Democracy Gone Astray

Democracy, being a human construct, needs to be thought of as directionality rather than an object. As such, to understand it requires not so much a description of existing structures and/or other related phenomena but a declaration of intentionality.
This blog aims at creating labeled lists of published infringements of such intentionality, of points in time where democracy strays from its intended directionality. In addition to outright infringements, this blog also collects important contemporary information and/or discussions that impact our socio-political landscape.

All the posts here were published in the electronic media – main-stream as well as fringe, and maintain links to the original texts.

[NOTE: Due to changes I haven't caught on time in the blogging software, all of the 'Original Article' links were nullified between September 11, 2012 and December 11, 2012. My apologies.]

Monday, February 16, 2015

Foiled Halifax Mass Killings Plot 'Not Linked To Terrorism:' Peter MacKay

HALIFAX - Arrests by police that foiled an alleged plot to attack a public place in Halifax have averted a tragedy that would have been "devastating" for the city, Justice Minister Peter MacKay said Saturday.

MacKay wouldn't say what public place was allegedly targeted to be attacked on Saturday, but he said all who are suspected of being involved are either dead or in police custody.

Police wouldn't comment on charges but confirmed that all three suspects remained in custody. None of the allegations made by police or other officials about the case have been heard or proven in court.

Asked about the motivation for the plan, MacKay said it was not linked to terrorism but he alleged it would have been a large attack.

"What I can tell you is that this appeared to be a group of murderous misfits that were coming here or were living here and prepared to wreak havoc and mayhem on our community," he asserted at a news conference.

"Make no mistake about it, there could have been a real tragedy and it would have marked our city and our province for ever."

Asst. RCMP Commissioner Brian Brennan said Friday night that a man who was found dead in a Halifax area home earlier in the day intended to go to a public place with a woman and open fire on citizens before killing themselves on Valentine's Day.

Brennan said police received information from the public on Thursday morning of a weapons-related threat.

The information suggested a 19-year-old Halifax area man and a 23-year old woman from Geneva, Ill., had access to firearms, said Brennan, the senior Mountie in Nova Scotia.

He also would not say which venue was being targeted, but the Associated Press reported, citing an unnamed police official, that the target was a shopping mall.

Brennan said two other male suspects, ages 20 and 17, were also involved, although investigators were still trying to determine what their role was.

MacKay said the site of the alleged attack has been notified and extra security measures have been taken. All events in the city are going ahead as scheduled on Saturday, he said.

"The attack does not appear to have been culturally motivated, therefore not linked to terrorism," he said.

The 19-year-old man and the 23-year-old woman may have been corresponding online, MacKay said.

Brennan said firearms have been seized, although he could not say what kind, how many, or where the weapons were seized.

"The weapons seized had the ability to inflict a lot of casualties if used in a populated area," he added.

Police say they found the 19-year-old man dead at a home in the Halifax area around 1:20 a.m. Friday.

Brennan would not elaborate on the circumstances surrounding his death, saying the issue has been referred to the province's Serious Incident Response Team, which reviews all serious incidents involving police in the province.

A statement from the Serious Incident Response Team, known as SIRT, said police found the man dead when they entered the residence.

A police official, who spoke anonymously because the official was not authorized to speak publicly, told The Associated Press the 19-year-old male shot himself to death after police surrounded his parent's home. The official said after police were tipped off about the plot they surrounded his home. Police saw his parents leave the house and called the man. As the man told police that he didn't have any guns and he was on his way out of the house he shot himself, the official said.

Brennan said the 20-year-old man and 23-year-old woman were arrested around 2 a.m. at the Halifax airport. He said the woman was arriving on a plane and the man was there to meet her.

The 17-year-old boy was arrested around 11 a.m. in the Halifax area, he said.

Original Article
Source: huffingtonpost.ca/
Author: CP

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