By Judi McLeod ——Bio and Archives--February 5, 2015
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“We saw this when innocent Canadians were murdered in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu and in Ottawa at the very heart of our democracy. (Stephen Harper) “We cannot avoid the stark reality. “Jihadist terrorism is not a future possibility, it is a present reality. “Violent jihadism is not just a danger somewhere else. “It seeks to harm us here in Canada, in our cities, and in our neighbourhoods through horrific acts like deliberately driving a car at a defenceless man, or shooting a soldier in the back as he stands on guard at a War Memorial.”Within days of the prime minister’s address on terrorism, it was revealed that Toronto, home of the ‘Toronto 18’, is also home to suspected Islamic State VIP ‘Toronto Jane’.
“A mysterious jihadist who left her home in Canada in late November to join ISIS has toured the caliphate like a VIP, appearing in key locations throughout Syria and Iraq and prompting intel analysts to wonder what is behind her seemingly elevated status. (FoxNews, Feb. 4, 2015) “Little is known about the woman who calls herself "Lama Sharif al-Shammari" on Twitter and who terrorism experts simply call “L.A.” They believe she left Canada some time after Nov. 23 to join Islamic State, arrived on Dec. 8 and was in Syria as recently as Tuesday. Analysts believe she may be a Sunni Muslim of Saudi descent. “L.A. – or “Toronto Jane” as she has also been dubbed by Khan’s group - has been to at least five cities within the vast territory controlled by Islamic State, leaving tracks in strongholds like Raqqa, Syria, as well as appearing in Kobani, where the terror group fought its most ferocious battles with Kurdish forces supported by U.S. airstrikes. She has also turned up in the Syrian cities of Dier ez Zur and Aleppo and in Mosul, Iraq. “But what sets "L.A." apart from thousands of radicalized foreigners who have flocked from North America and Europe to the terrorist army's killing fields is that her Twitter account shows she has been to virtually every corner of Islamic State's bloody realm within a three-week period, according to analysts. They believe her whirlwind itinerary indicates she is somehow significant and has risen inexplicably through the ranks. "What is really surprising is that in a very short period of time, L.A. appears to have taken an extremely active role with ISIS," said Veryan Khan, of the Terrorism Research & Analysis Consortium (TRAC), a Florida-based global research firm specializing in political violence and terrorism. “Government and private intelligence agencies closely monitor social media accounts of known jihadists, not only for the substance of their chatter, but also for its origin. Khan said the woman known as L.A. has sent Tweets applauding Islamic State atrocities from "virtually every major city that ISIS controls. “Her posts were first noted by the Ontario-based intelligence research company iBRABO, which worked with TRAC while monitoring her cell phone location matching it up with corresponding tweets. The firm claims it has pinpointed her recent presence in Kobani and Mosul down to specific homes. “According to Canadian media reports, the Canadian Security Intelligence Services has documented 130 to 145 citizens who allegedly left Canada to participate in terrorist activities, including 30 fighting with terrorist organizations in Syria. “About 80 returned to the country, the agency reported, allegedly for terrorism-related purposes. The government has opened investigations into another 90 citizens with suspected extremists ties.”Canadian lib-left opposition parties, along with the help of their friends Greenwald and Snowden, aim to curtail the Canadian government from stopping recruitment of its citizens by revoking citizenship and passports of extremists. Sleepwalking through the clear and present dangers of Islamic terrorism can get you killed. Message to Upper Canada College: This is no time to let political activists lead your students on a sleepwalk through the harsh reality of terrorism. You owe your students more than teaching them Reading, Writing and Arithmetic. You owe them the truth.
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