Because the 18 were pretty damn pathetic.

They probably mean that they had plans to get bigger/where just starting the formation stages of a cell.

Or that it was two idiots that said the wrong thing at a bar a few nights ago...

[Aaron]

Radio claims they have been under observation for a year and were picked up when it looked like they were going to move some money overseas. It also claims one had explosives training (one was a Canadian Idol contestant ). So the RCMP were on top of things.

[Enigma]

Radio claims they have been under observation for a year and were picked up when it looked like they were going to move some money overseas. It also claims one had explosives training (one was a Canadian Idol contestant ). So the RCMP were on top of things.

Plus they are saying that they found some bomb components.

[Aaron]

I hadn't heard that bit. Frankly I'm more concerned about this giving ammo to our nutters then I am about getting blown up.