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Canada police probe Quebec bomb threat letter

19 Jan 2007 15:36:22 GMT
Source: Reuters

MONTREAL, Jan 19 (Reuters) - Canadian police said on Friday they are investigating a threatening letter that claims to come from a violent Quebec militant group, but said there are no clues whether the group exists, or whether the threat is real.

Police said the letter, dated Jan. 15, threatens to place bombs at "strategic targets of importance" between Feb. 15 and March 15, seeking "maximum impact." That could include airports, roads, railways and shopping centers in the Montreal area.

"We have no indication that they are able to carry out what they threaten," said Corporal Luc Bessette, of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. "Is is a hoax? That's possible. Is is real? That's possible too. The RCMP takes seriously all threats against our citizens."

The letter was addressed to Quebec Premier Jean Charest, French President Jacques Chirac and mayors in Montreal area towns and boroughs that have large numbers of English-speaking residents. It is similar to another letter sent Nov. 15.

The letterhead of the document refers to the "Camille Laurin cell" of the Front de Liberation du Quebec (FLQ), a militant separatist group that conducted a deadly series of bombings in Montreal during the 1960s and kidnapped several people in 1970, one of whom was later found dead.

There were generally no warning letters before those incidents.

Camille Laurin was a Quebec cabinet minister largely credited with creating language laws and regulations that restricted the use of English on signs in the mainly French-speaking Canadian province.

Laurin died in 1999 and there is no indication that an FLQ cell named after him actually exists.

The threatening letter comes as Quebec appears headed for a provincial election in the spring.

Public opinion polls indicate that the ruling Liberals, who want the province of 7.4 million to remain part of Canada, will be in a close contest with the opposition Parti Quebecois, which wants Quebec to separate.

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Last updated:Fri Jan 19 15:36:48 2007