The Canadian military was not involved in the arrest of a Somali man alleged to have been part of the 2008 hostage-taking of a Canadian freelance journalist, according to Defence Minister Jason Kenney.
Speaking to CTV’s Question Period, Kenney said he was not aware of any military involvement in the arrest of Ali Omar Ader, who was arrested Thursday in Ottawa, for his alleged role in the kidnapping of Amanda Lindhout and Australian photographer Nigel Brennan in Somalia.
Kenney applauded the RCMP for years’ worth of investigative work on the case.
“The fact that the RCMP, with other international police agencies, have stayed on the case and brought this investigation to a successful conclusion is a great credit to them.”
Sources told CTV News that Ader’s arrest was the result of a sophisticated operation that involved several government agencies as well as the Australian police. Kenney refused to provide any further details.
“I can’t get into operational details,” said Kenney. “I suppose some of that may come out when this person faces a trial.”
At a news conference in Ottawa Friday, RCMP said Ader faces criminal charges for his alleged role as a negotiator in the hostage-taking of Lindhout and Brenner, who were kidnapped in Mogadishu, Somalia, in August 2008, and held for 15 months.
Ader, 37, appeared in an Ottawa courtroom Friday via video link, where the case was adjourned for a week.
In other remarks, Kenney said Canada’s security and police agencies have been on a “higher state of alertness” in the last year, due to domestic and international terror threats, including those posed by Somalia terror group al-Shabaab.
“We have seen several dozen Canadians travel to Somalia to join al-Shabaab,” said Kenney. “And this is something that we can’t ignore … Those who have not made it abroad but have violent intent obviously impose a serious threat to us here at home.”
