Canada's intelligence service has acknowledged for the first time that Canadian-based Islamic militants have set off for Afghanistan since Sept. 11 to fight alongside Taliban and al-Qaeda forces. While no Canadian has yet been captured by allied troops in Afghanistan, the spy agency said a small number had attempted to travel to the region with the intention of joining the pro-Taliban militia. "People have gone continuously [both before and after Sept. 11]," said Ward Elcock, director of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service. "Not in huge numbers, we're not talking about thousands of people. The numbers are small, but there are some." Mr. Elcock emphasized that his agency can only confirm that militants have left Canada over the past six months with the intention of fighting with the Taliban. Whether they actually made it there is not known, he said.
Betcher surprised, eh, hoser? |