Pubdate: Tue, 18 Dec 2007
Source: National Post (Canada)
Copyright: 2007 Southam Inc.
Contact:  http://www.nationalpost.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/286
Author: Stewart Bell,  National Post
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/topics/khat (Khat)

SOMALI DRUG MAY FUND TERRORISM

14 Tonnes Seized

Terrorist groups may be funding their activities through khat, an 
illegal stimulant smuggled daily into Canada, says a newly released 
intelligence report.

The report by the Canadian government's Integrated Threat Assessment 
Centre says "some part of the proceeds involved in the global khat 
trade possibly finances terrorism."

Khat is an illicit drug that is wildly popular among 
Somali-Canadians. It originates in East Africa and the Middle East, 
regions that "are 'of concern' from a terrorism viewpoint," the report says.

"Given that a number of terrorist organizations around the world 
finance their activities through the drug trade, and that much of the 
khat trade occurs in and emanates from a region of the world closely 
identified with terrorism, it is possible that some parts of the 
proceeds involved may end up in the hands of terrorists or their sympathizers."

A declassified version of the Dec. 8, 2006, intelligence assessment, 
titled Khat: Connections to Terrorism? was obtained by the National 
Post under the Access to Information Act.

Formally called Catha edulis, khat is a leafy shrub that grows only 
in the Horn of Africa and Yemen. Chewing khat is a daily ritual among 
men in Somalia.

As home to one of the world's largest Somali communities, Canada has 
experienced a steady rise in the use of khat. Although illegal, khat 
is still widely available on the black market in places like 
Etobicoke, home to Toronto's Little Mogadishu neighbourhood, where it 
is sold out of backrooms in restaurants and shops.

The RCMP's annual drug report, released yesterday, said 14 tonnes of 
khat were seized in Canada last year, two-thirds of it at Toronto 
Pearson International Airport.

The drugs were destined for the Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa regions, 
"where larger concentrations of Somali communities are found," the 
RCMP report said.

The seizures were valued at $7-million.

The United Kingdom and the Netherlands are the major transshipment 
points, but smugglers are increasingly using alternative countries 
such as Italy, the United States, France and Germany, it said.

Most of it is coming to Canada aboard passenger and cargo planes.

"Mules were recruited through the Internet, newspaper ads or 
word-of-mouth to bring khat to Canada," the RCMP said. "They were 
often offered all-expense-paid trips and cash rewards if the delivery 
was successful."

While many Somalis chew khat, others oppose the practice, arguing it 
is destructive to families because it is costly (a small bundle can 
cost $80), time-consuming and makes users lethargic.

Somalia's Islamist extremist movement, currently at war with the 
government, opposes khat, considering it against Islamic law. But in 
2003, the Somali terrorist group Al Ittihad Al-Islam, which is 
associated with al-Qaeda, was accused of smuggling khat into the 
United States. The group has operated a small fundraising network in 
Toronto since the 1990s.

The RCMP has found "no distinct links" between the import and 
trafficking of khat in Canada and terrorist groups, the report said. 
But the report also concluded there are several ways terrorists may 
be profiting from the global trade.

The primary producers of khat, Kenya and Ethiopia, have "experienced 
significant terrorist activity," it said. Khat is also cultivated in 
Yemen, and "several terrorist organizations, such as al-Qaeda, 
continue to maintain a presence in Yemen." Some khat also makes its 
way to Saudi Arabia, it added.

"It is possible that some terrorist financing occurs through 
involvement in the local or regional khat trade, either directly in 
the cultivation, transport and distribution of the drug, or 
indirectly, such as levying fees or 'taxes' for transport or access," it says.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom