Canada foils 'al-Qaeda inspired' terror attack on train

Canada foils 'al-Qaeda inspired' terror attack on train
BBC News

Canada's authorities say they have arrested and charged two people with conspiring to carry out an "al-Qaeda inspired" attack on a passenger train.

At a news conference, the authorities said the suspects Chiheb Esseghaier, 30, and Raed Jaser, 35, were arrested in Montreal and Toronto on Monday.

They allegedly planned to derail a VIA passenger train in the greater Toronto area. It was not clear when.

The suspects will now appear in court on Tuesday for a bail hearing.
'Strong resolve'

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) said the surveillance operation leading to the arrests of the two suspects was "a result of extensive collaborative efforts".

They said the two men were not Canadian citizens and were supported by "al-Qaeda elements in Iran" but there was no evidence of state sponsorship.

Their plan was to derail a train and "kill and hurt people".

Chief Spt Jennifer Strachan said the two men had sought to target "a specific route, but not necessarily a specific train".

VIA operates passenger rail services across Canada.

At the same time, the RCMP said they believed the plot was in the planning stage and "there was no imminent threat to the general public".

"Each and every terrorist arrest the RCMP makes sends a message and illustrates our strong resolve to root out terrorist threats and keep Canadians and our allies safe," Assistant Commissioner James Malizia said.

The RCMP also said that FBI agents from the US were involved in the operation to foil the attack.

There was no connection between the plot and last week's Boston Marathon bombings, a US justice department official was quoted as saying by the Associated Press news agency.

Are we beginning to see another Arab Spring in our own backyards?

Dennis324 wrote:Are we beginning to see another Arab Spring in our own backyards?

No?

Its weird coz we've had that bombing in Boston. Then something odd happened with that fertilizer plant (though I think maybe water combined with chemical to cause an explosion), then London has upped it's security I think. And now Canada.

I dunno...maybe its coincidence. But I have been wondering if the bad guys have decided to bring their attacks back to our shores more often.

Well they never stopped trying, we just had a long lucky period of plots beng foiled. Nothing else wouldve stopped the time square bomber or underwear bomber - well, short of incompetence. I think the lesson here is that the feds need to keep a better lookout for all these foreign students, who, just because they are going to one of our liberal universities, are viewed as having to be moderate muslims. Particularly when we know these are the kinds of kids the jihadis are already looking. Ppl alrdy in the country. Not only that but thanks to the internet, these lonewolf attacks can be carried out by virtually anyone. It doesnt have to be a grand style 9/11 attack.

Dennis324 wrote:Its weird coz we've had that bombing in Boston. Then something odd happened with that fertilizer plant (though I think maybe water combined with chemical to cause an explosion), then London has upped it's security I think. And now Canada.

I dunno...maybe its coincidence. But I have been wondering if the bad guys have decided to bring their attacks back to our shores more often.

Canada was planned by an organized terrorist group. There is no evidence suggesting that the boys in Boston were part of any organized group. The security in London was a direct result of Boston. The plant in Texas is likely an industrial accident resulting from negligent practices, the plant has a history of safety problems and had failed to report the amount of material it was housing to Federal regulators like DHS.

Well a part of? Maybe not. But definitely inspired by al-qaeda. I mean older bro had al awlaqi videos he put up on youtube! And who knows where the hell else he went during his multiple trips to russia, sure all that will turn out. But we interviewed older brother back in 09 after the russians tipped us off, pretty much asked if he was a terrorist, and then let him go when he said no.

And he had the domestic assault on a gf thing, and was in the process of changing his major because he was struggling at school, and for the last two years, clearly fit the profile of someone who has been radicalized.