One of two Canadian soldiers hit by ‘radicalized’ driver dies of his injuries
Published October 21, 2014/FoxNews.com
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2014/10/21/driver-shot-dead-after-hits-2-canadian-soldiers/
Police: Driver who killed Canadian soldier was ‘radicalized’
One of two Canadian soldiers hit by a car driven by a Quebec man whom authorities said had been “radicalized” by Islamists has died of his injuries.
The Associated Press, citing Quebec provincial police, reported that the soldier had died of his injuries early Tuesday after being struck by the car Monday. The soldier’s name has not been released at the request of his family.
The suspect in the attack, which took place in a mall parking lot near Montreal, has been identified as 25-year-old Martin Rouleau. Police fatally shot Rouleau after a car chase that ended with the suspect losing control of the car and rolling over several times in the town of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, about 25 miles southeast of Montreal.
Quebec provincial police Lt. Michel Brunet said Rouleau exited the car and was shot. He said police found a knife on the ground, but could not say if he had it in his hand when police fired their weapons. Television images showed a large knife in the grass near his flipped over car.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police said that Rouleau was known to provincial and federal law enforcement agencies, according to CBC News. Police declined to provide further details, citing the ongoing investigation. It was not immediately clear whether either soldier was wearing a uniform when they were attacked.
A statement from the office of Prime Minister Stephen Harper late Monday said that authorities “have confirmed that there are indications that this is clearly an individual who has been radicalized … Canadians should remain vigilant.” Harper was briefed about the incident by the head of Canada’s national police force, the head of the military and his national security adviser.
One neighbor told reporters that Rouleau stopped wearing jeans and started wearing a tunic and that he changed over the last year and was alone a lot. Another neighbor said Rouleau converted to Islam a little over a year ago.
The case is similar to one in London, England, last year in which an Al Qaeda-inspired extremist and another man ran over a soldier with a car before hacking the off-duty soldier to death. Images of Michael Adebolajo, 29, holding a butcher knife and cleaver with bloodied hands in the moments after the May 2013 killing of Fusilier Lee Rigby shocked people around the world and sparked fears of Islamist terrorism in Britain.
The self-described “soldier of Allah” was sentenced along with his accomplice to life in prison. The pair were convicted of murdering Rigby, 25, who was walking near his barracks in south London when the men ran him over with a car. They then dragged his body onto the road, and repeatedly stabbed him with knives.
The Islamic State group has urged supporters to carry out attacks against Western countries, including Canada, that are participating in the U.S.-led coalition fighting the militants who have taken over large swaths of territory in Iraq and Syria. It was not known whether Rouleau had any ties to Islamic militant groups.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Canadian Soldier dies, Martin “Ahmad” Rouleau killed by police, following hit and run in St. Jean
CTV Montreal
Last Updated Tuesday, October 21, 2014
http://montreal.ctvnews.ca/soldier-dies-man-killed-by-police-following-hit-and-run-in-st-jean-1.2062370#
One of two soldiers hit by a car in St. Jean sur Richelieu has died of his injuries.
His family has asked that his name be withheld.
The second soldier who was run down by a car on Monday morning in St. Jean remains in hospital on Tuesday.Meanwhile police continue to investigate Martin “Ahmad” Rouleau, his history, and what led to the car crash and subsequent chase that ended in his death.
The incident began at 11:40 a.m. Monday when a car drove into two soldiers walking in the parking lot of a strip mall in St. Jean sur Richelieu, about 40 km southeast of Montreal.
“I went inside to do a transaction and you see the staff is traumatized from what they saw,” said a witness outside the centre.
Rouleau fled when police arrived, leading to the police chase on Seminaire Blvd.
The 25-year-old local man then lost control of his vehicle and rolled several times, ending up in a ditch four kilometres away from the hit-and-run incident.
Surete du Quebec Lt. Guy Lapointe said the man was shot multiple times by St. Jean sur Richelieu police after threatening officers, and that the officers feared for their lives. They would not confirm reports the man was armed, but did say a knife was found at the scene. “We found a knife on the ground,” he said. “It’s still there but I can’t tell you if he had it in his hand at that time.” Rouleau was taken to hospital in critical condition where he died of his injuries.
‘Radicalized’ neighbour
Provincial police spokesman Joyce Kemp said it was “really premature” to speculate on any possible motives.
“We’ve just started the investigation, so it will take a certain time before we can say it was something accidental or deliberate,” Kemp said in an interview.
A Facebook page with the name Ahmad Rouleau contains posts about religion, 9/11 and the Quran. Rouleau’s neighbours said he had recently undergone a transformation. “That’s my neighbour. He changed over the past year,” said the next-door neighbour, who only wanted to be identified as Bruno. “He seemed to become a Muslim, then he was all alone. He was alone – not like before, when he had many friends. It was sad” “I’ve seen him in… an Islamic robe or something like that,” said another neighbour, Bill Sawka. When asked if he wore a beard, he added, “He may have, yes I’ve seen that, because I found it odd… there was a change, he used to wear loose jeans.”
Stephen Harper’s statement
The incident was brought up in the House of Commons on Monday, with the prime minister’s office saying Rouleau was “known to federal authorities, including the Integrated National Security Enforcement Team.
“Federal authorities have confirmed that there are clear indications that the individual had become radicalized,” the PMO said in a statement, noting that Prime Minister Stephen Harper was briefed on the situation by RCMP Commissioner Bob Paulson, Chief of Defence Staff General Tom Lawson, and National Security Advisor Stephen Rigby. “As Canada’s national security agencies have said, Canadians should remain vigilant,” Harper’s office said.
The statement came after a planted question from Conservative MP Randy Hoback in Question Period, when Prime Minister Stephen Harper said the information surrounding a hit-and-run that ended in a police shooting were “extremely troubling.”
“We’re closely monitoring the situation and we’ll make available all of the resources of the federal government,” said Harper.
NDP Leader Tom Mulcair also said he believed the government’s immediate analysis to be premature.
“I think we need to be extremely careful before drawing conclusions. When (the Hoback question was asked), I said to myself, ‘Come on, let the police do their work’,” he told a news conference in Ottawa.
Driver who ran into Canadian soldiers near Montreal was known to counter-terrorism officials: RCMP
Stewart Bell | October 20, 2014 |National Post
http://news.nationalpost.com/2014/10/20/driver-who-ran-into-canadian-soldiers-near-montreal-was-known-to-counter-terrorism-officials-rcmp/
The driver of a car who rammed two Canadian Forces members near Montreal before being shot dead by police was known to counter-terrorism authorities who believed he had become radicalized, the RCMP said on Monday as they continued to investigate the possible terrorist attack.
“This individual was known to federal authorities including our Integrated National Security Investigations team in Montreal who along with other authorities were concerned that he had become radicalized,’’ the RCMP said in a statement. The force declined further comment.
The 25-year-old, known as Martin “Ahmad” Rouleau, allegedly hit two members of the Canadian Forces as they were walking in a strip mall just outside St-Jean-sur-Richelieu at about 11:30 a.m. Police chased the man more than four kilometres until his car flipped into a ditch.
The man then exited his car, allegedly holding a knife, and police opened fire, seriously injuring him, said Sûreté du Québec Sgt. Joyce Kemp. He was transported to hospital, but police later confirmed he had died.
The suggestion the incident was an act of terrorism was first raised in the House of Commons by Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who said he was aware of the “extremely troubling” reports and that authorities were investigating.
The Prime Minister was briefed on the investigation by RCMP Commissioner Bob Paulson, Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Tom Lawson, and National Security Adviser Stephen Rigby. “Federal authorities have confirmed that there are clear indications that the individual had become radicalized. As Canada’s national security agencies have said, Canadians should remain vigilant,” said a statement from Jason MacDonald, the prime minister’s spokesman.
Speaking to reporters at the scene, Sûreté du Québec spokesman Lt. Guy Lapointe said it was too early to determine whether the military personnel were deliberately targeted. “All I can say is that the theory that this is a deliberate act is part of what we’ll be looking at,” he said.
The soldiers were being treated in hospital. One was said to be seriously injured, while the other soldier’s injuries were less severe, Sgt. Kemp said. Police were reconstructing the scene, with the brown car still upside down in the ditch..
A knife lay next to the car, underneath a bag. Sgt. Kemp would not confirm reports the driver had previously charged at police with the knife. “At this point, it’s too soon to say,” the sergeant said. “The investigation is still in its early stages.”
Because the local St-Jean-sur-Richelieu police were involved in the shooting, the SQ has taken over the investigation. Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu is home to the Canadian Forces Leadership and Recruit School, which conducts basic military training as well as professional development programs and employs about 600 military personnel and civilians.
A Twitter account under the name Ahmad Rouleau featured the banner of the Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham, the terrorist group that last month called on its followers to kill Canadians because of Ottawa’s role in the anti-ISIS military coalition.
“Islam is the only true religion. Anyone who want scientific proof of God that your terrorist Zionism Rothschild media hide, contact me or add me if you re open minded,” he commented beneath an online Time magazine article last May.
‘Allah has promised the hypocrite men and hypocrite women and the disbelievers the fire of Hell’
On a Facebook page under the same name, French and English posts — the last one on Friday — denounced Christianity and Judaism. “Allah has promised the hypocrite men and hypocrite women and the disbelievers the fire of Hell, wherein they will abide eternally. It is sufficient for them. And Allah has cursed them, and for them is an enduring punishment,” he wrote.
No information has been officially released linking the incident to ISIS, but the possibility he was a lone wolf incited by the group’s propaganda was being examined. On Sept. 21, ISIS spokesman Abu Muhammad Adnani explicitly called for attacks against Canadians. In his 42-minute audio taped message, Adnani urged his fanatical followers to single out a victim and “run him over with your car.”
The use of a car to ram identifiable soldiers was reminiscent of the December 2013 murder of British serviceman Lee Rigby. In that attack, two men armed with knives struck him with their car near a military facility in Woolwich, United Kingdom, and then attempted to sever his head. They were later filmed making Islamist extremist slogans.
Following the attack, Canada’s Integrated Threat Assessment Centre prepared a “Secret” intelligence report noting that the killing was the second of two attacks in six months that “appear to have targeted military personnel in public areas.”
The document noted that the Toronto 18 and a 2010 group headed by Iranian-Canadian Hiva Alizadeh had also talked about striking Canada’s military. “Canadian Forces personnel and facilities have been discussed as targets by domestic extremists in the past,” said the 2013 report, released under the Access to Information Act.
As recently as Monday, calls to attack Canadians for joining the anti-ISIS coalition continued to surface. A Canadian extremist who converted in 2010 and now goes by “Abu Khalid Al-Kanadi” posted a message inciting attacks on Canadians.
adists to attack Canadians: ‘You will not feel secure in your bedrooms’.
“Yes, my message is clear,” the self-proclaimed ISIS member tweeted last week. “Canada initiated attacks on the Islamic State, so Muslims in Canada, retaliate & KILL THEM WHEREVER YOU FIND THEM.”
Adnani’s 42-minute audio speech emphasized that victims did not have to be military. But the ISIS message has found little following in Canada. While a handful of Canadians have joined ISIS, Canadian Muslim organizations have strongly denounced the terrorist group and have held demonstrations against it.
NDP leader Tom Mulcair cautioned about reaching quick conclusions about the perpetrator’s motives. “Let the police do their job and then we’ll know whether we’re dealing with the type of situation they’ve described,” he said.
The hit-and-run comes as Canada prepares to joint a U.S.-led bombing campaign against ISIS forces in Iraq. CF-18 Hornets were to leave 4 Wing Cold Lake, Alta., on Tuesday for Kuwait, where they will be stationed during Operation Impact.
National Post with files from Postmedia News
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