The Al Qaeda-linked group Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) has threatened to attack Canada and the West in a new viral video.
One of the terrorists in the short film stated that, after ending the "jihad" in the Middle East, the war will be taken to North America - specifically to "destroy" Canada, according to Shalom Toronto.
"This message is directed to Canada and all American tyrants," the unidentified terrorist states. "We will destroy you, with the help of Allah." The terrorist, who spoke in English, had a North American accent; it is not known whether or not he is a Canadian citizen. He did say, however, that he "emigrated" to Syria to join the Islamists.
"I immigrated to Syria for one reason only," he continued. "And left convenience and comfort behind for one reason only. For the Sake of Allah... and with Allah's help, after the (occupation) of Syria, the (occupation) of Iraq, and the (occupation) of Saudi Arabia we will take action against you, Barack Obama."
After the interview, he threw his passport into a fire and burned it on camera.
The news surfaces just as Al Qaeda conducted the largest and "most dangerous" meeting in years, CNN reported earlier Wednesday. The jihadist group's second-in-command, Nasser al-Wuhayshi, met openly with fighters and commanders in Yemen, and pledged to wage war on the "bearers of the cross" (i.e. Christians) in the US.
Canadian security officials are increasingly more concerned about the departure of young Canadians to fight the Islamic holy war in Syria. Four Canadians have been killed in the war-torn country over the past three years.
Most recently, Damian Clairmont, also known as Mustafa Al-Gharib and Abu-Talha Al-Canadi, was killed by the Free Syrian Army in January during an internal power struggle among rebels in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo. The 22-year-old Nova Scotia native left Calgary for Syria in 2012 and was involved in two Islamist organizations.
Andre Poulin of Timmins, Ontario was killed in a battle for an Aleppo airport last August. Abu-Muslim, as he was also known, converted to Islam in 2009, adopted an extreme form of the religion and built up a criminal record based on threats, arms violations and defying court orders in Canada before he left.
The two are the latest known Canadians to have died in the Syrian civil war.