Police say the suspects were in the ‘advanced stages of planning a serious, violent attack in Toronto’
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OTTAWA — The federal New Democrats have joined the Opposition Conservatives in calling for a parliamentary committee to investigate how a man with alleged ISIS ties was able to enter Canada, while the federal government has placed the matter under review.
The RCMP say Ahmed Eldidi is a Canadian citizen, but Global News has reported, based on unnamed sources, that the 62-year-old immigrated to Canada after having allegedly committed violence against an ISIS prisoner, according to a video released by the terrorist group.
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Postmedia has not viewed the video. The RCMP have charged Eldidi with aggravated assault, which stems from a 2015 incident that happened outside of Canada and was tied to ISIS.
Last week, the RCMP charged Eldidi and his 26-year-old son Mostafa Eldidi with numerous terrorism charges following their arrest in a Richmond Hill hotel. Police say the pair were in the “advanced stages of planning a serious, violent attack in Toronto,” and had a machete and axe in their possession.
Their matter was scheduled to be back in court Wednesday.
The day before, Opposition House leader Andrew Scheer called for the parliamentary committee on public security to investigate how Ahmed Eldidi gained entry into Canada, despite reports he had ties to ISIS.
He called it a “colossal failure” and demanded the government provide answers.
On Wednesday, the federal New Democrats joined their call, with committee member Alistair MacGregor sending his own letter to the Liberal committee chair, asking for the ministers responsible for immigration and public safety to appear.
“Beyond the shocking details of this thwarted attack, it has come to light that (Eldidi) has a history of extremist activities with ISIS. This issue raises serious questions about how he was able to enter Canada, become a naturalized citizen and remain undetected for many years,” wrote the NDP MP.
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“This alarming failure only adds to the concerns that Canadians already have about Canada’s public safety and immigration system.”
McKinnon has yet to respond to a request for comment.
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In a statement on Wednesday, Scheer said the fact that at least two parties have called for an investigation means a committee meeting must be scheduled “immediately.”
Speaking to reporters earlier in the day, Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc said reviews are underway. He also said he was briefed about the police investigation several weeks ago and has spoken with RCMP Commissioner Michael Duheme.
“Obviously the internal reviews in terms of the security screening process with the department of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada are ongoing,” LeBlanc said at an unrelated child-care announcement in New Brunswick.
He added that it is important to establish a “chronology” and that his own department is also involved in the reviews.
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“There have been some public allegations around certain information. It might be interesting to know when that information came to light and when that information was in the hands of which decision-maker.”
The reviews are expected to take several weeks and LeBlanc cautioned he would likely be limited in what he could say given the case is before the courts. Citing privacy legislation, the government has said it cannot discuss individual immigration cases. The RCMP also says there is a publication ban in place.
LeBlanc’s office, along with the office of Immigration Minister Marc Miller, issued a joint statement on Tuesday, saying the RCMP have shared what is able to be shared publicly, adding that the Tories were willing to risk “undoing” police work “just to score a few political points.”
On Wednesday, a spokeswoman for Miller pointed to the earlier statement, saying it had nothing more to add.
Under the supply-and-confidence agreement struck in March 2022, the NDP agreed to vote alongside the governing Liberals in exchange for the government advancing their priorities, such as pharmacare and dental care.
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The Bloc Quebecois has yet to respond to a request for comment.
The RCMP say they are still waiting to confirm the status of 26-year-old son Mostafa Eldidi, but have confirmed he is not a citizen.
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