Supporters of Mohamed Harkat, the Ottawa man accused of being an al-Qaeda operative, have launched a 50,000 dollar fundraising drive in preparation for his bail hearing next month. Mr. Harkat, 37, will mark his 1,000th day behind bars in early September. He has been held without criminal charge since Dec. 10, 2002, when he was arrested on the strength of a security certificate issued by two federal cabinet ministers. Based on information from the Canadian Security Intelligence Service spy agency, the ministers concluded Mr. Harkat was a terrorist and threat to Canadians. Earlier this year, a Federal Court judge endorsed that decision, opening the door to Mr. Harkat's deportation to Algeria, the country from which he fled as a political dissident in 1990. Before deporting him, the federal government must determine whether Mr. Harkat faces a substantial risk of torture in Algeria, and whether such danger is outweighed by the risk he poses to Canadians. As he waits, Mr. Harkat has decided to apply for bail. That hearing is expected to be held next month in Federal Court. "I think he has a good chance; we're well prepared and we have a big support network," said his wife, Sophie Harkat. "It is really impressive. I'm getting offers from people from all over who are willing to help."

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