Canada accused of helping smuggle British children to ISIS terrorists
Double agent's CSIS activity documented in new book
Ottawa is accused of covering up its handling of a double agent who smuggled British teenagers into Islamic State territory to join the terror group while he was spying for Canada.
Justin Trudeau, the prime minister, did not deny Ottawa's work with an operative smuggling Western children to a dangerous battlefield, as outlined in a new book, saying that Canada's spy agency must “be flexible and be creative” in the war against terrorists.
A book about Western intelligence agencies says that while police in Britain were searching for three schoolgirls who left their homes in London in 2015, Canadian intelligence and diplomatic officials withheld information about where they were and how they got there.
Canada then worked with British authorities to cover up its role, according to allegations on this long-percolating controversy in The Secret History of the Five Eyes by Richard Kerbaj, who was the security beat reporter for Britain's Sunday Times from 2010 to 2020.
Canada was part of the military coalition fighting the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq at the time.
The book's details are igniting alarming headlines internationally.
The information is particularly controversial in Britain because one of those smuggled teens was Shamima Begum, then 15, who remains in a detention camp in Syria fighting to return to Britain after her British citizenship was stripped from her because of her support for the terrorists.
Part of Begum's argument for returning is that she is a victim of human trafficking.
Tasnime Akunjee, Begum's lawyer, told National Post that Canada's actions facilitated human trafficking of minors.
“They have effectively been nabbing British children and trafficking them across the Syrian border for delivery to ISIS all in the name of intelligence gathering,” Akunjee said.
“Britain has lauded its efforts to stop ISIS and the grooming of our children by spending millions of pounds on the Prevent program and online monitoring. However, at the very same time we have been co-operating with a western ally, trading sensitive intelligence with them” as they worked with Mohammed Al Rashed, who claimed to be a spy for Canada.
“The calculation here is that the lives of British children, and the risk of their death, is part of the algorithm of acceptable risk that our Western allies have taken,” Akunjee said.
Begum herself recently told the BBC about Rashed saying: “He organized the entire trip from Turkey to Syria ... I don't think anyone would have been able to make it to Syria without the help of smugglers.
“He had helped a lot of people come in ... We were just doing everything he was telling us to do because he knew everything, we didn't know anything.”
Kerbaj said Canada's role is well documented.
“There is absolutely no doubt that the Canadians worked on this and also it brings into question ... about what role Britain played,” Kerbaj told TV news show Good Morning Britain on Wednesday. “The only way to get to the bottom of this is to have an inquiry,” with access to CSIS documents, he said.
Trudeau was asked about the controversy Wednesday.
“We live in a particularly dangerous world,” he said.
“The fight against terrorism requires our intelligence services to continue to be flexible and to be creative in their approaches, but every step of the way, they are bound by strict rules, by principles and values that Canadians hold dear ... and we expect that those rules be followed.
“I know there are questions about certain incidents or operations of the past and we will ensure to follow up on this,” he said.
Asked if the Canadian Security Intelligence Service went too far and if there would be an inquiry, Trudeau said “rigorous oversight mechanisms” monitor CSIS operations but he would consider “further steps” if needed.
Other Canadian officials, however, remained mute on the subject.
Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino, the Department of Public Safety Canada, and Global Affairs Canada all referred questions about their respective roles to the CSIS.
CSIS spokesman Brandon Champagne simply replied: “I cannot publicly comment on or confirm or deny the specifics of CSIS investigations, operational interests, methodologies, or activities.”
London's Metropolitan Police also said sensitivity prevented public discussion.
“We do not comment on matters relating to intelligence,” Met spokesman Matthew Russell said.
The issue of Rashed's role was first revealed in 2015 after the high-profile disappearance of Begum, along with schoolmates Amira Abase, 15, and Kadiza Sultana, 16.
The three left their homes in England and flew to Turkey to join the Islamic State, also known as ISIS, where they were met by Rashed.
Rashed then helped smuggle them into ISIS controlled territory.