Wall Street Journal
Sunday, March 24, 2013
Canadian police said Saturday that they had identified a second Canadian
among the suspected hostage takers behind January's attack on the
Amenas natural gas plant in Algeria.
Algerian authorities and eye witnesses to the deadly four-day siege,
that began Jan. 16, had said that at least one of the hostage takers was
described by other hostage takers as Canadian.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police confirmed this month that one of the suspected terrorists was Canadian.
"This evening, the RCMP is confirming a second Canadian has been
identified from human remains of alleged terrorists in the attack at the
gas plant," a spokesman said in an emailed statement. "Our
investigation into this matter continues and no further information will
be given at this time."
The alleged Canadian hostage takers had been part of a diverse group
that included Algerians, Egyptians, Tunisians, Mauritanians, Libyans, as
well as members from Niger and Mali, according to Algerian officials.
The identification of a second body will embarrass the Canadian
government, given a number of recent terror attacks with a Canadian
link.
In February, Canada confirmed that it and Bulgarian authorities are
seeking a Canadian dual citizen for alleged participation in a deadly
July bomb attack on Israeli tourists that Bulgaria has blamed on Shiite
group Hezbollah.
The Canadian Security Intelligence Service said last November that it
is investigating about 50 Canadians who have traveled or attempted to
travel to countries including Somalia, Pakistan, Syria and Yemen to
engage in terrorism.