Canadian terror suspect makes brief court appearance

Khurram Syed Sher, 28, of London, Ontario, is charged with conspiracy to facilitate terrorist activity in the case in which police say they seized more than 50 circuit boards intended for use in remotely detonated bombs.

Sher is a McGill University graduate who is an anatomical pathologist at St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital in St. Thomas, Ontario, just south of London. The bearded father of three and avid hockey player appeared nervous during the brief court appearance, where a justice of the peace ordered him to return September 1 via video feed.

Sher, a Pakistani is shown in an online video auditioning for TV's "Canadian Idol" in Montreal two years ago, moonwalking, doing the robot dance and singing a deliberately woeful version of Avril Lavigne’s "Complicated," the Toronto Star reported.

The others charged are Hiva Mohammad Alizadeh, 30, and Misbahuddin Ahmed, 26, both of Ottawa — they appeared in court yesterday. The charges say the conspiracy was carried out in Ottawa, Iran, Afghanistan, Dubai and Pakistan.

Police say an attack was likely still months away when they pounced on the plot, but they moved because they feared the men were about to start sending money to other terrorists in Afghanistan.

Besides the arrests, police seized the circuit boards, terrorist literature and bomb-related documents. All those arrested are Canadian citizens. Ahmed is an X-ray technician at an Ottawa hospital. Alizadeh studied English as an additional language and electrical engineering technology at Red River College in Winnipeg.

The Mounties described the three as members of a home-grown terrorist group, although they said Alizadeh is a member of another terror group with links to the Afghan war.
Alizadeh is charged with conspiracy, committing an act for terrorism purposes and providing or making available property for terrorism purposes.

He is also charged with making or having "an explosive substance" with the intent to endanger life or cause serious damage to property. Police said the circuit boards are considered an explosive substance under the Criminal Code.

Ahmed faces the same charge as Sher — conspiracy to facilitate terrorist activity. Documents filed in provincial court in Ottawa say the men plotted with three others to "knowingly facilitate terrorist activities" in Canada and abroad.