US embassy cable - 05OTTAWA2877

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 OTTAWA 002877 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/26/2014 
TAGS: ASEC, PTER 
SUBJECT: SECURITY ENVIRONMENTAL PROFILE RESPONSE - MISSION 
CANADA TO INCLUDE ALL CONSULATES, HALIFAX, QUEBEC CITY, 
MONTREAL, APP WINNIPEG, CALGARY, VANCOUVER AND TORONTO 
 
REF: STATE 28688 
 
Classified By: RSO THOMAS F. GREY, JR., REASON 1.5 (C) AND (D) 
 
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POLITICAL VIOLENCE 
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1. (SBU) DEMONSTRATIONS 
A. YES 
B. YES 
C. YES 
D. ALCAN POSTS PREVIOUSLY REPORTED THE AVERAGE NUMBER OF 
DEMONSTRATORS TO BE APPROXIMATELY 50.  HOWEVER, A STEADY 
DECREASE IN THE NUMBER AND FREQUENCY OF DEMONSTRATIONS DID 
OCCUR THROUGHOUT CANADA DURING THIS REPORTING PERIOD. 
E. MILITARY ACTIONS AND U.S. FOREIGN POLICY IN THE MIDDLE 
EAST AND PERSIAN GULF. 
F. PEACEFUL 
G. NO PROPERTY DAMAGE OR INJURIES TO USG EMPLOYEES. 
H. NO 
I. YES, ANTI-WAR 
J. YES 
K. NUMBERS OF ANTI-WAR DEMONSTRATORS STEADILY DECREASED. 
L. PEACEFUL FOR THE MOST PART WITH A FEW ARRESTS 
M. N0 
 
2. (SBU) MACRO CONFLICT CONDITIONS 
A. NO 
B. N/A 
C. N/A 
D. N/A 
 
3. (SBU) HOST COUNTRY CAPABILITIES 
A. YES 
B. YES 
C. NO 
D. YES, THE CANADIAN SECURITY INTELLIGENCE SERVICE (CSIS) AND 
THE ROYAL CANADIAN MOUNTED POLICE (RCMP) HAVE DEMONSTRATED 
THEIR COMMITMENT TO BATTLE TERRORISM. HOWEVER, CANADIAN 
SERVICES DO NOT APPEAR TO BE AS PROACTIVE AS U.S. LAW 
ENFORCEMENT REGARDING TERRORIST CELL PENETRATION AND SOURCE 
DEVELOPMENT. BOTH AGENCIES ARE SUPPORTIVE AND COOPERATIVE 
WITH U.S. LAW ENFORCEMENT FOR THE MOST PART ALTHOUGH 
RESTRICTED BY THE CANADIAN CHARTER OF 
RIGHTS. 
E. YES, AS LONG AS PRIVACY REGULATIONS ARE ENFORCED TO THE 
FULLEST DEGREE OF THE LAW.  TIMELINESS ON REQUESTS FOR 
INFORMATION IS SUSPECT. 
F. YES 
G. YES 
H. GOOD/AVERAGE. IN GENERAL, MAJOR AIRPORTS GENERALLY HAVE 
GOOD SECURITY CONTROLS IN PLACE. HOWEVER, U.S. PRECLEARANCE 
OPERATIONS AT SEVEN MAJOR AIRPORTS IN CANADA ARE LOCATED IN 
FRONT OF AIRPORT SECURITY. US DIRECTED POLITICAL PRESSURE IS 
ELIMINATING A PORTION OF THIS PROBLEM WITH NEW FACILITIES AT 
OTTAWA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. USE OF THE US NO-FLY LIST HAS 
BEEN ADDED FOR OUTBOUND INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS BUT NOT USED 
FOR DOMESTIC AIR TRAVEL. 
I. REVENUE CANADA CUSTOMS AND CANADIAN IMMIGRATION ARE 
REASONABLY EFFECTIVE AT PORTS OF ENTRY. 
J. CANADA LACKS A DEDICATED BORDER PATROL.  THE RCMP PERFORMS 
THIS FUNCTION. 
 
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INDIGENOUS TERRORISM 
-------------------- 
 
4. (SBU) ANTI-AMERICAN TERRORIST GROUPS 
A. NO 
B. N/A 
C. N/A 
D. N/A 
E. N/A 
F. N/A 
G. N/A 
H. N/A 
 
5. (SBU) OTHER INDIGENOUS TERRORIST GROUPS 
A. YES 
B. NATIVE CANADIAN (ABORIGINAL) GROUPS HAVE, ON OCCASION, HAD 
CONFRONTATIONS WITH CANADIAN GOVERNMENT SECURITY AND MILITARY 
PERSONNEL. 
C. NO 
D. N/A 
E. NO 
 
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TRANSITIONAL TERRORISM 
----------------------- 
 
6. (S/NF) TRANSNATIONAL TERRORIST INDICATORS 
 
A. YES. ALMOST EVERY KNOWN ISLAMIC EXTREMIST GROUP HAS EITHER 
A PRESENCE OR SYMPATHIZERS IN CANADA SUCH AS THE HIZBALLAH; 
AL-ITIHAD; ALGERIAN GIA; THE LTTE; EGYPTIAN ISLAMIC JIHAD; 
THE IRANIAN MEK AND AL-QAEDI. SIKH EXTREMISTS ARE ALSO 
PRESENT AND ARE UNDER CONSTANT SCRUTINY BY CANADIAN SECURITY 
SERVICES AS A RESULT OF THE SUSPICION OF THEIR INVOLVEMENT IN 
THE 1985 AIR INDIA BOMBING. ALCAN POSTS HAVE SEEN AN INCREASE 
IN THE NUMBER OF VISA VIPER ENTRIES. 
 
B. THE ORGANIZATIONS AND SYMPATHIZERS ARE PRIMARILY ASSESSED 
AS PROPAGANDA, FINANCIAL, AND/OR SUPPORT CELLS, MOST 
RECENTLY, FINANCIAL SUPPORT FRONTS FOR HAMAS. OPERATIONAL 
ACTIVITIES HAVE BEEN PLANNED IN CANADA IN RECENT YEARS SUCH 
AS WELL-DOCUMENTED EL-MAATI PROBE. ANOTHER NOTABLE EXAMPLE 
WAS THE DECEMBER 1999 ARREST OF CONVICTED TERRORIST AHMED 
RESSAM AND THE SUBSEQUENT ARREST OF A NUMBER OF HIS 
ACCOMPLICES. RESSAM WAS A MONTREAL BASED TERRORIST 
APPREHENDED AT THE BRITISH COLUMBIA/WASHINGTON STATE BORDER 
AS HE WAS ENROUTE TO CONDUCT AN ATTACK IN THE UNITED STATES. 
INVESTIGATIONS INDICATE CANADA-BASED EXTREMISTS HAVE TIES TO 
IDENTIFIED OR SUSPECT TERRORISTS OVERSEAS. THE NATURE AND 
EXTENT OF THE CANADA-BASED PERSONS INVOLVEMENT WITH THESE 
TERRORISTS IS OFTEN UNCLEAR BUT DOES GIVE CAUSE FOR CONCERN. 
READERS SHOULD ALSO BECOME FAMILIAR WITH THE ONGOING ARAR 
INQUIRY. 
 
C. NO 
 
D. (S/NF) YES, THERE ARE EXTREMISTS WHO ARE IN SYMPATHY WITH 
THE ISLAMIC FUNDAMENTALIST ORGANIZATIONS INCLUDING AL-QAEDA. 
SEVERAL ARRESTS BY CANADIAN SERVICES WERE MADE OVER THE LAST 
YEAR OF SUSPECTED AL-QAEDA MEMBERS.  NGO'S HAVE ALSO BEEN 
DETERMINED TO BE IN SUPPORT OF SUSPECTED TERRORIST FUND 
RAISING ACTIVITIES. THERE ARE SIKH EXTREMISTS IN SYMPATHY 
WITH THE SIKH ORGANIZATION (S). THE LARGEST OF THOSE 
COMMUNITIES, WE BELIEVE, ARE NOT FULLY KNOWN TO SECURITY 
SERVICES, WHO CONTINUE TO WORK THE TARGETS IN QUESTION TO 
ACCESS AND RE-ASSESS THAT QUESTION.  FOR EXAMPLE, THE GLOBAL 
RELIEF FOUNDATION (GRF) AND THE BENEVOLENCE INTERNATIONAL 
FUND (BIF), BOTH LISTED AS HAVING SUPPORTED TERRORISM BY THE 
U.S. HAVE BEEN ACTIVE IN CANADA. THE TAMIL LTTE IS ALSO VERY 
ACTIVE IN RAISING MILLIONS OF DOLLARS THROUGH A VARIETY OF 
FRONT GROUPS. 
 
E. YES 
 
F. (S/NF) EXTREMIST GROUPS RESIDENT IN CANADA PRIMARILY 
OPERATE AS PROPAGANDA, FINANCIAL AND SUPPORT CELLS. HOWEVER, 
THE POTENTIAL THREAT FROM THESE GROUPS CANNOT BE DISCOUNTED. 
INVESTIGATIVE ACTIVITY BY U.S. AND CANADIAN SERVICES SINCE 
SEPTEMBER 2001, HAS CONFIRMED THE PRESENCE OF AL QAEDA 
MEMBERS AND CELLS IN CANADA.  IN JANUARY, 2002, A SUSPECTED 
AL QAEDA-TRAINED TERRORIST, AL RAUF BIN AL HABIB BIN YOUSEF 
AL-JIDDI, A CANADIAN CITIZEN BORN IN TUNISIA, WAS IDENTIFIED 
AS ONE OF THE FIVE SUICIDE MARTYRS WHOSE PHOTOS WERE RELEASED 
BY THE 
U.S. GOVERNMENT IN JANUARY 2002. AL-JIDDI LIVED IN MONTREAL. 
U.S. LAW ENFORCEMENT DO ON OCCASION IDENTIFY AN INDIVIDUAL OF 
INTEREST WITH TIES TO CANADA, AS IS THE CURRENT SITUATION 
WITH ABDERRAOUF JDEY AND MAHAR ARAR. 
 
OTTAWA IS AN INTERNATIONAL CAPITAL WITH OVER 140 FOREIGN 
EMBASSIES TO INCLUDE RUSSIA, IRAN, SYRIA, ISRAEL, FRANCE, 
CHINA, AND SEVERAL OTHERS CONSIDERED BY DSS AS HAVING HOSTILE 
INTELLIGENCE SERVICES.  WOULD ANY RESIDENT FOREIGN MISSION 
CONSPIRE OR HAVE THE POTENTIAL FOR ANTI-AMERICAN TERRORIST 
ACTS?  AT BEST THE IRANIAN MISSION SHOULD BE CONSIDERED AS 
HAVING THE POTENTIAL AS OUTLINED IN STATE 35229. 
 
G. N/A 
 
H. THE EAC BELIEVES THAT CANADA'S STRICT LAWS PERTAINING TO 
WEAPONS IN GENERAL IS A DETERRENT TO THE AVAILABILITY OF 
SMALL ARMS. POST CANNOT RULE OUT THE POSSIBILITY THAT OTHER 
TYPES OF WEAPONS TO INCLUDE CBW AND COMBAT GRADE EXPLOSIVES 
COULD BE USED AGAINST U.S. OR OTHER INTERNATIONAL TARGETS AS 
WITNESSED IN RECENT WORLD EVENTS. 
 
 
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RODDY