Video made by Ottawa parliament gunman released

The gunman who shot and killed a soldier in Canada's capital and then stormed parliament last year said he was retaliating against Canadian military involvement in Afghanistan and Iraq, according to a video released yesterday.

Michael Zehaf-Bibeau made the short video on his mobile phone just before launching his attacks on October 22nd. A Canadian convert to Islam, he died in a gun battle with police and security guards after entering the parliament building in Ottawa.

“ To those who are involved and listen to this movie, this is in retaliation for Afghanistan and because [Canadian prime minister Stephen] Harper wants to send his troops to Iraq,” Mr Zehaf-Bibeau said in a calm voice on the video, which police played to a committee of legislators.

“We are retaliating, the mujahideen of this world . . . just aiming to hit some soldiers just to show that you’re not even safe in your own land, and you gotta be careful.”

Rammed by car

Zehaf-Bibeau (32) struck three weeks after

Canada

decided to deploy forces against Islamic State in Iraq. Two days earlier, another convert to Islam rammed and killed a soldier in

Quebec

with his car.

Canada maintained a military mission in Afghanistan between 2001 and 2011.

Mr Harper cited the attacks and the threat of “jihadist terrorism” as reasons for a tough new security Bill the Conservative government unveiled in January.

Critics say the Bill – which would give Canada’s spies greater powers to disrupt attacks – is too sweeping.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police commissioner Bob Paulson did not say if the police investigation into the attacks had determined whether Zehaf-Bibeau was acting alone.

Others involved

“But I am persuaded that he was influenced by other individuals towards this crime so in that sense I am of the view that there were other individuals involved,” he told reporters.

Mr Paulson said Zehaf-Bibeau, who had a long knife strapped to his wrist during the attack, had become “increasingly aligned with terrorist ideology”. He said the attack could have been prevented if Zehaf-Bibeau’s associates had reported these signs to authorities.

Citing operational reasons, Mr Paulson said 13 seconds had been edited from the start of the video and five from the end.

Zehaf-Bibeau said in the video: “We’ll not cease until you guys decide to be a peaceful country . . . and stop going to other countries and stop occupying and killing the righteous of us who are trying to bring back religious law in our countries.”

The gunfight with Zehaf-Bibeau took place in the hallway just outside the room where Mr Paulson spoke yesterday.

An autopsy found no alcohol or drugs in Zehaf-Bibeau’s body, Mr Paulson said, adding that while he had a history of mental illness, there was no evidence that played a role.

Kevin Vickers, the man who shot Zehaf-Bibeau during the attack, was recently named the new Canadian ambassador to Ireland. – (Reuters)