[LINK] Four links on the al-Qaeda VIA Rail plot in Toronto

[rfmcdonald]

Hamutal Dotan's Torontoist post outlines today's events.

At a press conference this afternoon RCMP officials announced that two men have been arrested and face charges in conjunction with an attack they were allegedly planning against a particular VIA rail route (though the RCMP would not confirm which one). Chiheb Esseghaier (30, Montreal) and Raed Jaser (35, Toronto) face multiple charges for “activities related to terrorism”—including “conspiring to carry out an attack against, and conspiring to murder persons unknown for the benefit of, at the direction of, or in association with a terrorist group”—and will appear at Old City Hall for a bail hearing tomorrow.

RCMP Assistant Commissioner James Malizia emphasized that there was no imminent threat to the public, and that the significance of today’s arrest lies in the support the suspects received “from Al Qaeda elements located in Iran.”

The investigation, dubbed Project SMOOTH, began in August 2012 and was led by the RCMP. Multiple other agencies participated in the investigation, including the FBI, the Toronto Police Service, York and Peel region services, and the OPP. Officials today declined to comment on whether further arrests were expected, or on the details of the planned attack, as their investigation is ongoing. They did say that the support Al Qaeda provided “was in the form of direction and guidance” (rather than material support like the provision of money).

The National Post reported from Montréal.

Chiheb Esseghaier, the younger of two men charged in the al Qaeda train plot, is a Tunisian-born PhD student at a Université du Québec nanotechnology lab who was threatened with expulsion for his disruptive behaviour and strict religious views that alienated his colleagues.

One colleague at Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique (INRS) in Varennes, Que., described Mr. Esseghaier, 30, as “a brainwashed person, basically,” who tore down posters he did not approve of, and pestered the administration to install a prayer room.

“He had very strict religious behaviour that made many people frustrated,” said the colleague, who asked that his name be withheld. “He had problems with the administration.”

His co-accused, Raed Jaser, 35, is a Palestinian with citizenship in the United Arab Emirates, who has permanent resident status in Canada. Search warrants were being executed Monday at his home in a Toronto suburb, where neighbours said they have seen a group of young men in traditional Muslim garb weightlifting.

‘‘If I was outside, or getting into my car, he wouldn’t even say hello. He was a very reserved guy. They kept entirely to themselves,’’ said Sanjay Chaudhary, 47, who lives next door.

CBC Toronto reported from Scarborough.

The two accused — Chiheb Esseghaier, 30, of Montreal and Raed Jaser, 35, of Toronto — face charges that the RCMP say include conspiring to carry out an attack against, and conspiring to murder persons unknown for the benefit of, at the direction of, or in association with a terrorist group.

Tomorrow, the men are due to appear in a Toronto court for a bail hearing.

The RCMP gave few details about the accused, though they indicated that neither man was a Canadian citizen.

During the Monday afternoon press conference, the RCMP said that while they believed the accused had "the intent and capacity" to carry out attacks, the public did not face any imminent risks in advance of the men’s arrest.

When asked what search warrants had revealed to police, Chief Supt. Jennifer Strachan said that information was not available because the searches were still ongoing.

Hours later, RCMP officers could be seen in an eastern Toronto neighbourhood, near Victoria Park Avenue and Finch Avenue East, where two homes were taped off and a large RCMP truck was parked nearby.

The CBC, meanwhile, commented on the Iranian connection.

[Security expert Seth] Jones argues that "Iran is likely holding al-Qaeda leaders on its territory first as an act of defence. So long as Tehran has several leaders under its control, the group will likely refrain from attacking Iran," which is a Shia Muslim country, while al-Qaeda is Sunni Islamist group which has often targeted Shias.

On the other hand, should the U.S. or Israel attack Iran, "Tehran could employ al-Qaeda in a response," Jones has said.

If the Iranian government should be convinced that al-Qaeda in Iran was secretly involved in supporting a plot in Canada, Jones expects Tehran will detain or expel some of the individuals responsible. "I cannot imagine the Iranian government would be happy with al-Qaeda plotting from its soil," he told CBC News.