Bomb Plot Leak to La Presse and the Minister’s Response

The latest bomb plot information (or misinformation) that was leaked to La Presse implicating both Charkaoui and Abousfian should make every Canadian concerned about how national security information is being disseminated in the public domain without checks and balances, and most importantly, without going through the proper judicial channels.

To start with let us briefly and carefully review this information which is now found on almost every major news web site in Canada.

In summary, the information, part of which seems to be recycled, relates to an alleged “encrypted” phone conversation that took place in the year 2000 during which both Charkaoui and Abousfian discussed a potential bomb plot to blow up an unspecified commercial plane. Moreover, it states that shortly after the interception of this alleged phone conversation CSIS found traces of explosives in Abousfian’s car.

Without arriving to a conclusion on the credibility of this information, which only a judge with full access to all documents can do, the timing and the nature of this leak raises very important questions of national importance:

• One wonders why such information was not disclosed to both men’s lawyers during the legal proceedings so that they could challenge it a in proper context. Even more puzzling is the fact that even the judge presiding over the hearings have not had access to this information!
• According to Paul Champ, Abousfian’s lawyer, a decision is expected soon on efforts to get the United Nations Security Council to remove his client from a no-fly list.

Most puzzling of all was Minister Kenney’s response to this leak when contacted by the media. “All I can say is that I hope those who form these political support groups for individuals who have been the focus of security certificates or similar extraordinary efforts on the part of government think very carefully about this”, he said. “I hope that people will realize that the government does not take these measures lightly, and that these measures are only taken on the basis of very compelling evidence that such individuals mean Canada harm and no good.”, he added.

Instead of raising concerns that a national security information is being leaked to the media, which clearly constitutes a criminal offense in Canadian law, Mr. Kenney directs his frustration at the activists who are working on the two men’s behalf. Moreover, his statement suggests that Canadians should blindly trust their government in these matters.

I have two issues with this latest suggestion. First, history has shown that security agencies can get things wrong, contrary to the suggestion made by the Minister. Second, it is the duty of every citizen in a democratic society to question the actions of his/her government. This latter point constitutes the main difference between a democracy and a dictatorship where citizens are not allowed to voice out their opinions or get involved in any meaningful civic activism.

I hope the Minister issues a follow-up statement to clarify his position. I am someone who believes that we should always give people the benefit of the doubt. As a Minister he may have been wrongly briefed on the matter or he may have been very stressed out because of his intensive business and travel schedule.

This leak also raises ethical questions about the role the media is playing to inflict further damage on these two men’s reputations.

It is ironic that La Presse chose not to mention the names of the Transport Canada security officials whose names were found in the same document. Are these people’s reputations more worthy to preserve than those of Mr. Charkaoui and Mr. Abousfian?

It seems the media has paid little or no attention to what Justice O’Connor wrote in his report: “Labels, even unfair and inaccurate ones, have a tendency to stick.”

The role played by the media in negatively shaping public opinion about these men is no less important than that of those who leaked the information.

As I said in a previous blog post “If anything the security people in Canada have mastered is the art of selectively leaking investigative information to the media. By doing so they have succeeded in charging and convicting the arrested individuals in the court of public opinion. Of course this wouldn’t have been possible without the direct complicity of some journalists and reporters.”

Will Minister Kenney advise Minister Toews, the Minister of Public Safety, that an investigation is warranted in this case in order to find the source of the leak?

Only time will tell.