Canada Welcomes a Terrorist
Charles Johnson
Sat Feb 26, 2005 at 9:16 am PST • Views: 160
After serving four years of an eight year sentence in France for his leading role in an international jihadist network (with time off for good behavior!), Fateh Kamel was allowed to return to Canada to be with his family: Terrorist returns: Peter MacKay urges Ottawa to consider revoking citizenship. (Hat tip: Alain.)
Fateh Kamel, a 44-year-old Algerian-Canadian who headed a Montreal-based extremist cell, arrived in Montreal on Jan. 29 aboard an Air France flight, sources told the National Post.
A charismatic shopkeeper who led a double life as the international terrorist operative “Moustapha,” Kamel was dubbed the “Islamist Carlos” because of his remarkable exploits around the world.
“I am GIA,” he once said in a conversation intercepted by Italian counter-terrorism investigators. GIA is the French acronym for the Algerian Armed Islamic Group. “Killing is easy for me.”
The best-known member of the so-called Groupe Fateh Kamel was Ahmed Ressam, the failed refugee claimant from Montreal who tried to blow up Los Angeles International Airport at the dawn of the millennium.
Captured in Jordan in 1999, Kamel was tried in Paris in 2001 and convicted for his involvement with terrorist groups. Although sentenced to eight years’ imprisonment, he was released early for good behaviour. He has a Canadian wife and son.
Frank says: