Canada's Martin Blasts U.S. Deportation

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

http://www.centredaily.com/mld/centredaily/news/7350313.htm

TORONTO - He's not in office yet, but Canada's next prime minister already is expressing displeasure with the United States, saying Tuesday the U.S. deportation of a Canadian man to Syria was unacceptable.

Paul Martin, who will take over as prime minister when Jean Chretien steps down Dec. 12, said he wants to know why Maher Arar was sent to Syria instead of being returned to Canada, where he has lived for years and holds citizenship.

"I believe that what happened is simply unacceptable," Martin said at a news conference in Ottawa.

Arar, 33, was detained at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport in September 2002 while returning to Canada from a visit to Tunisia. He wasn't charged, though U.S. officials said he was suspected of links to terrorism. He was held for several days before being sent to Syria, where he was born and still has citizenship.

Arar has said Syrian authorities beat him and placed in solitary confinement for almost a year before releasing him last month and allowing him to return to Canada.

"The Canadian passport has to be respected," Martin said. "When I become prime minister I'm going to get all of the facts and I'm going to ensure that this kind of thing doesn't happen again."

<snip>

[J B]

1. Bottom line is that Ashcroft says he trusts Syria not to torture.

That he trusts its word.

I really have no reason to think that if the CIA wanted this Arad guy deported for the purpose of torturing him that Ashcroft would even have a right to know.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

2. Trust me...if Ashcroft wanted to know, he would know. He's a control-....

...freak to the nth degree.

I doubt seriously that the CIA is even involved in these types of activities...I'm thinking INS, DOJ and Homeland Insecurity.

[Minstrel Boy]

5. It's kinda funny the things the Administration will take Syria's word on,

and kinda sad the things it won't.

[leesa]

3. Glad to hear this...Martin is not going to roll over and play dead

Give them hell Sir.

[The Zanti Regent]

4. Pray for Paul Martin

Just pray that he keeps the border open when it is time for us to flee!

[pink_poodle]

6. Good! As long as he keeps on being dipleased, then I will...........

be happy. I was afraid he was going to run down there and kiss Pres. Moran's arse! sheesh!

[ConcernedCanuk]

7. Good for Martin!, too bad he'll now not see the infamous Pig Farm tho - -

. . n/t

[Lisa]

8. he's actually got a real farm though, doesn't he?

I hear Paul Martin does his own tractor work, too.

That would be kind of funny ... Bush invites himself over, expecting it to be a vacation-type estate like "Prairie Chapel". And the PM hands him a shovel and says they're going to unclog a drainage culvert over in the back forty!

[Tommy_Douglas]

11. Well we have brush up here as well...

Maybe Bush could volunteer to clear it for him.

I'm liking what I hear from Martin as well. He's a fiscal conservative with a nice social liberal stance. I've even heard his vows to step up spending to combat AID's in Africa and Asia.

[0007]

9. Three cheers for Martin....

How come we don't hear from junior's 'ol buddy south of the border down Mexico way? I think Fox 86th boy wonder also.

[Hand]

10. Fox hates his ass....

He's been utterly disgusted over border issues for years now--pre 9/11, in fact.

Good signs from Martin. I was ready for him to be a toady, but so far he's been making the right moves. This whole Arar affair is a disgrace, but Asscrack offered Martin an out that he didn't take--GOOD!.

[ConcernedCanuk]

13. I admit - I also feared and was "ready for him to be a toady"

. . and was pleasantly suprised when I saw Martin on TV criticizing the US's deportation actions in no uncertain terms.

. . if one was watching closely, I swear Martin was almost shaking with anger when he was declaring that "Canadian passports must be respected" and that "this treatment is unacceptable"

. . no "toady" there !!

Go Paul, GO ! :bounce:

[Lisa]

14. given that Martin doesn't blow his top very often ...

... certainly not in the way that, say, Sheila Copps and Brian Tobin (and Jean C. himself) have been known to do ... I agree, that was a pretty emotional reaction from him.

Perhaps some supportive letters might encourage further response?

[Screaming Lord Byron]

12. Arar's a Cdn Citizen, the Govt has to protect him. Martin's saying all

the right things, though. Perhaps he'll be surprisingly liberal on such matters. God I hope so.