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QUEBEC'S LEAGUE OF RIGHTS and FREEDOM PROTESTS MOROCCAN'S Arrest
Canada carrying 'guilt by association' to a new depth
Charkaoui visited Pakistan in 1998 [3 years before 9.11]: That's a Crime!
Are there Indians in Canadian Intelligence trying to Stop Travel to Pakistan?

[If you traveled to Pakistan while an Islamic opponent of the U.S. was in Afghanistan, you are a terrorist too! If you talked to anyone who later turned out to a be a fighter against America, you are a terrorist. You become a terrorist by talking to the one who is against America. Even Hitler had not thought up this kind of excuse for arresting anyone - editor of New Trend]

Wed. May. 28 2003
{Excerpts from ASL}

MONTREAL —— A Moroccan native facing deportation is a "dormant agent" of al Qaeda who could plan terrorist attacks at any time, says Canada's spy agency.

The federal government also says Charkaoui knew Ahmed Ressam, who was convicted of planning to bomb U.S. targets during millennium celebrations.

The documents [which Canada says it has] don't link Charkaoui to any specific terrorist plots or attacks, but he's accused of knowing a number of convicted or alleged terrorists. Canadian law allows the Federal Court to withhold evidence from Charkaoui and the public to protect what the government deems to be "national security."

CSIS says Charkaoui was an associate of Abdellah Ouzghar, who French authorities say was also a member of the Montreal al Qaeda cell.

Charkaoui, a permanent Canadian resident, was nabbed last week and detained on a security certificate, part of a rarely used section of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.

He has previously denied any involvement with terrorist groups. His lawyer couldn't be reached on Tuesday and federal government lawyers were not available for comment.

The accusations against Charkaoui sparked outrage from several human-rights groups on Tuesday, including the Quebec-based League of Rights and Freedoms.

"With a security certificate, a person can be arrested and detained without being accused of a crime," the group said in a news release.

"His lawyer has no knowledge of the specific allegations and doesn't have access to the entire body of evidence. "(This) goes against the fundamental rules of justice."

The group also said Amnesty International and the American Bar Association have denounced the Canadian government's case against Charkaoui.

A Federal Court justice is scheduled to begin hearing arguments on Friday to determine the validity of the security certificate, which is the first step in the deportation process.

The government documents contain several other elements allegedly linking Charkaoui with al Qaeda.

CSIS says Charkaoui visited Pakistan in 1998 at the same time Ressam was training in an al Qaeda camp in nearby Afghanistan.

Also training at the camp with Ressam was Zacharias Moussaoui, who is accused by U.S. authorities of planning to participate in the Sept. 11, 2001, jetliner attacks on New York and Washington, D.C.

The documents don't say whether Charkaoui went to the al Qaeda camps.

The Canadian government also says Charkaoui took karate training similar to the training undertaken by Ziad Jarrah, one of the Sept. 11 hijackers. The government brief doesn't say whether Charkaoui trained any terrorists.

Charkaoui has said he taught a self-defense course at a Montreal mosque and that he was questioned by FBI agents who wanted to know the names of his students.
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[With thanks to Sis. Hamdiyeh, South Carolina.]
Homeland Security Silent about arrest of Islamic Imam from South Africa

Associated Press

JUNE 1. READING, Pa. - A county Islamic leader has been detained by the Department
of Homeland Security and jailed in the Berks County Prison. Imam Shiraz Mansoor, a public figure and community leader in Pottsville, was arrested Thursday morning by four immigration officers. His wife and attorney say they have not been told the reasons for his arrest. An instructor, spiritual leader and figurehead of the Islamic Society of Schuylkill County, Mansoor is a South African citizen and was seeking an American residency and work visa. He arrived in the United States six years ago. Prison officials told Razia Mansoor that her husband cannot receive incoming calls but can return messages. She has called the prison several times since the arrest but has not yet heard from her husband. "I'm praying everything goes well," Razia Mansoor said. "I need to know how he's doing. Our boys want to know where their father is." Prison officials said Mansoor may be quarantined for up to 10 days. James Slovik, the supervisor of detention and deportation at Berks County Prison, confirmed that immigration officials brought Mansoor to the Reading facility Thursday afternoon.
"But I can't give you any reasons," he said. "We can't discuss anybody's case."
Mansoor and all other inmates at the prison cannot receive visitors because the "facility is on lock-down for security reasons," Slovik said. He refused to be more specific.
A worker for the Department of Homeland Security, Officer Lance Payne, did not return calls seeking comment Friday.
Mansoor's immigration attorney, John Deluce, of Philadelphia, said he knew little about why his client was detained.
"This is not a common occurrence," Deluce said. "Usually, pickups like this are reserved for specific reasons. But in this case, I don't know what that reason could be. No one does, except them. We're waiting for answers."
Deluce said he will try to secure a bond amount and court date so Mansoor can return home.
Information from: Pottsville Republican Philly.com
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2003-06-03 Tue 18:13ct