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“The RCMP believes on the evidence that Zehaf-Bibeau was a terrorist. We would have charged him with terrorist offences” had he been taken alive, Paulson said during an hour-long appearance before the Commons public safety committee.

“Anyone who aided him, abetted him, counselled him, facilitated his crimes or conspired with him is also in our view a terrorist and where the evidence exists, we will charge them with terrorist offences.”

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Paulson was more direct: “I am persuaded he was influenced by other individuals towards these crimes. In that sense, I’m of the view that there are other individuals involved.”

Given the ongoing investigation, Paulson said 18 seconds from the video had been edited out — 13 seconds from the beginning and five seconds from the end — a move he couldn’t yet publicly explain.

“If I were to explain it to you, I would hurt the investigation and so I don’t want to do that,” he told reporters.

“The essence of what he had to say, I think, is before you now.”

The 32-year-old Zehaf-Bibeau recorded the cellphone video sitting alone in his car minutes before he shot and killed a Canadian soldier, Cpl. Nathan Cirillo, at the National War Memorial, and then stormed Parliament Hill where MPs were holding their weekly caucus meetings.

The video released Friday lasted about 55 seconds and was shot in a parking lot near Metcalfe and Catherine streets. The video shows him sitting in the driver’s seat, the top of his shirt unbuttoned, hair combed back and his moustache shaved off.