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Canada apologizes to Maher Arar after rendition to Syria

by KNUCKLEHEAD
Sat Jan 27th, 2007 at 01:22:55 AM EST

Canada`s prime minister Stephen[editor's note, by KNUCKLEHEAD] Harper apologized to Mr. Arar & announced a 10.5 million dollar compensation for the harm done to him.
On a return trip from a family vacation in Tunisia, Mr Arar was detained in the US., chained & shackled for 11 days during interogation then renditioned to Syria. If you remember last week, during testimony at a hearing with Abu Gonzales, Mr. Arar`s case was brought up by Sen. Patrick Leahy, the new Democratic head of the Senate Judiciary Committee, scolding US Attorney General, Albert Gonzales, for not explaining why Mr. Arar, a Canadian citizen, was sent to Syria. In Syria for 10 months, he was tortured into making false confessions. Syria then released him saying they had no reason to hold him any longer. Although this man was cleared of any ties to any terrorist organization by Canadian authorities, the US refuses to remove him from any terror lists or from the "No Fly" list.
From the article:
"U.S. Ambassador to Canada, David Wilkins, on Wednesday chastised Canadian Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day for continuing to press Washington on the Arar matter.

"It's a little presumptuous of him to say who the United States can and cannot allow into our country," Wilkins said."
What he might have said was that nobody tells the US who we can torture.
In the aftermath of Mr Arar`s case being made public, RCMP commissioner Giulliano Zacardelli resigned over his handling of the file.
Mr. Arar : "Arar said his case has forced some Canadians to question their relationship to the United States, noting U.S. authorities declined to participate in Canada's federal inquiry.

"It's a question that touches all Canadians," Arar said. "Can we really trust the Americans to be our partners in the fight against terrorism?"
Who`s next? You? Your mom? Your brother? Me?

Canada apologizes to Maher Arar after rendition to Syria | 8 comments (8 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

Re: Canada apologizes to Maher Arar after renditio (4.00 / 4)

It used to be the Right Wing that was concerned about unchecked government power. I wonder how they feel about the excesses of the Bush/Cheney junta?

by Teach313 (teachSKIP313ATmacDOTcom) on Sat Jan 27th, 2007 at 02:05:28 AM EST

Re: Canada apologizes to Maher Arar after renditio (4.00 / 4)

You`d think they`d want to join in the apology. But NOOO!!
OT: I`ll go check again, but I couldn`t accss the back story the other day.

The difference between theists and atheists is that the atheists don't set the theists on fire for refusing to agree with them.

by KNUCKLEHEAD on Sat Jan 27th, 2007 at 02:49:12 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Canada apologizes to Maher Arar after renditio (4.00 / 2)

This is an event that highlights 'the tale of two governments' caught up in a grotesque travesty; one of people who seek decency, pursued correcting a wrong through a public inquiry under a Judicial Commission, the other, 'an indecent administration lead by indecent men' who cannot admit to a mistake.

Well, "You can't vote for war and disown the results"

by idredit on Sat Jan 27th, 2007 at 10:57:52 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Canada apologizes to Maher Arar after renditio (4.00 / 2)

"A tale of two governments", almost like this: It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.

The difference between theists and atheists is that the atheists don't set the theists on fire for refusing to agree with them.

by KNUCKLEHEAD on Sat Jan 27th, 2007 at 11:36:58 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Canada apologizes to Maher Arar after renditio (none / 1)

Thanks for posting this. One thing, it's Prime Minister Stephen Harper, not Brian.

by spiderleaf (spiderleaf at gmail dot com) on Sat Jan 27th, 2007 at 12:10:38 PM EST

It's a little presumptuous ... (none / 1)

for the US to wisk citizens away to W-declared enemy nations for their assistance in torture.

Suppose Canadian authorities seized an American citizen at Toronto's Pearson International Airport. Suppose said citizen was not sent back to the United States, but spirited away to another country, one with a dubious human-rights record. Suppose said citizen suffered torture in that country.
This would, rightly, never be tolerated by the Americans.
So why should it be tolerated by us? [linkage]

It's a little presumptous to insist that Canada shares private citizen's data w/ the US or else, w/ no reciprocation.

Here's the real point:

If Americans want to refuse entry to Arar, a Muslim they sent to be tortured in Syria, they have that right. If they want to keep out Lutherans, or blonds, or vegetarians or simply every tenth Canadian attempting to cross the international border, they can do that, too.
Their country, their rules.
But what Wilkins and Day don't seem to understand is that the dispute over Washington's decision to treat Arar as a terror suspect is not just about this particular Canadian computer engineer. It casts into question the entire rationale for sharing intelligence information between Canada and the United States.
If Canada can't trust American judgment in this case, how can it co-operate in others? If U.S. intelligence is as unreliable as Day suggests, why is he moving ahead full-bore to further integrate Canadian and American security systems in areas such as no-fly lists? ... [linkage]

They better not let this issue die ... And w/ three other men claiming similar treatment as Arar, hopefully it won't.

parvum opus

by olivia on Sun Jan 28th, 2007 at 12:01:23 PM EST

Re: It's a little presumptuous ... (none / 0)

Yes Olivia,
It is presumptuous. It`s a two way street that seems to have had the sign changed to "One Way Only" by the "presumptees".

The difference between theists and atheists is that the atheists don't set the theists on fire for refusing to agree with them.

by KNUCKLEHEAD on Sun Jan 28th, 2007 at 12:32:55 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Canada apologizes to Maher Arar (none / 0)

And when do you suppose the US is going to apologize to Mr. Arar-not that can even begin to makeup for what has happened to him.

'Poverty is the worst form of violence'--Gandhi

by chocolate ink on Sun Jan 28th, 2007 at 08:55:31 PM EST

Canada apologizes to Maher Arar after rendition to Syria | 8 comments (8 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

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