Montreal police have arrested a man previously convicted of supporting al-Qaeda, after he allegedly said he wanted to kill a large number of people by detonating bombs on public transit.
Montreal police (SPVM) responded after receiving the report from the shelter, RCMP said. SPVM then informed the RCMP, who took over the investigation and arrested Warsame. The investigation is ongoing.
A Canadian with Somali background, Warsame previously pleaded guilty in a U.S. court to a charge of conspiring to provide material support and resources to al-Qaeda. He was sentenced to more than seven years in a U.S. prison and was deported to Canada in 2010 as part of a plea deal.
In March 2000, Warsame travelled to Afghanistan and attended an al-Qaeda training camp, according to court documents. He stayed there for about three to five months receiving training in physical fitness, the use of weapons, and martial arts.
He is also said to have observed combat between the Taliban and the Northern Alliance, who were fighting each other in the country at that time.
Warsame also travelled to a training camp and received more military training. He met Osama Bin Laden while there, describing the al-Qaeda leader as “very inspirational,” according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
While at the camp, authorities said Warsame trained to use AK-47 rifles, Uzis, and other weapons, as well as received training in tactics and navigation.
Warsame fought for the Taliban during the time he was in Afghanistan, saying he was exposed to heavy fighting.
He is said by the authorities to have left Afghanistan and headed to Pakistan, staying in touch with al-Qaeda associates. In one email, he described his time at the training camps as “one of the greatest experiences of my life. I will be going back there very soon,” the Justice Department said.
Warsame admitted that he travelled to Canada in 2001 and maintained contact with al-Qaeda associates. He sent about $2,000 to a former training camp commander.
He also provided information to someone he met in Afghanistan about the process for entering Canada, according to the Justice Department.
The Justice Department said that Warsame stayed in touch via email with his al-Qaeda associations throughout 2002 and 2003.
U.S. attorney Frank Magill said in 2009 that Warsame’s actions “demonstrate that he was a member of the organization, that he believed in its cause, and that he was willing to violate United States law in support of al-Qaeda.”
