Psychiatric evaluation ordered for man with al-Qaida links charged with threatening attack in Montreal

A psychiatric evaluation has been ordered for a man previously convicted of supporting al-Qaida has been charged after allegedly threatening an attack in Montreal. 

Mohamed Abdullah Warsame, 51, allegedly told an employee at a homeless shelter in Montreal that he wanted to build bombs to detonate on public transit. 

He was charged Thursday with uttering threats and appeared at the Montreal courthouse by videoconference.

He was back in court Friday, this time, in person. He was in handcuffs, walked slowly in the courtroom and was calm. He wore a long green and yellow t-shirt.

A psychiatric evaluation was ordered. It’s expected to take 30 days to complete. It should be completed by July 7.

The RCMP confirmed on Thursday that the same man pleaded guilty in Minnesota in 2009 to providing material support to the terrorist organization al-Qaida. He was deported to Canada in 2010 and had no fixed address at the time of the alleged incident. 

The Old Mission Brewery, which runs several homeless shelters in Montreal, contacted Montreal police after Warsame allegedly said on May 27 that he wanted to carry out an attack that would kill a large number of people. 

In an email statement, the Old Brewery Mission tells The Leader Spirit, “We salute the vigilance of the employees on duty at the Old Brewery Mission during its first visit to our services, who quickly requested the support of the SPVM. Our employees are trained to identify dangerous behaviour or speech, and we are in constant collaboration with the police when necessary. It should be noted that the individual had not previously used Old Brewery Mission services.”

Warsame was hospitalized for psychiatric reasons, and was arrested by the RCMP on Wednesday afternoon.

According to his 2009 plea agreement, the Somali-born Canadian travelled to Afghanistan in 2000 to attend al-Qaida training camps, where he met the organization’s founder, Osama bin Laden. He later sent money to one of his training camp commanders. 

Warsame then relocated to Minneapolis, where he continued to provide information to al-Qaida associates throughout 2002 and 2003. He was arrested in December 2003. 

In 2009, Warsame was sentenced to 92 months in federal prison with credit for time served. He was deported to Canada in October 2010. 

In an email statement, the Old Brewery Mission tells The Leader Spirit, “We salute the vigilance of the employees on duty at the Old Brewery Mission during its first visit to our services, who quickly requested the support of the SPVM. Our employees are trained to identify dangerous behaviour or speech, and we are in constant collaboration with the police when necessary. It should be noted that the individual had not previously used Old Brewery Mission services.”