August 30, 2004. TORONTO. The Government's case lies in tatters on the
courtroom floor like so much soggy confetti, after testimony by Doug
Christie, Ernst Zundel's former lawyer.

The Crown has painted a picture of Mr.  Zundel as a dangerous "guru" to
terrorists and White supremacists and as a man with a hidden agenda. Doug
Christie's clear and, at times tired testimony, from having known Mr.
Zundel for over 18 years painted a different picture. His Ernst Zundel is a
man of peace, unprovocable to violence or anger. His core supporters, far
from being revolutionary bomb throwers, are mostly mild, peaceful older
Germans or Anglos motivated by a quaint attachment to freedom of speech. As
for being a guru, Mr. Christie pointed out that hotheads and real radicals
see Mr. Zundel as a spent force who doesn't understand youth. The
German-born publisher may be an intriguing personality but scarcely someone
they will heed or follow.

Douglas Christie strode briskly to the witness box, his shiny black boots
clicking in a flamenco rhythm on the floor. Dressed in a black suit, snowy
white shirt, grey tie, and velvet vest, Christie carried a large Bible.
This time, he was taking no chances. He had been handed a Moslem Koran to
swear on last time. In his black Australian Outback hat and carrying the
large black, well-worn Bible, Mr. Christie looked like an itinerant
preacher. "I brought my Bible to be re-sworn, if you want," he informed Mr.
Justice Pierre Blais.

Mr. Christie testified that, when Ernst Zundel left Canada, in 2000, to
live in Tennessee, "he was retiring. He sent me letters and paintings. He
was tired," his long-time lawyer explained. "He'd been through long court
cases and a bitter divorce from [his second wife] Irene, who testified
against him right in this room." Irene Zundel had swept into that very
room, surrounded by a dramatic phalanx of Metro detectives and CSIS agents
to testify against her husband during the Internet case concerning the
Zundelsite.

Mr. Zundel's current lead counsel Peter Lindsay took Mr. Christie back
over nearly two decades of observations of Mr. Zundel and his team at the
old Zundelhaus at 206 Carlton Street in Toronto. Mr. Christie indicated
that he'd had numerous conversations with former Heritage Front leader
Wolfgang Droege over a period of years. "I had numerous discussions with
Mr. Droege in the presence of [CSIS agent and infiltrator] Grant Bristow."
The Battling Barrister from Victoria recalled one particular conversation
alone with Mr. Droege. "We took a long walk along the shore in the Beaches.
Wolfgang bought an ice-cream cone. It was after Bristow was revealed as a
CSIS agent. It was a wide-ranging conversation that dealt with Mr. Zundel,
Mr. Droege and what he thought of Grant Bristow," Mr. Christie related.

At the mention of CSIS agent Bristow, CSIS lawyer Murray Rodych began a
series of objections that Mr. Justice Blais brushed off. "I'm doing a lot
better than the ministers," a feisty Peter Lindsay shot back, "in that I'm
providing live witnesses."

"Mr. Droege told me he wasn't particularly interested in Mr. Zundel. He
was an old man," he said. "He was unable to relate to young people. He
didn't like their music or the way they lived. He was for the old people,
the old Germans. He was out of touch. I asked: 'Do you keep in touch with
Mr. Zundel?' He said: 'Occasionally. He's a nice old guy.'"

Mr. Lindsay questioned Mr. Christie about the "Sneaky Dees" incident.  In
the spring of 2003, an ARA mob trashed the house Heritage Front Hotline
broadcaster Gary Schipper had rented. Later that night, a number of members
of the Heritage Front gathered to consider what to do. CSIS agent Bristow
would advocate violence and a revenge attack on the ARA's favourite sleazy
watering hole, a College Street grog shop called "Sneaky Dees."

"I was very concerned,' Mr.Christie testified. "I was always anxious to be
certain who I was representing. I specifically asked Wolfgang to tell me
what had happened at Sneaky Dees. I had heard about it in the media that a
skinhead had gotten into a fight with some so-called anti-racists. It was
the only time the Heritage Front had been involved in violence. There was a
desire for revenge [after the attack on Schipper's.] I was curious as to
who had motivated them, A dozen skinheads and Droege met at Allan Gardens
to discuss action. At Allen Gardens, Mr. Droege told me, 'Grant Bristow was
foaming at the mouth and spitting. He was saying we had to take the war to
the enemy and show them we could fight.' Wolfgang then went to see Mr.
Zundel. He told them not to do it. It was a trap and they'd be prosecuted.
They didn't follow Mr. Zundel's advice. A fight ensured and Mr. Droege was
charged."

Despite objections from lead Crown counsel Donald MacIntosh, Mr. Lindsay
next questioned Mr. Christie about a list of prominent Jewish individuals
developed by CSIS agent Grant Bristow. Mr. Christie recalled a meeting with
Bristow and Droege in Victoria. "The place was then known as Johnnie's
Restaurant at Fort and Quadra Street. It was after the Supreme Court
decision regarding Mr. Zundel [in 1992]. Bristwo sat two feet in front of
me. Droege sat to his left across the table. Droege said: 'Grant had a list
of prominent Jews, their addresses and phone numbers and he thinks it's
time to take the war to the Jews. Grant is a security advisor and private
detective and he got the list.' I told them they were nuts," Mr. Christie
concluded.

Asked about CAFE webmaster Marc Lemire, Mr. Christie recalled: "Mr. Zundel
told Mr. Lemire to avoid a lifestyle that would lead to crime. he told Mr.
Lemire how to avoid breaking the hate laws. Mr. Lemire has a problem with
his ex-wife. They had split up and had a child, Ingrid, whom he loved
dearly. Mr. Zundel told him how to conduct himself to avoid accusations of
violence. 'Keep away from your ex-wife, even when picking up your
daughter,' he told him."

"Did Mr. Zundel ever fund Mr. Lemire to break the law or commit an act of
violence?" Mr. Lindsay asked.

"Not to my knowledge," Mr. Christie replied firmly.

Recalling the past, Mr. Christie explained: "Mr. Lemire frequently picked
me up at the airport. We met out West when he was videotaping Mr. Fromm's
tour. He too said Mr. Zundel was from a previous generation. Mr. Lemire
said that if there was to be any hope for the White race, it would be the
younger people. he said he liked Mr. Zundel but said he was a man of the
past, a World War II buff.

Over more objections from Donald MacIntosh, Mr. Christie was asked to
describe Mr. Zundel's supporters. The British Columbia barrister answered:
"Of the 15 people who regularly helped at the first false news trial, nine
are now dead and the rest are over 70. At the second trial, the vast
majority were over 60."

"There were two basic reasons for people supporting Mr. Zundel," Mr.
Christie explained. "The majority wanted truth for Germany, A smaller but
significant number were Anglos or French free speech advocates. None of
them ever discussed of mentioned violence, except for the fear many of them
had of attacks on themselves or their families. At first, I saw this as
paranoia," Mr. Christie recounted. "However, I came to see that they were
right. I received death threats. My office was spray painted. A truck was
driven into my office when I was supposed to be there. I just boarded it up
and it remains that way to this day."

Mr. Christie explained that a number of people mentioned in the CSIS
report as being, apparently, dangerous associates of Mr. Zundel, in fact,
rejected his direction or leadership. Referring to George Burdi, whom he
represented in a "hate law" (Sec. 319) charge, Mr. Christie noted: 'Mr.
Burdi saw Mr. Zundel as an anachronistic man of the past. He said he was
not emotionally involved with young people, he couldn't understand the
youth movement. Mr. Burdi felt hurt by Mr. Zundel's rejection of him. Mr.
Burdi used the term 'old farts' for Mr. Zundel's followers." 

Mr. Lindsay questioned Mr. Christie about Mr. Zundel's views of Pastor
Richard Butler of the Aryan Nations in Hayden Lake, Idaho.    "Some of
Butler's type of Identity Christians would have dinner with Mr. Zundel and
intense arguments took place. Mr. Zundel had contempt for Mr. Butler," the
Victoria lawyer testified. "He had a visceral dislike for Butler because he
felt he was leading people into a trap. He saw Identity Christians as being
as racist as the Jewish religion. The Identity Christians, though, see
themselves as the Chosen people. Mr. Zundel had contempt for the Ku Klux
Klan and he used to argue against those who admired Robert Matthews who
died on Whitby Island, near Victoria. 'Violence,' he warned, 'would lead to
their destruction.'"

Sparks flew and there was palpable tension when CSIS counsel Murray Rodych
rose to cross-examine Mr. Christie. Mr. Rodych began with a bizarre line of
questioning about Mr. Christie's children. Rodych called Mr. Christie's
children a "distraction" several times.  Mr. Justice Blais seemed furious
at this line of questioning, took  off his glasses and slammed them on the
bench. "This is a very disturbing line of questioning," he told Mr. Rodych.
The judge questioned what Mr. Christie's children had to do with anything
that might be useful in this hearing. The chastened CSIS lawyer abandoned
that line of inquiry.

The hearing resumes on September 14 with argumentation over Defence
Counsel Peter Lindsay's motion that Mr. Justice Blais recuse himself for a
reasonable apprehension of bias. -- Paul Fromm