Canada A Hotbed For Terrorists

Intelligence Officials Believe 50 Terror Groups Have Presence

(AP) 
There currently are four Arab Muslim men in Canadian jails under "security certificates," which allow Ottawa to detain suspects without public trial or evidence in the name of national security. All four suspects argue they face risk of torture if returned to their native Algeria, Morocco, Syria and Egypt. A fifth suspect, Adil Charkaoui, was granted conditional release in February but must wear an electronic tracking device and remain in Montreal. Human rights groups have condemned Canada for holding the men.

Canada adopted its Anti-Terrorism Act in the months that followed Sept. 11, yet only one man has been arrested under the act: Mohammad Momin Khawaja.

Born in Canada to Pakistani immigrants, Khawaja was arrested in March 2004 on suspicion of participating in and facilitating terrorist activities in London and Ottawa, according to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

Young men like Khawaja, 26, are representative of the type of recruits al Qaeda is after, CSIS said in a report recently made public by the Toronto Star.

"There is a direct threat to Canada and Canadian interests from al Qaeda and related groups," CSIS said. "Converts are highly prized by terrorist groups for their familiarity with the West and relative ease at moving through Western society."

The U.S. State Department has estimated there are 40 terrorist organizations with sympathizers or supporters in the United States.