Al-Qaeda inspired groups still active in Canada

A secret government list of the country's top terrorist threats says al-Qaeda-inspired extremists remain active in Canada and are willing and able to carry out attacks. "AQ's Islamist extremist ideology continues to inspire individuals in Canada," says the classified Intelligence Assessment. "AQ-inspired groups and individuals present a threat of terrorist attack in Canada." The report indicates that, long after police arrested 18 suspects around Toronto for allegedly plotting "al-Qaeda-inspired" shootings and bombings, such extremists remain a central security concern.

Three terrorist groups are named in the report, titled "Canada: Bi-Annual Update on the Threat from Terrorists and Extremists." Dated last November, the Integrated Threat Assessment Centre report was only recently released under the Access to Information Act. Aside from al-Qaeda and al-Qaeda inspired groups, the document names Hezbollah and notes its leader Hassan Nasrallah has threatened to avenge last year's assassination of its military chief Imad Mugniyah. But the report says Hezbollah "has never attacked a target in Canada" and that "Hezbollah in Canada is primarily structured for fundraising."