Treatment of Canadian 'symbol of post-9/11 excess'

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.csmonitor.com/2003/1121/dailyUpdate.html

Sixteen months ago the US sent a Syrian-born Canadian, Maher Arar, to Syria, alleging that he had ties to Al Qaeda. Recently, however, the circumstances behind his deportation from the US, and his recent release by the Syrian government, have started to generate calls for an inquiry into the actions of officials in both Canada and the US.

Mr. Arar, a Canadian engineer, was arrested by US officials at JFK International Airport in September, 2002, as he was returning home to Ottawa from a trip to the Middle East. After it was determined that Arar could not be charged with any crime in the US, American officials sent Arar to Syria, although he asked to be sent back to Canada. The Washington Post reports that a senior Justice Department official personally approved the deportation.

The Post quotes one US official as saying that when apprehended at the airport, Arar had the names of "a large number of known Al Qaeda operatives, affiliates or associates" in his wallet or pockets. But the charge d'affaires at the Syrian Embassy in Washington says the only reason the took Arar was as a favor and to win good will with the US. Recently the Syrian ambassador to Canada said officials could not establish that he was linked in any way to the Al Qaeda terrorist network.

Arar spent 16 months in a Syrian prison, where he was tortured. He was suddenly released in October and returned to Canada. Canada officials have already said he will not be charged with any crime.

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[Spazito]

1. Excellent article!

It pulls together all of the various points of view and points out the GROSS hypocrisy of the Bush cabal. Thanks for the link!

[glarius]

2. I wonder how many other innocents are being held in captivity by Syria or

other (Saudi Arabia?) countries, because of pressure from Bush's cabal of outlaws!!!...

[Frederic Bastiat]

6. Have they released the alleged terrorists held in Toronto?

Held without charges that is. Just wondering.

[pink_poodle]

3. So glad you posted this!!! -nm

:

[Lisa]

4. interesting stuff on CBC last night re: Ashcroft ...

Apparently he came right out and said that the decision to send Mr. Arar to Syria had been made in US security interests.

US officials also claimed that Syria had assured him he wouldn't be tortured, and that this was good enough for them. Meanwhile, as the CBC pointed out, Bush was making speeches denouncing Syria as untrustworthy and aiding terrorists.

[Hand]

5. It gets worse...

Yesterday Ron Easter, the Canadian Attorney General, met with Asscrack in Washington about the Arar case. Asscrack announced later that Arar was only deported after They received assurances from Syria that he would not be tortured .
:mad: :mad: :mad:

And since when has anybody, esp. Chimpy and Cabal, believed anything that SYRIA had to say? What a bunch of contemptible lying bastards... etc.

:nuke:

on edit: some duplication between this and the previous post--they went up more or les simultaneously. Besides, I'm still pissed about this.