Islamist Internet threat 'theatre,' expert says

Toronto Sun

OTTAWA -- Canada is the latest western country to receive an Internet threat from an Islamic militant group fighting in Syria's civil war.

"This is a message to Canada and all of America," says a young English-speaking man on a recently uploaded YouTube video. "We are coming and we will destroy you."

The man, who in the 75-second clip is surrounded by masked people holding rifles, claims to be a member of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, also known as ISIL.

"I (came) to this land for one reason alone," the man says before tearing and burning what looks like a passport, "I left comfort for one reason alone: For (God)."

ISIL, which is operating in Syria, has been publicly disavowed by al-Qaeda for being too unruly and unmanageable.

Mubin Shaikh, an expert on Islamic militant groups, says that ISIL is known to be so vicious it kills fellow Muslims whom the group claims don't subscribe to its brand of Islam.

The former CSIS and RCMP mole who infiltrated the Toronto 18 terror cell in 2006, says he is completing his PhD.

He says Canadians shouldn't be too concerned about the video since it is most likely staged and being used for marketing purposes.

"This video clip is theatre," he said. "It served a number of purposes; it appeals to (ISIL's) own groups and those they want to recruit."