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Trail of a Terrorist: The story of a young Algerian, trained in bin Laden's camps, who was caught crossing the Canada-U.S. border in December 1999 with a carload of explosives headed for L.A.
photos of ressam at various atms before his capture
inside ressam's millenium plot=
Excerpts from Ahmed Ressam's trial testimony, a chronology of his travels and training, and more.
is canada a safe haven for terrorists?
The debate over Canada's immigration and asylum policies. Will new anti-terrorism laws address U.S. concerns?
Crossing Borders: How Terrorists Use Fake Passports
For terrorist networks, documents are as important as weapons. A report on the global traffic in false identities.
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introduction + inside the plot + canada: a safe haven? + crossing the border
links & readings + join the discussion + video excerpt
tapes & transcripts + press reaction + credits + frontline privacy policy
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Trail of a Terrorist

On December 14, 1999, Ahmed Ressam was detained at the U.S./Canadian border when an alert customs agent became suspicious of Ressam's hesitant answers to her questions. When the trunk of his car was opened, agents discovered a powerful bomb and a plot for a millennium attack on America. Ressam said nothing at his trial but, facing 130 years in prison, decided to testify against an accomplice. His chilling testimony reveals his motives, his methods, and his connection to an Algerian terrorist group that had already carried out bombings in Europe. Ressam described his training at the Osama bin Laden camps in Afghanistan, where he became skilled in urban warfare, sabotage, and covert operations. With access to Ressamís testimony, police files, and officials in the U.S., Canada, and France, correspondent Terence McKenna follows the trail of a terrorist.

published oct. 2001

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