From NBC News
By Ian Johnston, Staff Writer, NBC News
Muslims helped foil an alleged al Qaeda-backed plot to blow up a rail line between the United States and Canada, according to a community leader and police.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police said Monday that it had arrested Chiheb Esseghaier, of Montreal, and Raed Jaser, of Toronto, over what sources said was a plan to derail a train from the United States after it had crossed the border.
Esseghaier, 30, a doctoral student, and Jaser, 35, were due to appear in court on Tuesday for a bail hearing. They are not Canadian citizens; authorities have not revealed their nationalities.
Several sources told NBCNewYork.com that Amtrak trains out of New York City may have been scouted by the suspects.
Muhammad Robert Heft, a Muslim community leader in the Scarborough area of Canada’s biggest city, told the Toronto Sun newspaper that he expected ordinary Muslims would experience problems because of the allegations.
But he said Muslims had helped the security services detain the suspects.
“There is going to be backlash,” Heft told the Sun. “But I want to reiterate. Who was the one who tipped the RCMP off? It was our community.”
