OTTAWA, Ontario CAN — Items seized by the RCMP in 2004 from the Khawaja family home, including three semi-automatic rifles, were introduced as evidence Monday at Momin Khawaja's terrorism trial.

RCMP Cpl. Taro Tan hoisted a long, wooden-handled rifle in the witness box and extended the attached bayonet so that Justice Douglas Rutherford could see.

Minutes earlier, Crown attorney David McKercher had introduced into evidence two other 7.62 calibre semi-automatic rifles from Tan, one Russian-made and one NATO-made.

All three guns were found in Momin Khawaja's room on the afternoon of March 29, 2004, when the RCMP conducted a search of the Khawaja home.

Khawaja has pleaded not guilty to seven terrorism charges relating to the foiled 2004 plan to bomb targets in and around London, England. He is alleged to have built a prototype remote control device that would transmit a radio signal to the bombs' detonators.

Also put into evidence were two wooden crates packed with ammunition, which was suitable for use with the weapons. Khawaja had firearms acquisitions certificates for all of the guns found in his room.

Tan also described to the judge a series of photos taken of the Khawaja house, including pictures of Khawaja's room. The then-25-year-old lived in a sparse room in the basement of the house, with little furnishings.

The only items hung on the young software developer's walls were three bumper stickers - one the Nike swoosh, one a Volkswagen sticker saying "Drivers found" and another for Linux.

To the left is a printed computer page of Arabic tacked above an English document entitled "Believers dua for Chechnya." Dua is an Arabic term that indicates a prayer. Below that, it says:

"The greatest support you can give the Muhajideen is to raise your Hands towards the heavens and make rigorous supplication to Allah, the Most High."

Also found in Khawaja's room was a booklet and CD entitled How to make Amateur Rockets, Second Edition, by John H. Wickman.

On the other side of the basement, beyond an exercise bike and a table with several computers, was a bullet-riddled black-and-white target.

Several items found in Khawaja's brother Qasim's room also were put into evidence, including a stack of $100 bills that totalled slightly more than $10,000.

Copyright © 2008, Dose.ca.

07-07-2008 08:38 PM  #1
ddmobley Administrator   Joined: Jul 2006 Posts: 4553	Re: Seized weapons, ammo introduced at Ottawa terror trial Semi-automatic rifles + ammunition for said rifles + Arabic text + amateur rocket booklet and CD = terrorist. I am still waiting to see the stuff that was illegal in his possession. Wait! What's this: "On the other side of the basement, beyond an exercise bike and a table with several computers, was a bullet-riddled black-and-white target." Amazing. The line continues to blur.

07-08-2008 12:47 AM  #2
Aphyle Hot HCl and rubber @ AM   Joined: Dec 2006 Posts: 120	Re: Seized weapons, ammo introduced at Ottawa terror trial crates of ammo, yes. chemicals, ????

07-08-2008 06:46 AM  #3
H_rocket Village Idiot   Joined: Aug 2006 Posts: 706	Re: Seized weapons, ammo introduced at Ottawa terror trial Keep in mind, this trial and all the related proceedings is under Canadian law, not ours. They do not necessarily hve the same protections granted by our Constitution and Bill of Rights. Of course the idea of an armed sotware developer gives me the heebie jeebies....

07-08-2008 11:06 AM  #4
ddmobley Administrator   Joined: Jul 2006 Posts: 4553	Re: Seized weapons, ammo introduced at Ottawa terror trial So is a semi-automatic rifle and ammunition illegal north of the border? Maybe he forgot to pay duty on Wickman's CD?

07-08-2008 11:27 AM  #5
Steve_Shannon Super Moderator   Joined: Aug 2006 Posts: 2434	Re: Seized weapons, ammo introduced at Ottawa terror trial Quote: So is a semi-automatic rifle and ammunition illegal north of the border? Maybe he forgot to pay duty on Wickman's CD? The article said that he "had firearms acquisition certificates for all of the guns found in his room." The Canadian gun laws are MUCH more restrictive than the U.S. gun laws. I don't know what they have that might be like our Second Amendment. Keep in mind that he was not charged with weapons law violations. He was charged with terrorism in connection with building a remote control to trigger bombs in London in 2004. This article did not go into what evidence showed his complicity in that crime. The guns, his ethnicity, his faith, and his involvment with rocketry are just an attempt to add sensationalism to the case and play to society's fears. Unfortunately that kind of thing hurts innocent gun owners, rocketeers, Arabs, and Muslims and should be recognized for what it is.

07-08-2008 11:43 AM  #6
tmacklin Certifiable   Joined: Apr 2008 Posts: 170	Re: Seized weapons, ammo introduced at Ottawa terror trial Quote: Semi-automatic rifles + ammunition for said rifles + Arabic text + amateur rocket booklet and CD = terrorist. I am still waiting to see the stuff that was illegal in his possession. Wait! What's this: "On the other side of the basement, beyond an exercise bike and a table with several computers, was a bullet-riddled black-and-white target." Amazing. The line continues to blur. I bought my copy of John Wickman's excellent book from Pyrotek. The DOJ has all the invoices and records and sent me a nice letter about my purchasing habits. Now I buy my chems from Firefox, except they can't sell me more than one pound of any oxidizer per year, so I get the rest of what I need from the World's Largest Retailer.

07-08-2008 12:05 PM  #7
H_rocket Village Idiot   Joined: Aug 2006 Posts: 706	Re: Seized weapons, ammo introduced at Ottawa terror trial I musta missed a meeting somewhere Can someone tell me about the publication by John Wickman?

07-08-2008 12:07 PM  #8
Steve_Shannon Super Moderator   Joined: Aug 2006 Posts: 2434	Re: Seized weapons, ammo introduced at Ottawa terror trial Quote: I musta missed a meeting somewhere Can someone tell me about the publication by John Wickman? http://www.space-rockets.com/newbook.html You can order his book online directly from his site.

07-08-2008 12:58 PM  #9
ddmobley Administrator   Joined: Jul 2006 Posts: 4553	Re: Seized weapons, ammo introduced at Ottawa terror trial Quote: I musta missed a meeting somewhere Don't worry, someday soon a rocketeer you know will be labeled a terrorist and the world will be shocked. The media is complicit in their participation of labeling harmless activies and hobbies as terroristic.

07-08-2008 01:21 PM  #10
H_rocket Village Idiot   Joined: Aug 2006 Posts: 706	Re: Seized weapons, ammo introduced at Ottawa terror trial With my luck, it will be me.

07-08-2008 01:21 PM  #11
denverdoc Hall Monitor   Joined: Aug 2007 Posts: 3200	Re: Seized weapons, ammo introduced at Ottawa terror trial Quote: I musta missed a meeting somewhere Can someone tell me about the publication by John Wickman? It's a pretty good package in my estimation especially for someone starting out in Research--includes a drag/cp program, along with some other software to help with motor design (book deals mostly with Ammonium nitrate based motors). Book is very basic in some ways going thru motor designations and the like, but also looks at stresses involved in case design. John also has a companion class that according to all those I've talked to is very valuable. Wickman himself is a pro, but has this sideline biz of helping people get involved with rocketry. He has no info on his site about TRA, instead refers folks to ARSA whose safety code is found here: http://www.space-rockets.com/other/safecode.pdf Notice setbacks for J and above are uniformly 200'. Even if one plans to go more conventional route to EX activity using APCP, Aluminum cases, and software like Burnsim, it's a decent package well worth the $$ IMO.

07-08-2008 01:28 PM  #12
tmacklin Certifiable   Joined: Apr 2008 Posts: 170	Re: Seized weapons, ammo introduced at Ottawa terror trial Quote: Semi-automatic rifles + ammunition for said rifles + Arabic text + amateur rocket booklet and CD = terrorist. I am still waiting to see the stuff that was illegal in his possession. Wait! What's this: "On the other side of the basement, beyond an exercise bike and a table with several computers, was a bullet-riddled black-and-white target." Amazing. The line continues to blur. Come to think of it, I've got everything Momin Khawaja has except the Arabic text! If I could read and/or speak Arabic, I'd apply for a job with the FBI. I understand there is an acute shortage of Arabic translators and they're paying top dollar.

07-08-2008 02:00 PM  #13
UncleVanya If pigs had fins...   Joined: Sep 2007 Posts: 4071	Re: Seized weapons, ammo introduced at Ottawa terror trial The invasion of Iraq was heralded with the new American policy of "preemptive" action. That has trickled down into the entire fabric of the systems of justice in the world. I'm sorry but the idea that you are "plotting" a non-specific event is a bit crazy. This smacks of the ideas in Minority Report where people were convicted of crimes that they were intending to commit in the future. I agree that specific plotting with actions taken that give clear validation of that intent are acts that should be reason for action from governments - but the mere suspicion that something could be used for terrorism should not pass the "stink" test.

07-08-2008 02:08 PM  #14
Chris Pearson New Member   Joined: Aug 2007 Posts: 5	Re: Seized weapons, ammo introduced at Ottawa terror trial Quote: So is a semi-automatic rifle and ammunition illegal north of the border? MOST DEFINATELY! There is nothing like the Second Ammendment in Canada. Over the past 20 years the gun laws have become downright Draconian up north. I believe that semi-auto rifles are illegal in almost all circumstances, and I'm not sure if semi-auto shotguns or even pistols are legal anymore. Perhaps Anthony Cesaroni could enlighten us more.

07-08-2008 02:12 PM  #15
UncleVanya If pigs had fins...   Joined: Sep 2007 Posts: 4071	Re: Seized weapons, ammo introduced at Ottawa terror trial Quote: Perhaps Anthony Cesaroni could enlighten us more. Amnesia is probably already setting in. Anthony's spending a lot of time in FL these days.

07-08-2008 04:29 PM  #16
whatarocket Tired of small rockets...   Joined: Jul 2007 Posts: 1	Re: Seized weapons, ammo introduced at Ottawa terror trial This kind of sounds like my room was at 15 or 16 (minus the cash and Arabic texts). Also didn't do much indoor target practice. But still. Now that I'm trying to learn Arabic, I'll probably get on the FBI's watch list.

07-08-2008 04:53 PM  #17
Steve_Shannon Super Moderator   Joined: Aug 2006 Posts: 2434	Re: Seized weapons, ammo introduced at Ottawa terror trial Quote: MOST DEFINATELY! There is nothing like the Second Ammendment in Canada. Over the past 20 years the gun laws have become downright Draconian up north. I believe that semi-auto rifles are illegal in almost all circumstances, and I'm not sure if semi-auto shotguns or even pistols are legal anymore. Perhaps Anthony Cesaroni could enlighten us more. Not necessarily; it seemingly depends on magazine size (five rounds max for a rifle; ten for a handgun), barrel length, and cosmetic appearance (well, only if they look like an AR-15/M16). Here is the FAQ from Canada Firearms Centre: http://www.cfc-cafc.gc.ca/faq/default_e.asp#a3

07-08-2008 05:00 PM  #18
aerostadt Certified Level Two   Joined: Feb 2007 Posts: 71	Re: Seized weapons, ammo introduced at Ottawa terror trial This individual that is being taken to court looks very suspicious. If the authorities did nothing and he went off the deep end, the public outcry against the police, etc. would be horrendous! I say let this individual and his lawyers fend for themselves. We as HPR enthusiasts have no need to defend him or link our fate to him! Bob

07-08-2008 05:37 PM  #19
CF-105 Certified Level Two   Joined: May 2007 Posts: 86	Re: Seized weapons, ammo introduced at Ottawa terror trial Semi-auto rifles are not illegal... but if I remember correctly there is a strict limit on magazine capacity. Now *assault rifles* are illegal... unless you're a registered collector, etc. etc. yada yada. Much paperwork, licensing etc. Heck, under current laws up here, the .22 cal Cooey bolt-action I had when I was younger is a restricted weapon - it had a tubular magazine under the barrel that could hold more than the now-legal magazine limit. Anyway - even if the weapons he had were properly licensed & so forth... it is most certainly NOT legal to discharge a firearm within a residential area (here in Canada anyway!). From the description of the drywall around the target... I'd say that law was certainly broken.

07-08-2008 05:51 PM  #20
UncleVanya If pigs had fins...   Joined: Sep 2007 Posts: 4071	Re: Seized weapons, ammo introduced at Ottawa terror trial Quote: This individual that is being taken to court looks very suspicious. If the authorities did nothing and he went off the deep end, the public outcry against the police, etc. would be horrendous! I say let this individual and his lawyers fend for themselves. We as HPR enthusiasts have no need to defend him or link our fate to him! Bob Bob - I for one am not defending that person. I am decrying the way it is being reported. Many of the things that are being showcased as "evidence" are in fact harmless things that many of us have and use in non-terrorist activities. The logic of A implies B is what is being called a foul. I have not seen enough to know one way or another about these folks. I am also concerned that "preemptive" actions by law enforcement are not questioned more if the terrorism card is played.

07-08-2008 05:59 PM  #21
Steve_Shannon Super Moderator   Joined: Aug 2006 Posts: 2434	Re: Seized weapons, ammo introduced at Ottawa terror trial Quote: Bob - I for one am not defending that person. I am decrying the way it is being reported. Many of the things that are being showcased as "evidence" are in fact harmless things that many of us have and use in non-terrorist activities. The logic of A implies B is what is being called a foul. I have not seen enough to know one way or another about these folks. I am also concerned that "preemptive" actions by law enforcement are not questioned more if the terrorism card is played. I agree UV. The article seemed to equate possession of a rocketry book with being a terrorist. He should be tried in a court based on things that directly relate to his alleged act of terrorism, but media accounts that loosely include reports that he had rocketry books hurt us. In fact, I don't think anybody was directly defending this person, but they were pointing out that the only things noted in the article that made the person "suspicious" were the same kinds of things that many of us do without giving it a second thought. The article was deficit in not describing the material evidence that directly linked this guy to a terrorist plot, but instead linked his terrorism activities to innocent activities that may have had no relation at all to terrorism.

07-08-2008 10:31 PM  #22
ddmobley Administrator   Joined: Jul 2006 Posts: 4553	Re: Seized weapons, ammo introduced at Ottawa terror trial Quote: This individual that is being taken to court looks very suspicious. If the authorities did nothing and he went off the deep end, the public outcry against the police, etc. would be horrendous! I say let this individual and his lawyers fend for themselves. He "looks" suspicious? We can tell a person's capacity for crime by how they look? This is really alarming! Just because society thinks a person looks suspicious is a very dangerous precept. And letting the individual and his lawyers fend for themselves probably costs a lot of money. Why should a person have to hire a lawyer and fend for themselves simply because of their appearance?

07-09-2008 12:11 AM  #23
UncleVanya If pigs had fins...   Joined: Sep 2007 Posts: 4071	Re: Seized weapons, ammo introduced at Ottawa terror trial Quote: He "looks" suspicious? I took this as a loose use of language - and assumed that the person posting had followed the case a little more closely and that more info than we had we involved. English is full of odd quirks of speech and this seems like one of them.