Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has referred to the ISIS terror plot involving a Toronto father and son, thwarted by the RCMP, as a “serious situation.” He mentioned that his government will provide more details on the incident at a later time.
During an unrelated funding announcement on August 12 in Napanee, Ont., Trudeau told reporters, “This is obviously a very serious situation that the minister of public safety is ensuring there are a full follow-up and understanding on exactly how this happened.”
“I know investigations are ongoing, and the minister will share all that we learned at the appropriate moment.”
The RCMP
arrested suspects Ahmed Eldidi and his son Mostafa Eldidi in Richmond Hill, Ont., on July 29. The two men are facing nine different terrorism charges, including conspiracy to commit murder on behalf of the terrorist organization ISIS, also known as the Islamic State or Daesh.
A July 31
release from the RCMP stated that the two men were in the “advanced stages of planning a serious, violent attack in Toronto.” The RCMP assured that their arrest means there is no further threat to the Canadian public.
When asked by reporters if he knew how the two men were able to immigrate to Canada, Trudeau mentioned that the government is conducting an investigation and will share the information with Canadians upon completion. He emphasized the need for Canadians to have confidence in their immigration system and in the individuals who have come to Canada to build a better life for themselves.
Conservative MPs have raised concerns about the federal government allowing the
men to enter and become citizens of Canada. House leader Andrew Scheer called for the House public safety committee to reconvene on August 6 to investigate the matter. He specified that Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc would be the first witness called to testify at the committee, followed by officials responsible for immigration applications.
Conservative MP Frank Caputo, the party’s public safety critic,
has also written a letter to LeBlanc requesting the public disclosure of details regarding the terrorist plot “so that Canadians can get answers.”
In March, the RCMP also laid two terrorism charges against a security guard accused of throwing Molotov cocktails and firing gunshots inside Edmonton City Hall. In his manifesto, suspect Bezhani Sarvar mentioned several issues such as Israel’s conflict with Hamas in the Gaza Strip, inflation, and multiculturalism.
