TO terrorists: the unusual suspects

Shareef Abdelhaleem, suspect under arrestAssuming, for the moment and quite against my usual instincts, that all human beings are individuals and act for their own, entirely independent and logical reasons rather than relieve the desperate burden of sentience by subsuming themselves in a larger, and mindless, whole, here is a backgrounder (let us avoid the word "roundup" for obvious taste-related reasons, for lo, we are way PC y'all) of the individual suspects arrested in Mississauga, a suburb which has never, let's face it, had much to recommend it except that it is not Scarborough. Apparently, according to another story in the G&M, the Peace Tower in Ottawa was among the intended targets.

One notes with amusement, one does, the Guardian's breathlessly clueless description of the suspects "ranging [all the incredible way] from college educated to unemployed." That's walking distance 'round these parts, sweetheart.

Canuckistan

Not that I'm bitter.

From the Globe and Mail's really very thorough backgrounder.

Saad Khalid, Ahmad Mustafa Ghany [about whom Canuckistan Terroristone notes the Globe and Mail is nearly as clueless as the Guardian; surely we have proof, dating back at least to 9/11, that a life of privilege doesn't deter one from acts of terrorism], Steven Vikash Chand a.k.a. Abdul Shakur, Jahmaal James, Zakaria Amara, Asad Ansari, and [very Bonnie-and-Clyde-sounding] "Kingston Duo" Mohammed Dirie, 22, and Yasim Abdi Mohamed, 24.

For many Muslims in this city, the focus now shifts to preparing for a potential backlash, which some faced in the weeks and months following the attacks on New York in 2001 and London in 2005. When a co-worker jokingly told Mr. Khan this weekend that he expected to see his name on the list of RCMP suspects, it only added to Mr. Khan's suspicion that Canadian Muslims may have to brace for a blow to their reputation.

God help the last two if they're innocent; once you've got a catchy moniker, it's all over but the posing with Spiderman.

Spidey and baddie

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