Israel: Canadian admits to planning attacks in N. America: DON'T IGNORE THIS

Ha'aretz ^ | Last Update: 06/12/2003 00:13 | Reuters

[Cinnamon Girl]

OTTAWA - Israel's embassy in Canada said on Friday that a Canadian had confessed to planning attacks in North America on behalf of the Palestinian militant group Hamas, prompting an angry Ottawa to say it would reprimand the Israeli ambassador.

Canadian officials said they were also unhappy with the way Israel had responded to complaints about how 23-year-old Palestinian-born Jamal Akkal was being interrogated and were unaware of any confession he might have made.

Israeli Ambassador Haim Divon told reporters that Akkal confessed at a court hearing on Thursday that he been recruited by Hamas "to carry out terrorist attacks" against Jewish and Israeli targets.

A Canadian foreign ministry spokesman said Ottawa -- which sent two consular officials to the hearing -- was unaware of any confession and added that Divon should not have spoken about the case while Akkal was under investigation in Israel.

"The ambassador is going to be called in. A senior official at the department is going to meet with him early next week and will tell him ... that any comment [like those] made yesterday is totally unacceptable," said spokesman Reynald Doiron.

"Our embassy has been instructed to keep pursuing vigorously the matter with the Israelis ... to express our strong objections to the statements made yesterday by the Israeli ambassador," he told reporters in a conference call.

No one at the Israeli embassy in Ottawa was immediately available for comment.

Israeli security forces arrested Akkal last month on suspicion of being a member of Hamas.

The Israeli embassy said in statement that "among the scenarios that were planned [were] attaching an explosive device to vehicles, shooting attacks, [the] assassination of a visiting Israeli official in Canada".

Akkal's lawyer, Jamil al-Qhateb, told CBC radio that Israel has used "psychological torture" to get his client to confess. He said Akkal was kept awake for 20 days and was forced to sign a confession in Hebrew, a language he does not speak.

"We are very concerned about Mr Akkal's situation," a second Canadian official told the briefing.

"We attempted to express to the Israeli authorities our frustration and our concern about this interrogation process. We were met with passing the buck, basically, and Israeli officials did not answer those concerns directly."

Doiron said that at Thursday's court hearing the defense and prosecution had agreed to extend the probe into Akkal's case for another 15 days.

"We cannot confirm there was a confession ... our representatives who were at the hearing have confirmed that at no time was there any question of Mr Akkal or his lawyer making a confession," he said.

Al-Qhateb said Akkal -- whose family members said had gone to the occupied territories to find a wife -- acknowledged meeting a man who might have had links to Hamas and had also fired eight bullets from an automatic weapon during his time in Gaza.

[Cinnamon Girl]

Is everyone following this? CANADA is showing their FRENCH/E.U. propensity to cower in fear of the islamic terrorist threat and scold the good guys.

Questions: When is the last time Israel was wrong when it accused someone of being linked to Hamas?

Do the Canadians speak Arabic? Can they go undercover as Arabs? The Israelis CAN.

[EggsAckley]

BTTT

[PRND21]

Sshhh. It's potentially more damaging to Bush if you blame the Mexicans.

[Dog]

There were a couple of flights diverted in Canada recently because the Israelis warned the Canadians that someone was going to shoot them down....this explains that now..

[diamondjoe]

"OTTAWA - Israel's embassy in Canada said on Friday that a Canadian had confessed to planning attacks in North America on behalf of the Palestinian militant group Hamas, prompting an angry Ottawa to say it would reprimand the Israeli ambassador."

WHAT??? What total, total idiots.

[Cinnamon Girl]

I don't get your comment.

[TrueBeliever9]

The wife scenario is a cover! Hamas in Canada and America are well networked! Remember the four that came over a year ago - the FBI issued a look out - they are still on the loose in America. There are so many safe houses (condos) in America for these Hamas they are virtually free to move about the country! Wish the FBI would do a sweep through Virginia like the Army of Northern Agression!

[American in Israel]

Amazing how people cower before Islam.

Pali's kill people, it's a cultural thing. You should see the MTV Palestinian style over here, videos of children throwing rocks at Jews and brave children commiting suicide for the State of Palestine.

Sick puppies, the latest polls by the Palestinians themselves claim that around 80% of children 14 and below prefer to be a suicide bomb than to live.

In three short years of the Islamic propaganda machine they have turned out 300,000 suicide bombs from the schools.

And the Canadians are outraged because Israel caught one!?

I wonder how many mosques are being built in Canada as I type...

[TheSpottedOwl]

I think that people don't understand how important Israel is to us. They are America's best friend when it comes to dealing with terrorists. Canada needs to wake up and take a cold shower.

[Monti Cello]

Just curious, how much interaction is there between Jews and Arabs in Israel?

It seems bizarre from here that Israel absorbs so many attacks without (apparently) any change in their strategy. Are the people simply resigned to the current level of low-intensity war going on indefinitely? Thanks.

[TheDon]

Israel's embassy in Canada said on Friday that a Canadian had confessed to planning attacks in North America on behalf of the Palestinian militant group Hamas, prompting an angry Ottawa to say it would reprimand the Israeli ambassador.

Huh? As opposed to giving him a commendation?

[nikola]

This does sound a bit fishy.

What EXACT evidence do they have against this guy?!? If it's only his confession, that's bull. I think everyone on this forum would admit to whatever they wanted after 20 days of Mossad interrogations.

[Cinnamon Girl]

They said they've been watching this guy for a while. Do really think that's all they have?

[Allan]

Bump

[nikola]

I really don't wanna guess. They need to show their evidence. Burden of proof is upon them. What they've shown so far does not amount to much at all and any lawyer could overturn this confession in court.

PS: I'm looking at all from the legal perspective. If they've caught a guilty man, excellent... but I just don't wanna see an innocent person be thrown in jail just because they're a palestinian.

[DannyTN]

"Our embassy has been instructed to keep pursuing vigorously the matter with the Israelis "

Translation: I might agree with the Israeli's but I have my orders... I've been INSTRUCTED

[thinking]

The more I reflect on this terrorist thing, the more I think it is time for some street-justice for these punks...fight fire with fire as the saying goes....are we to stand with heads bowed as these scum destroy our way of life ?

[Cinnamon Girl]

That's very big of you. Israel has probably at the moment THE BEST intelligence operation with regard to terrorist networks.

[yonif]

So it is Israel's fault for this guy's desire to commit a terror attack in North America....that's a new one I haven't heard of yet.