“I agreed with others to carry out an attack in Times Square, to support the Islamic State,” said a Canadian citizen on trial for terrorism in New York last year.

Abdulrahman El Bahnasawy, a 19-year-old man who lived in Mississauga, Ontario, pleaded guilty to several terrorism charges over his ISIS plot to attack New York City landmarks in the spring of 2016.

U.S. federal agencies revealed Friday that three men were arrested and charged in the plot to carry out bombings and shootings in crowded spots in midtown Manhattan and on the New York City subway.

These terrorists wanted their Ramadan attack to mirror attacks in Paris and Brussels.

Bahnasawy told an undercover FBI agent that he wanted it to be “the next 9/11.”

He allegedly purchased 40 pounds of hydrogen peroxide, likely to be used as a component in an improvised explosive device, and later admitted to sending materials online and through the mail to advance his plot.

It was only thanks to incredible police work that his attack was foiled.

And yet, the typical crowd of Canadian elites are falling over themselves to defend this terrorist and justify his evil deeds.

Media reports have emphasized he “suffers from serious mental-health problems,” and that he’s a drug addict. The poor little lamb, he didn’t even finish Grade 11.

His lawyers are successfully pushing a victimhood narrative, and the CBC dutifully reported that he’s “vulnerable” and “extremely fragile” but “doing the best that he can under the circumstances.”

“He has no friends outside of his close-knit family,” wrote his lawyers.

The latest to take up this terrorist’s cause is Dennis Edney, the famous lawyer who befriended Omar Khadr and helped that convicted terrorist get a $10.5 million award from the Trudeau government.

There is a disturbing trend of Canadians sympathizing with our enemies over our allies.

Abdulrahman El Bahnasawy is an admitted terrorist who wanted to kill thousands of people.

He has been found mentally fit to stand trial.

There is no doubt he intended to carry out heinous attacks against civilians — including Canadians.

He’s a traitor. He was born in Kuwait, and, far from being gracious and grateful to his new hosts in Canada, he used our country as a launching pad to try to attack our neighbour and closest ally.

Not only did he destroy his own future, he also put our relationship with the United States in jeopardy.

When terrorists carrying Canadian passports enter the U.S. with the intention of committing terrorist attacks on behalf of ISIS, it casts a negative light on all Canadians.

Incidents like this will lead to greater security, and greater suspicion, towards everyday Canadians traveling to their favourite winter destinations.

Regardless of what his passport may say, Bahnasawy does not appear to be a Canadian — at least not in his own mind.

He’s said he’s loyal to Islamic State.

He is a traitor who hates Canada and everything we stand for.

If Canada took terrorism seriously, we would strip this man of his Canadian citizenship and deport him back to Kuwait.

Instead, the Omar Khadr effect is already setting in — where Canadian elites side with a terrorist thug and try to convince us that he is the real victim, and the only crime is that we didn’t love him enough.