Project O Canada
Encyclopedia
Founded in 2001, Project O Canada was a Toronto-based anti-terrorism investigation by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
. Created in response to the September 11, 2001 attacks, subdivisions of the project named A-O Canada and C-O Canada were based in Ottawa and Montreal, RCMP Divisions A and C respectively. By December 2001, the RCMP was shifting its focus from gathering intelligence, to seeking information "in a manner suitable for court purposes".
It was later criticised for bringing together forty members from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
's (RCMP) Commercial Crimes, IPOC, and National Security Investigations branches, Canadian Security Intelligence Service
(CSIS), Customs and Revenue Agency
, Canada Border Services Agency
, the Quebec and Ontario provincial police, and local officers from Hull, Gatineau and Ottawa. The team was composed almost entirely of individuals with no knowledge of intelligence gathering, Islam, or human rights issues, and was simply told to cooperate fully with the American Federal Bureau of Investigation
and Central Intelligence Agency
, turning over all information without hesitation.
The project was ultimately found to have played a "central role" in the wrongful rendition and torture of Canadian citizens, including Maher Arar
, who was tortured for ten months before being found innocent of the officers' claims that he was "suspected of being linked to the Al Qaeda terrorist movement".
Growing out of an earlier project begun in 1997, the 35-officer project initially focused on the actions and acquaintances of NGO-worker Ahmed Khadr, who was believed to be financially supporting Islamic militants in Afghanistan
.
They also investigated claims from local residents that a man who resembled Mohamed Atta
had worked part-time at the Best Copy copy shop in downtown Toronto, seizing the store's records and investigating its customers, adding a number of them to an Interpol
database.
By October, the RCMP claimed to have identified 10-12 "al-Qaida suspects" in the city, and a month later reported they had "undertaken 24-hour surveillance of at least five suspected supporters of Osama bin Laden
."
and requested they form a Project A-O division. Its first task was to help Toronto by taking over the investigation of the electronics store owner Abdullah Almalki
, who had worked for Human Concern International
at the same time as Khadr. Almalki had been under surveillance by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service
since he first met with Khadr in 1998.
Project C-O meanwhile put Abdelrahman, the younger brother of Mohamad Elzahabi
working as a mechanic in Montreal, "under a microscope".
Ontario Provincial Police
officers were also tasked to help the Federal police agency.
and Ahmad Abou El Maati.
When Almalki met with telecommunications engineer Maher Arar
at the Mango Cafe shawarma
restaurant in Ottawa to discuss local doctors and printer cartridge
s, officers clandestinely acquired his 1997 lease agreement from Minto Developments Inc.
, and saw that he had listed Almalki as an emergency contact. He was subsequently placed under surveillance by Project A-O, and his name added to a Canada Customs "terrorist lookout list", although it was later determined there was no evidence to support such an action.
In January 2002, Cpl. Randy Walsh received search warrant
s to raid seven homes, although later analysis suggested that if he had been honest about their evidence before the judge, the warrants would not have been granted. A publication ban
initially prevented the media from reporting the identities of those targeted, although later reports confirmed which buildings had been searched.
In addition, while they lacked a warrant to search his house, officers visited Arar to discover he was overseas. When he returned, he agreed to discussions with a lawyer present, but the RCMP found the requirement too "stringent" and did not follow up.
In April 2002, Project A-O sent American officials their complete files without any limits on its use or "regard for the rights of citizens", leading to tension between RCMP headquarters and the anti-terrorism project. The Americans later used faxes detailing the sale of walkie talkies seized at Almalki's house in the raid as evidence in their trial against Mohamad Elzahabi
.
In August, after Almalki was arrested in Syria - Project A-O officers wanted to send Syria information about him, as well as a list of questions that they wanted him to answer, stating that "Depending on his willingness to answer truthfully and depending on the answers he provides you, a second series of questions has been prepared for him". Sgt. Rick Flewelling, from the RCMP headquarters, intervened and insisted that the Department of Justice and Foreign Affairs would have to be involved
In September 2002, the A-O division began asking the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT) to help them secure the ability to travel to Syria to interrogate Almalki themselves, or at least direct how he would be interrogated by Syrians. When DFAIT officer Jonathan Solomon demanded to know whether they would be clear not to use torture, since it had already been used against Ahmed el-Maati, A-O Division officers "got awkward" and Cabana claimed that it was possible that el-Maati had just been lying about Syria using torture. Also in September, as Arar was en route to New York from Switzerland, Project A-O officers faxed a memo to Americans which involved a number of "false claims" about Arar, stating that he and his wife were "Islamic
Extremist individuals suspected of being linked to the Al Qaeda
terrorist movement". Arar was subsequently arrested and deported to Syria where he was tortured for ten months before being found innocent of any wrongdoing.
The project also sent officers to Pakistan in 2005, after it was announced that Khadr's son Abdullah
had been arrested. Abdullah stated that when he was about 14-years old, his father had purchased two pairs of walkie talkies from Almalki, although his lawyers later argued the statement had been made due to his mistreatment by Pakistani officials.
Ottawa Members
was formed to investigate. Project A-O figured prominently in the explanation of Canada's anti-terrorism investigations, while attorney Don Bayne unsuccessfully argued that since the RCMP couldn't disclose full information due to national security concerns, it therefore shouldn't have to disclose any information about the project.
The Commission determined that the Project A-O officers "lacked experience
and training in conducting national security investigations".
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police , literally ‘Royal Gendarmerie of Canada’; colloquially known as The Mounties, and internally as ‘The Force’) is the national police force of Canada, and one of the most recognized of its kind in the world. It is unique in the world as a national, federal,...
. Created in response to the September 11, 2001 attacks, subdivisions of the project named A-O Canada and C-O Canada were based in Ottawa and Montreal, RCMP Divisions A and C respectively. By December 2001, the RCMP was shifting its focus from gathering intelligence, to seeking information "in a manner suitable for court purposes".
It was later criticised for bringing together forty members from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police , literally ‘Royal Gendarmerie of Canada’; colloquially known as The Mounties, and internally as ‘The Force’) is the national police force of Canada, and one of the most recognized of its kind in the world. It is unique in the world as a national, federal,...
's (RCMP) Commercial Crimes, IPOC, and National Security Investigations branches, Canadian Security Intelligence Service
Canadian Security Intelligence Service
The Canadian Security Intelligence Service is Canada's national intelligence service. It is responsible for collecting, analyzing, reporting and disseminating intelligence on threats to Canada's national security, and conducting operations, covert and overt, within Canada and abroad.Its...
(CSIS), Customs and Revenue Agency
Canada Customs and Revenue Agency
Canada Customs and Revenue Agency was a department of the government of Canada and existed from November 1, 1999 until December 12, 2003. It was created from the merging of the Department of National Revenue with Canada Customs....
, Canada Border Services Agency
Canada Border Services Agency
The Canada Border Services Agency is a federal law enforcement agency that is responsible for border enforcement, immigration enforcement and customs services....
, the Quebec and Ontario provincial police, and local officers from Hull, Gatineau and Ottawa. The team was composed almost entirely of individuals with no knowledge of intelligence gathering, Islam, or human rights issues, and was simply told to cooperate fully with the American Federal Bureau of Investigation
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
and Central Intelligence Agency
Central Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government. It is an executive agency and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence, responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment to senior United States policymakers...
, turning over all information without hesitation.
The project was ultimately found to have played a "central role" in the wrongful rendition and torture of Canadian citizens, including Maher Arar
Maher Arar
Maher Arar is a telecommunications engineer with dual Syrian and Canadian citizenship who resides in Canada. Arar's story is frequently referred to as "extraordinary rendition" but the U.S. government insisted it was a case of deportation.Arar was detained during a layover at John F...
, who was tortured for ten months before being found innocent of the officers' claims that he was "suspected of being linked to the Al Qaeda terrorist movement".
First months
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
.
They also investigated claims from local residents that a man who resembled Mohamed Atta
Mohamed Atta
Mohamed Mohamed el-Amir Awad el-Sayed Atta was one of the masterminds and the ringleader of the September 11 attacks who served as the hijacker-pilot of American Airlines Flight 11, crashing the plane into the North Tower of the World Trade Center as part of the coordinated attacks.Born in 1968...
had worked part-time at the Best Copy copy shop in downtown Toronto, seizing the store's records and investigating its customers, adding a number of them to an Interpol
Interpol
Interpol, whose full name is the International Criminal Police Organization – INTERPOL, is an organization facilitating international police cooperation...
database.
By October, the RCMP claimed to have identified 10-12 "al-Qaida suspects" in the city, and a month later reported they had "undertaken 24-hour surveillance of at least five suspected supporters of Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden was the founder of the militant Islamist organization Al-Qaeda, the jihadist organization responsible for the September 11 attacks on the United States and numerous other mass-casualty attacks against civilian and military targets...
."
Expansion of the project
In October 2001, the RCMP's Toronto office met with Ottawa officers in Newmarket, OntarioNewmarket, Ontario
Newmarket is a town in Southern Ontario located approximately 50 km north of downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is part of the Greater Toronto Area and is connected to Toronto by freeway, and is served by three interchanges along Highway 404. It is also connected to Highway 400 via Highway 9...
and requested they form a Project A-O division. Its first task was to help Toronto by taking over the investigation of the electronics store owner Abdullah Almalki
Abdullah Almalki
Abdullah Almalki is a Syrian-Canadian engineer who was imprisoned and tortured for two years in a Syrian jail after Canadian officials falsely indicated to the Syrian authorities and other countries that he was a terrorist threat....
, who had worked for Human Concern International
Human Concern International
Human Concern International is a Canadian, federally registered, charitable non-governmental organization working in international development and emergency relief assistance since 1980.From the HCI website:...
at the same time as Khadr. Almalki had been under surveillance by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service
Canadian Security Intelligence Service
The Canadian Security Intelligence Service is Canada's national intelligence service. It is responsible for collecting, analyzing, reporting and disseminating intelligence on threats to Canada's national security, and conducting operations, covert and overt, within Canada and abroad.Its...
since he first met with Khadr in 1998.
Project C-O meanwhile put Abdelrahman, the younger brother of Mohamad Elzahabi
Mohamad Elzahabi
Mohamad Kamal Elzahabi is a Lebanese national who worked as a small arms instructor at an Afghan training camp in the 1990s. During the War on Terror, he was arrested based on his past associations,and was convicted of immigration fraud.-Entry to United States:Elzahabi entered the United States in...
working as a mechanic in Montreal, "under a microscope".
Ontario Provincial Police
Ontario Provincial Police
The Ontario Provincial Police is the Provincial Police service for the province of Ontario, Canada.-Overview:The OPP is the the largest deployed police force in Ontario, and the second largest in Canada. The service is responsible for providing policing services throughout the province in areas...
officers were also tasked to help the Federal police agency.
Actions
The Ottawa office, under the control of Cpl. Randal Walsh, Garry Clement and Supt. Mike Cabana, quickly moved from providing assistance to their Toronto colleagues, and began conducting their own investigations focusing primarily on Abdullah AlmalkiAbdullah Almalki
Abdullah Almalki is a Syrian-Canadian engineer who was imprisoned and tortured for two years in a Syrian jail after Canadian officials falsely indicated to the Syrian authorities and other countries that he was a terrorist threat....
and Ahmad Abou El Maati.
Maher Arar
Maher Arar is a telecommunications engineer with dual Syrian and Canadian citizenship who resides in Canada. Arar's story is frequently referred to as "extraordinary rendition" but the U.S. government insisted it was a case of deportation.Arar was detained during a layover at John F...
at the Mango Cafe shawarma
Shawarma
Shawarma is a Levantine Arab sandwich-like wrap of shaved lamb, goat, chicken, turkey, beef, or mixed meats. The meat is placed on a spit, and may be grilled for as long as a day. It is eaten with pita bread, tabbouleh, fattoush, taboon bread, tomato and cucumber. Toppings include tahini, hummus,...
restaurant in Ottawa to discuss local doctors and printer cartridge
Ink cartridge
An ink cartridge or inkjet cartridge is a replaceable component of an inkjet printer that contains the ink that is deposited onto paper during printing....
s, officers clandestinely acquired his 1997 lease agreement from Minto Developments Inc.
Minto Developments Inc.
The Minto Group is a Canadian real estate corporation which develops real estate in Ottawa and Toronto, Ontario, Canada and Florida, USA. Minto is the largest developer in Ottawa and has many towers such as Minto Place Suite Hotel and the Minto Metropole, the second tallest building in Ottawa.On...
, and saw that he had listed Almalki as an emergency contact. He was subsequently placed under surveillance by Project A-O, and his name added to a Canada Customs "terrorist lookout list", although it was later determined there was no evidence to support such an action.
In January 2002, Cpl. Randy Walsh received search warrant
Search warrant
A search warrant is a court order issued by a Magistrate, judge or Supreme Court Official that authorizes law enforcement officers to conduct a search of a person or location for evidence of a crime and to confiscate evidence if it is found....
s to raid seven homes, although later analysis suggested that if he had been honest about their evidence before the judge, the warrants would not have been granted. A publication ban
Publication ban
A publication ban is a court order which prohibits the public or media from disseminating certain details of an otherwise public judicial procedure. In Canada, publication bans are most commonly issued when the safety or reputation of a victim or witness may be hindered by having their identity...
initially prevented the media from reporting the identities of those targeted, although later reports confirmed which buildings had been searched.
- The Ottawa home of Abdullah AlmalkiAbdullah AlmalkiAbdullah Almalki is a Syrian-Canadian engineer who was imprisoned and tortured for two years in a Syrian jail after Canadian officials falsely indicated to the Syrian authorities and other countries that he was a terrorist threat....
- The Ottawa home of Almalki's sales manager at work
- The Ottawa home of Almalki's brother Nazih
- The Toronto home of Ahmed Khadr, although he hadn't been home to Canada in more than a year
- The Toronto home of Ahmad El-MaatiAhmad Abou El-MaatiAhmad Abou El-Maati is a Canadian citizen who was arrested and detained for two and a half years in Syrian and Egyptian prisons. He had found a Visitor's Map to Ottawa and was travelling to Syria to get married. This evidence, as well as the post-September 11 fear, led him to be considered a...
, who was already in a Syrian prison - The Montreal home of Mohamad ElzahabiMohamad ElzahabiMohamad Kamal Elzahabi is a Lebanese national who worked as a small arms instructor at an Afghan training camp in the 1990s. During the War on Terror, he was arrested based on his past associations,and was convicted of immigration fraud.-Entry to United States:Elzahabi entered the United States in...
's brother Abdelrahman - The Montreal home and business of Ibrahym Adam, the mechanic who gave el-Maati a job.
In addition, while they lacked a warrant to search his house, officers visited Arar to discover he was overseas. When he returned, he agreed to discussions with a lawyer present, but the RCMP found the requirement too "stringent" and did not follow up.
In April 2002, Project A-O sent American officials their complete files without any limits on its use or "regard for the rights of citizens", leading to tension between RCMP headquarters and the anti-terrorism project. The Americans later used faxes detailing the sale of walkie talkies seized at Almalki's house in the raid as evidence in their trial against Mohamad Elzahabi
Mohamad Elzahabi
Mohamad Kamal Elzahabi is a Lebanese national who worked as a small arms instructor at an Afghan training camp in the 1990s. During the War on Terror, he was arrested based on his past associations,and was convicted of immigration fraud.-Entry to United States:Elzahabi entered the United States in...
.
In August, after Almalki was arrested in Syria - Project A-O officers wanted to send Syria information about him, as well as a list of questions that they wanted him to answer, stating that "Depending on his willingness to answer truthfully and depending on the answers he provides you, a second series of questions has been prepared for him". Sgt. Rick Flewelling, from the RCMP headquarters, intervened and insisted that the Department of Justice and Foreign Affairs would have to be involved
In September 2002, the A-O division began asking the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT) to help them secure the ability to travel to Syria to interrogate Almalki themselves, or at least direct how he would be interrogated by Syrians. When DFAIT officer Jonathan Solomon demanded to know whether they would be clear not to use torture, since it had already been used against Ahmed el-Maati, A-O Division officers "got awkward" and Cabana claimed that it was possible that el-Maati had just been lying about Syria using torture. Also in September, as Arar was en route to New York from Switzerland, Project A-O officers faxed a memo to Americans which involved a number of "false claims" about Arar, stating that he and his wife were "Islamic
Extremist individuals suspected of being linked to the Al Qaeda
terrorist movement". Arar was subsequently arrested and deported to Syria where he was tortured for ten months before being found innocent of any wrongdoing.
The project also sent officers to Pakistan in 2005, after it was announced that Khadr's son Abdullah
Abdullah Khadr
Abdullah Ahmed Khadr is the oldest son of Ahmed Khadr and brother of Omar Khadr who has been charged with war crimes before the Guantanamo military commission....
had been arrested. Abdullah stated that when he was about 14-years old, his father had purchased two pairs of walkie talkies from Almalki, although his lawyers later argued the statement had been made due to his mistreatment by Pakistani officials.
Members
Toronto Members| Name | Subdivision | Role | Later work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scott Mills | Ontario Provincial Police | One of the first members in September 2001, leading investigation into el-Maati. Assumed to have questioned him on November 11, 2001. | |
Ottawa Members
| Name | Subdivision | Role | Later work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cpl. Randy Buffam | RCMP | Interviewed Arar in January 2002, later refused to speak with journalist Mike Trickey at the Ottawa Citizen Ottawa Citizen The Ottawa Citizen is an English-language daily newspaper owned by Postmedia Network in Ottawa, Canada. According to the Canadian Newspaper Association, the paper had a 2008 weekly circulation of 900,197.- History :... . |
|
| Insp. Michel Cabana | RCPM, first leader of Project A-O | Oversaw Project A-O from October 5, 2001 through February 4, 2003. | Was promoted to Superintendent upon completing project. |
| SSgt. Patrick Callaghan | Ottawa Police Service, Project A-O | Flew to Washington in May 2002 to brief FBI about Canadian targets. | |
| Warren Coons | RCMP, second leader of Project A-O | Took over following Cabana's departure in February 2003 | |
| Kevin Corcoran | Ottawa Police Service | Flew to Washington in May 2002 to brief FBI about Canadian targets. | |
| Cpl. Rick Flewelling | RCMP, National Security Investigations | Supervised the actions of Project A-O, spoke to the FBI immediately prior to Arar's deportation | Promoted to Sergeant in April 2005. |
| Cpl. Robert LeMay | Assigned to investigate Arar after the Mango's lunch. | ||
| Sgt. Rock Fillion | Gatineau police | Assigned to investigate Arar after the Mango's lunch. | |
Fallout
After it was discovered that Canadian authorities had been complicit in the rendition and torture of an innocent Canadian, a Royal CommissionRoyal Commission
In Commonwealth realms and other monarchies a Royal Commission is a major ad-hoc formal public inquiry into a defined issue. They have been held in various countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and Saudi Arabia...
was formed to investigate. Project A-O figured prominently in the explanation of Canada's anti-terrorism investigations, while attorney Don Bayne unsuccessfully argued that since the RCMP couldn't disclose full information due to national security concerns, it therefore shouldn't have to disclose any information about the project.
The Commission determined that the Project A-O officers "lacked experience
and training in conducting national security investigations".