Alleged plotters eyed UN, Euro '08

Quebecer among those arrested in suspected terror cell

Stewart Bell
National Post

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

TORONTO - A suspected bombing cell whose members were arrested in Canada and Austria last week had allegedly discussed attacking United Nations facilities and next year's European soccer championships.

A suicide bombing at the Euro 2008 tournament in Austria and Switzerland, and attacks on large crowds and political figures, were among the scenarios allegedly considered by the suspected cell members.

A list of the possible targets was communicated by a leading member of the cell and obtained by the SITE Intelligence Group, a U.S. research organization that investigates international terrorist groups for corporate and government clients.

One of the suspected cell members was arrested by an RCMP counterterrorism squad in Quebec last Wednesday. Said Namouh, 34, a former resident of Trois-Rivieres, is scheduled to appear in a Montreal court tomorrow. He is charged with conspiracy to deliver, place or detonate an explosive outside Canada.

He has not been found guilty of any crimes.

Vienna is hosting the European Football Championship final next June 29. Last week, Austrian police arrested three people in Vienna, including Mohammed Mahmoud, whom the RCMP has accused of plotting with Mr. Namouh.

There is no indication they planned to follow through with attacks at the UN or soccer matches, and the charges against Mr. Namouh do not necessarily stem from talk of bombing these targets, but they were among the plots secretly discussed by senior cell members.

The RCMP declined to comment yesterday on whether the arrest in Quebec was connected to the plots.

"We're not there yet," said Corporal Elaine Lavergne. "It's still under investigation, I'm not going to be able to release any details about the investigation."

Soccer fans have been perennial terrorist targets. In 1998, police in Belgium arrested seven Algerians who allegedly planned to bomb World Cup matches in France.

Real Madrid's stadium was evacuated in 2004 following a bomb threat by ETA, and in July more than 50 were killed when terrorists detonated two car bombs in a crowd of Iraqis celebrating their national team's win at the Asia Cup final.

The RCMP has said little publicly about the allegations against Mr. Namouh, who was arrested in tiny Maskinonge, Que., following a five-month joint investigation by Austrian police and Quebec's Integrated National Security Enforcement Team.

Using the online name Ashraf, as well as several other aliases, Mr. Namouh, 34, allegedly posted hundreds of messages on Internet forums and message boards that support al-Qaeda and other Islamist terror groups.

From his computer in Quebec, he allegedly disseminated articles that berated Muslims for not fighting jihad called for war until "religion will be for Allah alone" and bluntly advised the West that, "We came to you with slaughter."

He also distributed links to videos by al-Qaeda deputy Ay-man Al-Zawahiri and Azzam the American. In one posting, he reacted to a suicide bombing in Iraq with the message: "May God defeat the crusaders and the Shia."

Mr. Namouh is believed to be active in the Global Islamic Media Front, an international network of al-Qaeda sympathizers who translate, repackage and disseminate the propaganda and communications of terrorists in several countries.

The GIMF has particularly close ties to terrorists in the Palestinian territories and Lebanon. Several members of the network are believed to operate from Canadian cities.

Born in Morocco, Mr. Namouh immigrated to Canada in 2003 after marrying Carole Lessard, a Maskinonge waitress. The couple divorced last year, and in March, 2006, Mr. Namouh rented a basement apartment in Trois-Rivieres.

His brother said he was not religious but his former landlady Josee Boudreault has described him as a kind man who prayed regularly, abstained from alcohol and observed a strict Muslim diet.

He was arrested as he was preparing to leave the country.

Canadian terrorism expert Tom Quiggin said that as host of the 2010 Winter Olympics, Canada should be paying close attention to the targeting trends of terrorists, who apparently view sporting events as soft targets.

"These events remain attractive targets to terrorists due to their mass casualty potential, their high profile and impossibility of putting strong security in place at large public gatherings," said Mr. Quiggin, a Senior Fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore.