US embassy cable - 04OTTAWA3259

S E C R E T OTTAWA 003259 
 
SIPDIS 
 
TERREP 
 
STATE FOR DS/IP/WHA, DS/IP/NEA, DSERCC, DS/ITA 
STATE ALSO FOR S/CT, POSTS FOR RSO AND PSO 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/03/2014 
TAGS: ASEC, PTER, RCMP 
SUBJECT: ANONYMOUS THREAT LETTER RECEIVED BY THE ROYAL 
CANADIAN MOUNTED POLICE - MONTREAL METRO SYSTEM AND US 
EMBASSY 
 
 
Classified By: RSO THOMAS F. GREY JR., REASON 1.4 
 
1. (SBU) ON DECEMBER 3, 2004, THE ROYAL CANADIAN MOUNTED 
POLICE TELEPHONICALLY CONTACTED RSO, LEGAT AND POLITICAL 
LIAISON REQUESTING AN IMMEDIATE MEETING TO DISCUSS A CURRENT 
INVESTIGATION UNDERWAY BY RCMP NATIONAL SECURITY 
INVESTIGATIVE DIVISION AT OTTAWA AND MONTREAL. INCLUDED IN 
THE MEETING IN ADDITION TO RSO, LEGAT AND POL/L WERE MEMBER'S 
OF THE RCMP CRIMINAL INTELLIGENCE DIRECTORATE AND PROTECTIVE 
SERVICES DIVISION. 
 
2. (S)  RCMP ADVISED THAT ON NOVEMBER 29, 2004, AN ANONYMOUS 
LETTER, DRAFTED IN FRENCH WAS RECEIVED AT RCMP HEADQUARTERS 
IN MONTREAL.  THE DRAFTER OF THE LETTER INDICATED HE/SHE HAD 
OVERHEARD MASTOURI, MAJDI, DOB: MAY 6, 1976 DETAILING A 
POSSIBLE PLOT TO BOMB THE MONTREAL METRO SYSTEM ON DECEMBER 
15 AND THE US EMBASSY ON JANUARY 10,  ACCORDING TO THE 
DRAFTER, MASTOURI IS AFFILIATED WITH USAMA BIN LADEN. DRAFTER 
FURTHER PROVIDED A CELLULAR TELEPHONE NUMBER FOR MASTOURI. 
NO OTHER DETAILS WERE PROVIDED IN THE SHORT LETTER ADDRESSED 
TO RCMP HEADQUARTERS, MONTREAL. 
 
3. (SBU) ACCORDING TO THE RCMP WHO WERE ABLE TO IDENTIFY AND 
LOCATE MASTOURI, A TUNISIAN IMMIGRANT WHO ARRIVED IN CANADA 
IN 2000 AND HAS SINCE APPLIED FOR CANADIAN CITIZENSHIP.  RCMP 
INDICATED HIS PENDING IMMIGRATION FILE WOULD BE DENIED BUT 
WOULD NOT PROVIDE DETAILS. MASTOURI, A PART-TIME SECURITY 
OFFICER AND CAR WASH ATTENDANT IS CURRENTLY UNDER 24/7 
SURVEILLANCE BY RCMP PERSONNEL. RCMP HAVE REQUESTED NAME 
TRACES FROM US AUTHORITIES TO INCLUDE DS, FBI AND POLITICAL 
LIAISON. ONCE OBTAINED, RCMP PLAN TO ARREST MASTOURI FOR 
POTENTIAL POLYGRAPH EXAMINATION. MASTOURI HAS NO KNOWN 
CRIMINAL HISTORY OR IS HE KNOWN TO CANADIAN AUTHORITIES FOR 
ANY REASON OTHER THAN HIS PENDING IMMIGRATION PETITION. 
HOWEVER, RCMP WOULD NOT PROVIDE THE DETAILS AS TO WHY 
MASTOURI WOULD BE DENIED CANADIAN CITIZENSHIP CLAIMING 
PRIVACY LAW LIMITATIONS. 
 
4.  (SBU) RSO OTTAWA TELEPHONICALLY CONTACTED RSO TUNIS 
REQUESTING ASSISTANCE IN DETERMINING ANY KNOWN/POSSIBLE 
CRIMINAL HISTORY AVAILABLE THROUGH TUNISIAN AUTHORITIES. 
MASTOURI DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE WATCH-LISTED OR IDENTIFIED IN 
FBI DATABASES. RSO OTTAWA ATTEMPTED TO SEARCH INK SYSTEM IN 
AN EFFORT TO DETERMINE POSSIBLE EXISTENCE OF AN APPLICATION 
BY MASTOURI TO ENTER THE UNITED STATES.  SIMILAR 
DOCUMENTATION IS MAINTAINED BY CANADIAN AUTHORITIES. 
 
5. (SBU) RSO REQUESTED ADDITIONAL PROTECTIVE COVERAGE FOR ALL 
UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT FACILITIES IN HALIFAX, MONTREAL, 
TORONTO, WINNIPEG, CALGARY, VANCOUVER, QUEBEC CITY AND 
OTTAWA. RCMP ASSETS WERE VISIBLE AT 1915 HOURS ON 12/3/2004 
AT OTTAWA. COM AND DCM ARE CURRENTLY OUT OF COUNTRY OR IN A 
TRAVEL STATUS. DCM BRIEFED TELEPHONICALLY. RCMP PHYSIOLOGICAL 
PROFILERS REVIEWED CONTENTS OF THE SUBJECT LETTER AND BELIEVE 
THE AUTHOR TO BE A MALE AND SOMEWHAT EDUCATED. RCMP STATED 
SUCH LETTERS ARE RECEIVED FREQUENTLY AND ALTHOUGH SERIOUS 
DOUBT THIS PARTICULAR THREAT TO BE CREDIBLE. RSO DID NOTE 
THAT FEW LETTERS ARE RECEIVED SPECIFICALLY MENTIONING THE 
BOMBING OF THE US EMBASSY. RSO INQUIRED AS TO WHY THE RCMP 
WAITED SEVERAL DAYS BEFORE PROVIDING SUCH INFORMATION. RCMP 
WERE UNABLE OR UNWILLING TO RESPOND BUT THE INDICATION SEEMED 
TO BE THEY WERE PROCEEDING APPROPRIATELY. RSO, LEGAT AND 
POL/L WERE ALLOWED TO REVIEW THE LETTER DURING THE COURSE OF 
THE MEETING BUT COPIES WERE NOT PROVIDED. RSO WILL CONTINUE 
TO REQUEST ALL DOCUMENTATION RELEVANT TO RCMP INVESTIGATION. 
IN THE EVENT MASTOURI IS ARRESTED AT MONTREAL, RSO OTTAWA 
WILL REQUEST RSO MONTREAL TAKE PART IN SUBJECT INTERVIEW. 
 
 
6. (SBU) RSO OTTAWA WILL CONTINUE TO SOLICIT INFORMATION FROM 
RCMP AND ADVISE APPROPRIATELY. POC AT OTTAWA IS RSO TOM GREY. 
 
 
 
 
Visit Canada's Classified Web Site at 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/ottawa 
 
DICKSON