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Ottawa Gunman Filmed Threat In Car Before Attack

A video recorded by a gunman just minutes before he stormed Canada's parliament has been released by police.

In the footage filmed on his mobile phone as he sat in his car, Michael Zehaf-Bibeau explains his motive for the attack, which left one soldier dead.

"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," he says.

"So we are retaliating, the Mujahedin 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."

Corporal Nathan Cirillo, 24, was shot in the back as he stood on guard at a war memorial near parliament in the Canadian capital on 22 October.

Zehaf-Bibeau was shot dead by the Sergeant-at-Arms after entering the parliament building.

"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," says the 32-year-old.

Zehaf-Bibeau attacked three weeks after Canada decided to deploy troops to Iraq to fight the Islamic State terror group.

Two days before, another convert to Islam ran over two soldiers in Quebec, killing one of them.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police Commissioner Bob Paulson, said 13 seconds had been cut from the start of the video and five seconds from the end for operational reasons.

He added that investigators believed that Zehaf-Bibeau had been influenced by other people.

"I wouldn't characterise it as network as it is commonly understood but I am persuaded that he was influenced by other individuals toward these crimes so in that sense I am of the view that others were involved," he said.

Although the gunman had previously struggled with drug addiction, an autopsy revealed he was not under the influence of of alcohol or drugs at the time of the attack.

There was also no evidence of mental health issues, police said.