Expert challenges government concerns about video threatening attacks on Canada

Canadian officials say the Islamic State has released a video that calls for attacks on Western countries including Canada, but a prominent American intelligence expert is raising doubts whether it’s anything new.

Rita Katz, the director of the Washington-based SITE intelligence group, tweeted that the video is a compilation of old ISIL material and was released by a source that is not an ISIL media outlet.

Public Safety Minister Steven Blaney issued a statement about the video earlier Sunday saying it was posted online, but it did not appear to be readily available on the internet late Sunday.

RCMP Deputy Commissioner Mike Cabana also sent a note to officers on Saturday instructing them to exercise a heightened level of caution and vigilance.

According to the RCMP note, obtained by The Canadian Press, the nine-minute video was released on Saturday.

The note says the video called on Muslims to kill police, military and intelligence personnel in Europe, the United States, France, Australia and Canada and citizens of countries that have joined the coalition against the Islamic State.

Blaney’s statement said security agencies are closely monitoring the situation and have measures in place to address any threats.

However Katz said in an email on Sunday that the material in the video was from ISIL material produced last summer.

“This is one of several examples where law (enforcement) agencies with insufficient understanding of terrorist groups’ online infrastructure, make an incorrect interpretation and causes an unnecessary and false alarm,” Katz said.

SITE is a Washington-based intelligence group, considered an authority on international terrorism.