The War on Terror’s Canadian Speed Bump

by John Thompson

June 9, 2003

There are around 80 terrorist groups currently pestering the world. These range from the minor and amateurish Animal Liberation Front to the likes of Al Qaeda, a meta-network of over 30 constituent groups and a corresponding global network for fundraising and ideological spadework.

Even before the 9-11 attacks, the community of nations was moving to limit the power of terrorist groups through treaties, international agreements, and orders from the UN Security Council. America, Britain and France have all banned a number of groups that have operated inside their countries, and looked to Canada to do likewise with a number of organizations.

We have moved — slowly — to list a number of terrorist groups which may no longer operate here. It is now an offense to provide material or money for listed groups, to belong to them, provide information to them, harbor or conceal its members, or assist them in any other way. This is good tough stuff (if it survives a Charter challenge in court). However, groups that are not on our Solicitor General’s list are still allowed to engage in a number of activities.

Here are the groups that — supposedly — can no longer operate here:

• The Al Aqsa Martyr’s Brigade — the PLO’s own internal terrorist group and the generator of many suicide attacks;
• Euzkadi ta Askatasuna — the long-lived Basque ETA;
• The PKK (Kurdish Workers Party), which staged a spectacular ‘instant’ riot in Ottawa in February 1999;
• The ELN, a Columbian Marxist terrorist group;
• al-Gana’at Al Islamiyyaa, an Egyptian group associated with Al Qaeda;
• al-Ithhihad Al Islami, a Somali group associated with both Al Qaeda and the Aideed clan;
• al Qaeda itself. Dozens of members of the group or its components have lived in Canada;
• The Armed Islamic Group (or the GIA), the ferocious despoilers of Algeria, and an affiliate of al Qaeda;
• Egyptian Islamic Jihad, a member of al Qaeda which is also known as the Jihad Group;
• Harakat ul-Mujahidn: It is the most active of the Kashmiri groups but also has sworn to attack American targets. It is a member of al Qaeda;
• Islamic Army of Aydin, the front group for al Qaeda’s attack on the USS Cole;
• Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, this group is active in the old Central Asian Republics and drew support through Afghanistan before it was liberated;
• Jemmaah Islamiyyyah: Active in Southeast Asia, a Canadian al Qaeda member has been associated with the group;
• Jayesh-e-Mohammed: Another al Qaeda affiliate active in India;
• Palestinian Islamic Jihad: Based in the Gaza Strip and the only Palestinian group to affiliate itself with al Qaeda, it maintains a strong presence in some American and European universities within Islamic Students Associations. There are grounds to believe the organization is active here too;
• Salafist Group for Call and Combat: Ahmed Ressam and his colleagues in Montreal belonged to this al Qaeda member group;
• Hamas: Like Palestinian Islamic Jihad, it often seeks to undermine the Palestinian Authority as much as it can by competing with it for prestige by attacking Israeli targets, undermining progress — when such occurs — in the peace process, and challenging the PLO by creating rival institutions. The group has a presence in Canada;
• Hizbollah has an active presence in Canada — where it was finally banned in January 2003;
• United Self Defence Forces of Colombia — a paramilitary force active in areas where FARC is present, the groups has been implicated in acts of terrorism against potential FARC supporters;
• Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia: Ostensibly Marxist, FARC controls some 40% of the Colombian countryside. It has dedicated Canadian political supporters — most of whom are associated with the remains of the Communist Party of Canada. FARC benefits from Canadian consumption of cocaine and related products;
• Aum Shinri Kyo: A frightening cult, it has an apocalyptic obsession and hoped to trigger Armageddon by committing attacks with weapons of mass destruction — including the Tokyo subway nerve gas attack in March 1995 that killed 12 and injured 6,000.