Firebombing could be terrorism: Expert

If those responsible for firebombing the Royal Bank in Ottawa’s trendy Glebe neighbourhood are ever caught they could find themselves fighting terrorism charges.

At least, that’s what one local expert — a former CSIS agent — believes.

“It seems to me this might qualify as terrorism under the Anti-Terrorism Act. So the criminal code provisions could be looked at in this regard. That’s the first order, I guess, of assessment by authorities and it’s one worth considering based on what we seem to have seen,” said David Harris, who now works as a consultant in the anti-terrorism field.

Harris said the firebombing would be what is known as “direct action.”

“This is potentially at the very least a deadly serious terror-type threat that we are dealing with. It would be interesting to know more about them and their motivations,” he said. “Are they really any kind of big deal?”

He means do they have the confidence to carry on similar attacks. They have threatened to be at the G8 and G20 summits in Toronto and Huntsville next month.

Or could they be trying to “stimulate” others to do similar acts of terror?

Harris said it’s all speculation at this point.

As for investigators, Harris said police will use a number of forensic routes, such as the “aggressive” pursuit of tracing the video posted of the attack.

Police will also use conventional techniques like searching for chemical accelerants within in the rubble of the blackened bank.

Investigators were doing just that Wednesday as motorists and pedestrians looked on.

One thing Harris also noted, albeit lightheartedly, was the witness report of the suspects fleeing in an SUV.

“It’s not without irony that a group (that) may spin itself as anarchists or even leftists ... would be leaping into an SUV,” he said.

Harris also cautions there may be copycat attacks and that could be part of the aim of the radical group.