TORONTO MAN FOUND GUILTY ON TERROR CHARGES

UNCLAS TORONTO 000286 SENSITIVE SIPDIS (C O R R E C T E D C O P Y - AMEMBASSY OTTAWA ADDED/ALCAN COLLECTIVE DELETED) E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PHUM PINR PTER CA SUBJECT: TORONTO MAN FOUND GUILTY ON TERROR CHARGES Ref: (A) 07 Toronto 139 (B) Toronto 85 Sensitive But Unclassified - protect accordingly. ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: On September 25, an Ontario Superior Court justice found a Toronto-area man guilty of terrorism charges in Canada's first conviction under its Anti-Terrorism Act. The man was part of a group that planned a series of bombings and a raid on Parliament Hill. Ten other men, allegedly also members of the "Toronto 18" terror cell, await trial. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (U) In June 2006, police arrested 18 suspects in the Greater Toronto Area on terrorism-related charges (ref A). The "Toronto 18" suspects allegedly were planning to bomb Toronto offices of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS),the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the Toronto Stock Exchange, a Canadian Forces base, and the CSIS and RCMP headquarters in Ottawa. They also allegedly planned to storm Parliament Hill in Ottawa and take Members of Parliament hostage; if the Canadian government did not withdraw its armed forces from Afghanistan, they reportedly planned to behead Prime Minister Stephen Harper (ref A). The trial of the first suspect began on March 25 (ref B). Charges against seven of the 18 defendants have effectively dropped, and 10 men await trial. ¶3. (U) This is the first conviction under Canada's Anti-Terrorism Act. The convicted man, now 20, was 17 at the time of his crimes, and the Youth Criminal Justice Act prohibits Canadian authorities from releasing his name. Born in Sri Lanka, he moved to Canada in 1994 and converted to Islam in high school. (Note: We cannot verify whether he obtained his Canadian citizenship or if he is still a Sri Lankan national. End note). The court found that the man attended a training camp with other members of the group, where he took part in firearms training and quasi-military exercises. He also shoplifted walkie-talkies and removed a surveillance camera hidden in one group member's apartment building; by doing so, prosecutors successfully argued, the man was "providing a skill or expertise" under Canadian anti-terror law. The man now faces up to 10 years in prison. ¶4. (SBU) COMMENT: The conviction of this suspect is an important victory for Canadian law enforcement and prosecutors. The convicted man reportedly was a minor player in the Toronto 18 group. His conviction shows the wide scope of Canada's Anti-Terrorism Act, and makes the conviction of the 10 remaining defendants more likely. END COMMENT. NAY