Ottawa terror suspect quizzed on fake passport

posted on November 02, 2004 | in Category Mohamed Harkat | PermaLink

Original author: Canadian Press (CP)
Source CTV News online - CTV.CA
URL: [link]
Date: October 28, 2004


OTTAWA - Mohamed Harkat, an Ottawa man accused of being an al-Qaida sleeper agent, was grilled Thursday about where he got $1,200 US to buy the fake passport he used to enter Canada.

Crown counsel James Mathieson questioned whether Harkat could have saved up a total of $18,000 US working at a charitable organization in Pakistan in the early 1990s.

"That's pretty good money for that part of the world, isn't it?'' Mathieson asked Harkat during the Federal Court of Canada hearing.

The government is trying to deport the 36-year-old Harkat, a refugee from Algeria, under a national security certificate based on information collected by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service.

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La crédibilité du SCRS mise en doute

posted on November 02, 2004 | in Category Mohamed Harkat | PermaLink

Original author: N/A
Source: RCI
URL: [link]
Date: 26 octobre 2004

Les avocats de Mohamed Harkat, un résident d'Ottawa soupçonné d'appartenir à une organisation terroriste, ont émis des doutes lundi sur la crédibilité et la compétence des agents du Service canadien du renseignement de sécurité.

Au premier jour du procès de Harkat, Me Paul Copeland a soutenu devant la juge fédérale Eleanor Dawson que les agents du SCRS sont parfois mal informés ou ne comprennent pas les communautés ethniques où ils effectuent des cueillettes de renseignements.

L'avocat a déposé trois rapports du Comité de surveillance des activités de renseignement de sécurité, un organisme gouvernemental, qui sont critiques envers le SCRC, notamment pour le cas de Maher Arar.

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Defence slams Harkat hearing secrecy

posted on October 30, 2004 | in Category | PermaLink

Original author: CBC News Staff
Source: CBC News Online
URL: [link]
Date: October 29, 2004

OTTAWA - The first week of a special judicial hearing for accused terrorist Mohamed Harkat has ended. Lawyers for the Crown needed only two hours to cross-examine him, Thursday. Their case didn't take long, because much of the trial is being conducted in secret.

Defence lawyer Paul Copeland says both he and his client are in the dark about the real case against Harkat.

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Ottawa man grilled about buying fake passport

posted on October 29, 2004 | in Category Mohamed Harkat | PermaLink

Original author: CP
Source: The Globe and Mail online
URL: [link]
Date: October 28, 2004


Ottawa - Mohamed Harkat, an Ottawa man accused of being an al-Qaeda sleeper agent, was grilled Thursday about where he got $1,200 (U.S.) to buy a fake passport that he used to enter Canada.

Crown counsel James Mathieson questioned whether Mr. Harkat could have saved up a total of $18,000 US working at a charitable organization in Pakistan in the early 1990s.

"That's pretty good money for that part of the world, isn't it?" Mr. Mathieson asked Mr. Harkat during the Federal Court of Canada hearing.

The government is trying to deport the 36-year-old Mr. Harkat, a refugee from Algeria, under a national-security certificate based on information collected by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service.

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Harkat finally gets his day in court

posted on October 29, 2004 | in Category Mohamed Harkat | PermaLink

Original author: N/A
Source: CBC.CA
URL: [link]
Date: October 28 2004

OTTAWA - The wife of accused terrorist Mohamed Harkat says she was pleased with the way things went when he got his first-ever chance to tell his story in court, Wednesday.

Sophie Harkat says, "He told me he's innocent. So that's how he portrayed himself. He looked like an innocent man. I believe he still does have an ounce of faith in the system - that he will get out. He does. I don't."

She says she has no faith in the security-certificate system, which allows the Canadian government to jail foreigners without charging them, if it thinks they may be a threat to national security. She says the open nature of Wednesday's hearing was meaningless, because her husband can't defend himself against evidence that the Crown will later be able to present to the judge in secret.

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Harkat: I'm no terrorist, just a victim of chaos

posted on October 28, 2004 | in Category Mohamed Harkat | PermaLink

Original author: Andrew Duffy Source: The Ottawa Citizen online URL: [link] (subscriber only) Date: October 28, 2004 Terror suspect takes stand to deny connection to al-Qaeda

To hear him tell it, Mohamed Harkat has been the innocent victim of turbulent forces the world over: a student whose university ambitions were dashed by a political crackdown in Algeria; an aid worker who lost his job in Pakistan as Afghan refugees returned home; an asylum seeker in Canada falsely accused of being a terrorist. Mr. Harkat took to the witness stand yesterday to defend himself for the first time against government allegations that he's an al-Qaeda terrorist. He flatly denied any connection to the terrorist network.

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Harkat admits he lied but denies Al Qaeda link

posted on October 28, 2004 | in Category Mohamed Harkat | PermaLink

Original author: Michelle Shephard Source: The Toronto Star online URL: [link] (subscribers only) Date: October 28, 2004 CSIS notes contradicted by his testimony Ottawa resident is facing deportation

OTTAWA - An Algerian refugee claimant admits he lied to Canadian security officials but denies any connections to Osama bin Laden's Al Qaeda network. Mohamed Harkat, who is facing deportation, yesterday told a federal court about his life in Algeria where he fled political persecution in 1990, his work in Pakistan for a relief organization, and finally his arrival in Canada in 1995. The 36-year-old Ottawa resident was arrested Dec. 10, 2002, after two federal ministers signed a national security certificate based on information gathered by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service that alleges he is connected to prominent terrorist figures and is a threat to Canada's security. Lawyer Matthew Webber began and ended his questioning by asking Harkat if he had ever aided Islamic extremists, travelled to Afghanistan, knew bin Laden or associated with Abu Zabaydah, who is believed to be a high-ranking Al Qaeda agent now in U.S. custody. Harkat responded, "No, sir" to each question.

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Informant likely tortured, Harkat defence tells hearing

posted on October 28, 2004 | in Category Mohamed Harkat | PermaLink

Original author: Michelle Shephard Source: The Toronto Star online URL: N/A Date: Ocober. 27, 2004 Harkat lawyer questions interrogation methods Senior Al Qaeda figure described him

OTTAWA-The interrogation techniques used on terrorism suspects in American custody are under scrutiny in the case of an Algerian refugee the Canadian government is attempting to deport, alleging he's a member of Al Qaeda. Lawyers for Mohamed Harkat argued at a federal court hearing yesterday that statements given by a high-profile prisoner concerning the 36-year-old Ottawa resident may have been gleaned under torture and should not be considered credible.

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Torture of al-Qaida boss taints Harkat ID: Lawyer

posted on October 27, 2004 | in Category Mohamed Harkat | PermaLink

Original author: Andrew Seymour
Source: The Ottawa Sun online
URL: [link]
Date: October 27, 2004

No weight should be given to the identification of an Ottawa man by a top al-Qaida lieutenant since the evidence was likely gained through torture, lawyers for Mohamed Harkat argued yesterday. On the second day of Harkat's security certificate hearing, lawyers Paul Copeland and Matthew Webber argued it was likely Abu Zubaydah was tortured prior to identifying Harkat as the proprietor of a Pakistani guest house for mujahadeen traveling to Chechnya in the mid-1990s.

"Based on everything we've seen, various media reports, the human rights report, our view is that we will be able to establish on a balance of probabilities for the judge that Abu Zubaydah was mistreated and tortured," Copeland said outside of court, adding Zubaydah's information is dubious at best.

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Harkat denies he ever helped Islamic extremists

posted on October 27, 2004 | in Category Mohamed Harkat | PermaLink

Original author: Jim Bronskill
Source: The Ottawa Citizen, CP
URL: [link]
Date: October 27, 2004

OTTAWA -- An Ottawa man accused of terrorist links denied Wednesday that he ever assisted Islamic extremists.

Mohamed Harkat told the Federal Court of Canada he has never had dealings with members of Osama bin Laden's al Qaida network.

"No, sir," the soft-spoken Harkat replied to his lawyer when asked about the allegations.

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