Thursday February 19, 2015
Editorial cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday February 19, 2015
Via terror suspect pondered triggering Yellowstone volcano, court told
A man accused of plotting to derail a Canadian passenger train also thought about triggering a catastrophic volcanic blast in the United States, his trial heard Tuesday.
Testifying for a third week, an undercover FBI agent said Chiheb Esseghaier pondered the possibility of getting the volcano in Yellowstone National Park to erupt.
Esseghaier, who is charged with various terror-related offences along with co-accused Raed Jaser, spoke of the “death and destruction” a blast could cause, court heard.
“Wouldn’t it be great if my enemies’ worst national disaster could happen?” the agent cited Esseghaier, 30, as saying.
The Montreal PhD student from Tunisia was “very passionate” about the volcano in the park, the agent said. The volcano, which last erupted 640,000 years ago, straddles the borders of Wyoming, Idaho and Montana.
Ultimately, however, he decided the idea was not feasible.
“No. We cannot do anything to make the volcano erupt. It’s very deep. I don’t have any access,” Esseghaier apparently told the agent.
“It was his conclusion that we need to focus on the project or projects,” the agent told Superior Court.
“The train plot was a better bet than the volcano,” defence lawyer John Norris, who represents Jaser, said by way of clarification.
The idea of a train attack, apparently, had come from “The Responsible One,” a man Esseghaier had met in Iran who supposedly had close ties to top Al Qaeda leaders. (Continued: Toronto Star)
