The government has, for the first time, placed right-wing extremist groups on its list of outlawed terrorist organizations, adding the names of Blood & Honour and Combat 18.

Announced in the government’s Canada Gazette, the action came after the Canadian Security Intelligence Service said in a report on Friday it had increased its “posture” on the far right.

Blood & Honour was described by the government as “an international neo-Nazi network whose ideology is derived from the National Socialist doctrine of Nazi Germany.”

Combat 18 is the armed branch of Blood & Honour and has conducted murders and bombings, the government said in the description of the group on the Public Safety Canada website.

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Canadian Anti-Hate Network chair Bernie Farber called the groups “extremely violent neo-Nazi organizations” and said he hoped other far right groups would be criminalized as well.

“I’m hoping this is just the beginning and that there will be more, but this is a really good first start for Canada,” he said.

Listing terrorist groups makes it easier to prosecute supporters and helps counter terrorism financing, according to the government.

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Also placed on the terrorist list Wednesday were three Shia militant groups supported by Iran: the Al-Ashtar Brigades, Harakat al-Sabireen and the Fatemiyoun Division.

According to the government, the Al-Ashtar Brigades “aims to overthrow Bahrain’s Sunni monarchy.” Harakat al-Sabireen has operated in the Gaza Strip since 2014, the government said.

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Fatemiyoun Division is fighting in Syria and is “comprised mainly of Afghan refugees recruited from Iran and Afghanistan.” It is “directed by Iran’s Qods Force, which, along with Hizballah also provides support and training.”

The Iranian-backed Shia groups were designated as terrorist groups by Canada at a time of heightened tensions between Tehran and Washington following Iranian attacks on ships and the downing of a U.S. drone.

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But the addition of the first right-wing extremist groups to the terrorist list could have the biggest impact since Blood & Honour has a Canadian branch with a website.

“This was an obvious one, low-hanging fruit, if you will, because of their international reputation for extremism, for violence, for terrorist activity,” said Prof. Barbara Perry, who studies hate and extremism.

The suspect arrested over the June 2 killing of German pro-refugee politician Walter Lübcke was reportedly linked to Combat 18, which uses the slogan, “whatever it takes!”

Blood & Honour was founded in the United Kingdom in 1987 and “grew during the 1990s, establishing branches throughout Europe by the end of the decade,” the listing said.

“B&H attacks have occurred in North America and in several EU-member states. In January 2012, four B&H members in Tampa, Florida, were convicted of the 1998 murder of two homeless men who were killed because the group considered them ‘inferior.’”

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B&H and C18 members also firebombed a building occupied mostly by Romani families, including children, in Aš, Czech Republic in February 2012, according to the listing.

In its annual report released Friday, CSIS described right-wing extremism as “driven by hatred and fear” and comprising “a complex range of individuals, subcultures and online communities.”

“These individuals and groups cultivate grievances on issues as varied as gender, race, religion, sexual orientation and immigration,” the report said.

Social media had allowed the far right to spread its ideology and inspire attacks, it said.

“CSIS has increased its posture to gain a better understanding of the landscape in Canada, gain insight into the key players and assess the nature of the current threat environment.”

Stewart.Bell@globalnews.ca </s> The federal government has added two far-right groups to its list of terrorist entities, signalling the growing risk of violence posed by neo-Nazi and other extremist organizations in Canada.

The two groups, Blood & Honour and Combat 18, have a presence in Canada, according to the Department of Public Safety.

According to the listing, Blood & Honour, founded in the United Kingdom in 1987, is an “international neo-Nazi network whose ideology is derived from the National Socialist doctrine of Nazi Germany.” The listing describes Combat 18 as the “armed branch” of Blood & Honour and says the group has “carried out violent actions, including murders and bombings.”

Members of Blood & Honour participated in the 1998 murder of two homeless men in Florida and the firebombing of a building occupied by Romani families in the Czech Republic in 2012, the federal government said.

Following this listing, it is now an offence to “knowingly participate in or contribute to, directly or indirectly, any activity” of either Blood & Honour or Combat 18.

Three Iran-backed Shia groups – Al-Ashtar Brigades, Fatemiyoun Division and Haraka al-Sabireen – have also been added to the list.

The new listings demonstrate the evolution of the threat of terrorism in Canada.

“The principal terrorist threat to Canada continues to stem from individuals or groups who are inspired by violent ideologies and terrorist groups, such as Daesh or al-Qaida (AQ). Canada also remains concerned about threats posed by those who harbour right-wing extremist views,” says the 2018 Public Report on the Terrorism Threat to Canada.

Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale announced the listings Wednesday along with new measures for dealing with extremist groups in Canada, including a $1-million fund to help internet companies detect the presence of terrorist content online and remove the material quickly from their servers.

In addition, the federal government will work with Facebook, Google, Twitter and Microsoft to hold a youth summit on countering violent extremism online. The date for the event has yet to be determined. </s> The violent neo-Nazi group Blood & Honour was banned from Facebook on Thursday, after it was placed on Canada’s list of terrorist organizations.

The Blood & Honour Facebook page went down two hours after Global News asked the social media company why it remained online.

Facebook removed the page for violating its community standards and banned the group. Blood & Honour was also banned from Instagram.

READ MORE: Canada adds neo-Nazi groups Blood & Honour, Combat 18 to list of terror organizations

A half-dozen Canadian Facebook pages were taken down in April as part of a crackdown on extremist content in the wake of the New Zealand mosque killings.

The latest action came a day after the government announced it had added Blood & Honour, and its armed branch Combat 18, to Canada’s watch list of terrorist entities.

“Individuals and organizations who spread hate, attack, or call for the exclusion of others on the basis of who they are have no place on our services,” a Facebook spokesperson said.

On Facebook, the neo-Nazi group had been advertising t-shirts and hoodies bearing images of firearms and logos such as “hate crew” and “Terror Machine Combat 18.”

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But while the Facebook page was removed, the website of Blood & Honour and Combat 18 was seemingly unaffected by the government action.

RCMP Staff Sgt. Tania Vaughan said the service provider of the website would be required to shut it down if it was hosted in Canada.

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“If a website is hosted outside Canada, the RCMP can work with the host country’s law enforcement to determine whether they can provide assistance in shutting down the website,” she said.

Blood & Honour and Combat 18 are the first right-wing extremist groups to be added to Canada’s terrorist list, making it illegal to deal with their assets.

They are part of an international neo-Nazi network that has conducted attacks in North America and Europe.

A report by Alberta’s Organization for the Prevention of Violence said Blood & Honour had emerged in the province a decade ago from the Aryan Nations.

But it said that while its membership had peaked at 60 to 70 in 2016-2017, it was unable to expand out of southern Alberta and was in decline.

It also has a presence in other provinces, including Ontario.

Also placed on the terrorist list Wednesday were three Shia militant groups supported by Iran: the Al-Ashtar Brigades, Harakat al-Sabireen, and the Fatemiyoun Division. </s> OTTAWA—Canada has added two far-right extremist groups to its list of terrorist entities for the first time. Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale announced that “Blood & Honour” and “Combat 18” — two neo-Nazi groups — have been added to Canada’s list of terrorist entities.

Blood & Honour is an international neo-Nazi network founded in the United Kingdom in the late 1980s, according to the government’s listing. Combat 18 is their “armed branch,” which has “carried out violent actions, including murders and bombings.” “The impacts of terrorist and extremist content online are increasingly reaching the real world, bringing with them abhorrent violence and carnage,” Goodale said in a statement. “Today, the Government of Canada has taken new steps to tackle hatred and violence online, and carry out our commitments made in the Christchurch Call to Action.”

The move to list far-right groups alongside terrorist organizations like Daesh and Al Qaeda sends a signal to both extremists here in Canada as well as the country’s law enforcement and intelligence agencies, according to former CSIS analyst Jessica Davis. “It really puts extreme right groups in Canada on notice that they’re no longer going to get a pass … in terms of the kind of activities they’re engaged in and the groups that they’ve been linked to,” Davis, the president of Insight Threat Intelligence and an expert in far-right extremism, told the Star Wednesday. “(It also) has some real life implications for their financial transactions. So groups and individuals that are closely linked to those groups are prohibited from basically transacting with the Canadian financial sector once they’ve been listed. So they won’t be able to fundraise…or moving any money internationally.” Right-wing extremism has been a growing concern for Canadian law enforcement and intelligence agencies since 2017, when a gunman killed six worshippers at a Quebec City mosque. Evidence at Alexandre Bissonnette’s trial suggested he was inspired by far-right voices online. Before that shooting, Canada’s domestic intelligence agency — the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) — had abandoned their long-running investigation into far-right groups operating in Canada. That investigation has since been reopened.

In a statement, the National Council of Canadian Muslims called the listing of neo-Nazi groups a “first step toward countering white supremacist and far-right extremism” in Canada. “The threat these groups have posed to minority communities in Canada cannot be understated,” said NCCM executive director Mustafa Farooq in a statement.

“At the same time, we recognize much more needs to happen to actually counter these groups and keep our communities safe.” Alex Boutilier is an Ottawa-based reporter covering national politics. Follow him on Twitter: @alexboutilier </s> OTTAWA—Canada has added two far-right extremist groups to its list of terrorist entities for the first time.

Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale announced that "Blood & Honour" and "Combat 18" — two neo-Nazi groups — have been added to Canada's list of terrorist entities.

Blood & Honour is an international neo-Nazi network founded in the United Kingdom in the late 1980s, according to the government's listing. Combat 18 is their "armed branch," which has "carried out violent actions, including murders and bombings."

"The impacts of terrorist and extremist content online are increasingly reaching the real world, bringing with them abhorrent violence and carnage," Goodale said in a statement.

"Today, the Government of Canada has taken new steps to tackle hatred and violence online, and carry out our commitments made in the Christchurch Call to Action."

The move to list far-right groups alongside terrorist organizations like Daesh and Al Qaeda sends a signal to both extremists here in Canada as well as the country's law enforcement and intelligence agencies, according to former CSIS analyst Jessica Davis.

"It really puts extreme right groups in Canada on notice that they're no longer going to get a pass … in terms of the kind of activities they're engaged in and the groups that they've been linked to," Davis, the president of Insight Threat Intelligence and an expert in far-right extremism, told the Star Wednesday.

"(It also) has some real life implications for their financial transactions. So groups and individuals that are closely linked to those groups are prohibited from basically transacting with the Canadian financial sector once they've been listed. So they won't be able to fundraise…or moving any money internationally."

Right-wing extremism has been a growing concern for Canadian law enforcement and intelligence agencies since 2017, when a gunman killed six worshippers at a Quebec City mosque. Evidence at Alexandre Bissonnette's trial suggested he was inspired by far-right voices online.

Before that shooting, Canada's domestic intelligence agency — the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) — had abandoned their long-running investigation into far-right groups operating in Canada. That investigation has since been reopened. </s> OTTAWA — Canada’s official list of terrorist organizations now includes a white supremacist neo-Nazi organization and its “armed branch,” marking the first time that right-wing extremist groups have appeared on the list.

The move comes as the country’s national security agencies have increasingly identified right-wing extremism as a threat to Canadian security in their public reports. The updated list also includes three new groups described as Iranian-backed Shia militants.

Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale announced the updated list on Wednesday in Regina, along with new measures to help prevent the spread of extremist content online.

“At the same time as the internet has helped to build a more open, connected world, it has also increasingly become a tool for terrorism and violent extremism,” said a Public Safety Canada news release. “We must take coordinated action to prevent social media and other online platforms from being used as tools to incite, publish and promote terrorism, violence, and hatred.”

The Criminal Code list of terrorism entities now includes Blood and Honour, “an international neo-Nazi network whose ideology is derived from the National Socialist doctrine of Nazi Germany,” according to Public Safety Canada’s website. “Through their armed branch, Combat 18 (C18), the group has carried out violent actions, including murders and bombings.”

The listing says the group was founded in the United Kingdom in 1987 and established branches throughout Europe by the end of the 1990s. It says attacks have occurred in North America and Europe, including a February 2012 firebombing in the Czech Republic that targeted a building occupied by Roma families. It also says four Blood & Honour members in Tampa, Florida were convicted of murdering two homeless men they considered “inferior.”

Blood and Honour is active in Canada, and its members and events are closely monitored by anti-hate activists. In 2011, two B.C. men identified as Blood and Honour members were charged over an alleged series of attacks on visible minorities, including setting a Filipino man on fire, but the charges were later stayed or resulted in acquittals. In 2012 and 2013 there were numerous court cases in Calgary and Edmonton involving Blood and Honour members, some of whom were convicted on weapons and assault charges.

The RCMP identified both Blood and Honour and Combat 18 as right-wing extremist groups in its 2017 Terrorism and Violent Extremism Awareness Guide, and said they were active in Ontario, Quebec and Alberta. “The various divisions of Blood & Honour organize concerts and white pride rallies that bring together skinheads and other neo-Nazi supporters,” the guide says. “Many acts of violence are attributed to members affiliated to the group.”

Officially listing a group as a terrorism entity allows authorities to seize the group’s property, prevent financial institutions from doing business with the group, and prosecute people who “knowingly participate in or contribute to, directly or indirectly, any activity” of the group. “This participation is only an offence if its purpose is to enhance the ability of any terrorist group to facilitate or carry out a terrorist activity,” Public Safety Canada’s website says.

The other new entries to the official terrorism list announced on Wednesday are the Al-Ashtar Brigades, Harakat al-Sabireen and the Fatemiyoun Division. All are Shia militant groups supported by Iran, according to Public Safety Canada, and operate in Bahrain, the Gaza Strip, and Syria, respectively.

Goodale’s announcement also included a $1-million grant to the United Nations’ Tech Against Terrorism initiative “to create a digital repository that will notify smaller companies when new terrorist content is detected, which will support them in quickly removing it.” He said the government will also help organize a youth summit to “bring young people together to learn about violent extremism and terrorism online, and develop effective tools to push back against this content and discourage its sharing.”

The commitments are part of Canada’s response to the Christchurch Call to Action, a vow to take action against the spread of extremist content online. It was made at a meeting of world leaders in Paris last month in response to a mass shooting at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, that killed 51 people. </s> OTTAWA: Canada on Wednesday placed far right organizations on its terror watch list for the first time, after intelligence services said they had raised their level of vigilance on two groups.



Public Safety Canada published an update to its "Listed Terrorist Entities" that included "Blood & Honour" and its armed branch, "Combat 18."

The two groups are described as international neo-Nazi networks "whose ideology is derived from the National Socialist doctrine of Nazi Germany."

Founded in Britain in 1987, Blood & Honour has carried out violent acts "including murders and bombings" via Combat 18, the Canadian statement said.

"B&H attacks have occurred in North America and in several EU-member states," the statement read, referring to the 2012 conviction of four B&H members in Florida for the 1998 murder of two homeless men.

It also mentioned the 2012 firebombing of a building in the Czech Republic "occupied mostly by Romani families, including children."

There are 60 groups on Canada´s "Listed Terrorist Entities," mostly jihadist groups but also violent nationalist groups and leftist guerrillas.

The addition of the neo-Nazi groups to the list comes after Friday´s publication of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service´s 2018 report.

"Canada has experienced several violent attacks since 2014, perpetrated by individuals influenced in whole or in part by right-wing extremism," the report said.

It mentioned the shooting of three police officers in Moncton in 2014, a shooting at the Islamic Cultural Centre of Quebec City in 2017 and a 2018 van attack in Toronto. </s> OTTAWA - For the first time, Canada has placed right-wing extremist groups on the national list of terrorist organizations.

Blood & Honour, an international neo-Nazi network, and its armed branch, Combat 18, have been added to the roster, opening the door to stiff criminal sanctions.

They join more than 50 other organizations on the list including al-Qaida, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, Boko Haram and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.

A group on Canada's terrorist list may have their assets seized, and there are serious criminal penalties for helping listed organizations carry out extremist activities.

Blood & Honour, founded in Britain in 1987, has established branches throughout Europe, executing violent attacks there and in North America.

In its listing notice, Public Safety Canada says members of Blood & Honour and Combat 18 firebombed a building occupied mostly by Romani families, including children, in the Czech Republic in 2012.

In addition, four Blood & Honour members in Tampa, Fla., were convicted in 2012 of the 1998 murder of two homeless men who were killed because the group considered them “inferior,” the department says.

The listings are recognition of the growing concern about the presence and influence of far-right groups in Canada.

In its latest public report, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service said it is increasingly preoccupied by the violent threat posed by those looking to support or engage in violence that is racially motivated, ethno-nationalist, anti-government or misogynist in nature.

The Liberal government also added three organizations aligned with the Iranian regime - Al-Ashtar Brigades, Fatemiyoun Division and Harakat al-Sabireen - to the terrorist roster.

“Whatever the source or the orientation of violent extremism, it is all the product of the same depraved mentality,” Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale said in Regina.

Goodale announced up to $1 million in federal funding to create a digital repository meant to help smaller online companies prevent dissemination of extremist content.

Terrorists and other extremists are misusing cyberspace for their causes, he said.

“They are exploiting social media and other online platforms to spread dangerous propaganda, recruit new members, and promote and incite violence and hatred. More and more on the internet, toxic rhetoric is breaking into the mainstream. It's open and it's brazen.”

Canada will also support a youth summit on countering violent online activity.

The event will bring young people together to learn about violent extremism and terrorism online, and develop tools to push back against this content and discourage its sharing, Public Safety Canada said.

Representatives from technology companies, including Twitter, Facebook, Microsoft and Google, will help shape the event and work directly with young people to develop ideas. </s> The Liberal government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has added two international neo-Nazi groups to Canada’s list of outlawed terrorist organizations as part of new measures to combat online hate, Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale announced Wednesday.

Blood & Honour and Combat 18, which have a presence in Canada, are the first far-right extremism groups to be included on Ottawa’s terror list, Goodale said.

“This is an important step in Canada’s efforts to combat violent extremism in all forms,” Goodale said at a news conference in Regina, Saskatchewan.

“It will help facilitate the laying of terrorism charges against perpetrators and supporters of terrorism and it will also help block the flow of financial resources to terrorist groups when such groups use Canada’s financial system.”

According to the government list of terrorist entities, Blood & Honour (B&H) is an international neo-Nazi network whose ideology is derived from the National Socialist doctrine of Nazi Germany.

While B&H mostly deals with propaganda, notably by organizing concerts to galvanize supporters and recruit new ones, Combat 18 (C18) represents the armed wing of the movement and has conducted attacks, including bombings and murder, in North America and across Europe.

The number 18 in the group’s name stands for Adolf Hitler and corresponds to the numerical position of the letters “A” and “H” in the alphabet.

In January 2012, four B&H members in Tampa, Florida, were convicted of the 1998 murder of two homeless men who were killed because the group considered them “inferior,” according to the federal list.

In February 2012, members of B&H and C18 firebombed a building occupied mostly by Romani families, including children, in Aš, Czech Republic.

B&H was founded in the United Kingdom in 1987 and grew during the 1990s, establishing branches throughout Europe by the end of the decade.

Three other groups linked to the Iranian regime — Al-Ashtar Brigades (AAB), Fatemiyoun Division (FD) and Harakat al-Sabireen (HaS) — also have been added to the list.

Goodale also announced $1 million in funding for a United Nations initiative called Tech Against Terrorism, which helps the global information technology industry tackle terrorist exploitation of its tech and supports smaller companies in protecting their users and reputations.

The money will be used to create a digital repository that will notify smaller social media and Internet companies when new terrorist content is detected to help them in quickly removing it, Goodale said.
Canada's government adds Neo-Nazi groups Blood & Honour and Combat 18 to its list of designated terrorist organizations. It is the first time that extreme far-right groups have been designated as terrorist in Canada. Three Shia militant groups, including the Iranian-backed Al-Ashtar Brigades are also banned.