Toronto 18 accused planned TSX bomb, court told
An alleged member of the so-called Toronto 18 was planning what he called the perfect crime, a bomb plot that would "shut down" Canada and win the endorsement of al-Qaeda, an informant testified Wednesday.
Shareef Abdelhaleem, 34, who has pleaded not guilty to participating in a terror group and intending to cause an explosion, rubbed his head as he listened to the informant, a former friend, testify about a plan to leave "blood, glass and debris everywhere."
Abdelhaleem dubbed the attack the "battle of Toronto," and said a bomb powerful enough to blow up three city blocks was to be detonated outside the Toronto Stock Exchange, Shaher Elsohemy told the court.
"He described it to me as the perfect crime," said Elsohemy, who was paid more than $4 million by the RCMP to be an informant. "Then he goes on to say this plot will screw [Prime Minister] Stephen Harper, the government and the military. The whole place will be scorched. Canada will be shut down."
Abdelhaleem had considered leaving the country when the attacks were to eventually take place, court heard. Abdelhaleem thought he would be assisting with the attack but not performing the attack, Elsohemy said.
Abdelhaleem predicted his role in the attack would land him a 10-year term in a Kingston, Ont., prison, Elsohemy said.
"He also said Kingston would be full of black Muslims and these guys would consider him [their] leader," said Elsohemy, who added Abdelhaleem thought he would come out of prison at 40 and still be able to have a family.
18 arrested in 2006
Abdelhaleem and 17 others were arrested in the summer of 2006 and charged in a plot to wreak havoc and bomb the Toronto Stock Exchange, a Canadian Security Intelligence Service building and an Ontario military base.
Abdelhaleem envisioned total havoc on downtown Toronto streets and across the country, and he thought the attack would rank higher than the London bombing, Elsohemy told the court.
"He described wanting to set off bombs day after day and this will eventually lead to Canada pulling out of Afghanistan."
In several meetings that took place in early May, Abdelhaleem talked about increasing the amount of ammonium nitrate needed to three tonnes and eventually four tonnes from two tonnes, which were to be used in four different bombs, Elsohemy testified.
Abdelhaleem said two tonnes in one bomb would classify the bomb as a weapon of mass destruction, he added.
Video planned
Court heard that Abdelhaleem also talked about plot leader Zakaria Amara's plans to make a video calling the Toronto 18 the "al-Qaeda group in Canada." Elsohemy testified that the hope was that the main branch of al-Qaeda would endorse the group after the attacks.
Abdelhaleem had grand plans of expanding the attacks if successful in Canada, court heard.
Abdelhaleem wanted to repeat the attacks in three months in the United States, targeting the Willis Tower, formerly the Sears Tower, in Chicago and the United Nations building in New York, Elsohemy said.
But Abdelhaleem acknowledged the challenge in such an attempt, Elsohemy testified.
Abdelhaleem said he would carry out an attack on U.S. soil even if he had to do it "cup by cup," meaning he would bring the chemicals over the border in small portions, he said.
Elsohemy continues his testimony Friday.