JREGrassroots > Embarrassing turnabout regarding Canadian man deported to Syria

Full Version: Embarrassing turnabout regarding Canadian man deported to Syria

JREGrassroots > General Politics > Human Rights

ncMindy

Sep 21 2006, 02:52 PM

QUOTE

Justice Dept. Amends Remark on Torture Case

By SCOTT SHANE
Published: September 21, 2006

WASHINGTON, Sept. 20 — In an embarrassing turnabout, the Department of Justice backed away Wednesday from a denial by Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales of responsibility for the treatment of a Canadian who was seized by American authorities in 2002. The man was deported to Syria, where he was imprisoned and beaten.

Asked at a news conference on Tuesday about a Canadian commission’s finding that the man, Maher Arar, was wrongly sent to Syria and tortured there, Mr. Gonzales replied, “Well, we were not responsible for his removal to Syria.” He added, “I’m not aware that he was tortured.”

The attorney general’s comments caused puzzlement because they followed front-page news articles of the findings of the Canadian commission. It reported that based on inaccurate information from Canada about Mr. Arar’s supposed terrorist ties, American officials ordered him taken to Syria, an action documented in public records.

Full Story at NYT's LINK

suswah

Sep 21 2006, 07:47 PM

QUOTE

In September 2002, as he changed planes at Kennedy International Airport in New York on his way home to Canada, he was detained because his name was on a terrorist watch list. His name was included on the basis of incorrect information from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police that he was linked to Al Qaeda, the commission found.

American officials wanted more information about what threat he might pose and decided to deport him to Syria, an option legally possible because he had been born there. Officials have said that as is standard in such cases, the United States sought “assurances” from Syria that Mr. Arar would not be tortured.

In fact, he was held there in a dank cell that measured 3 feet by 6 feet by 7 feet and beaten repeatedly with a metal cable, according to Mr. Arar’s description and the commission report.

......

On Wednesday, Representative Edward J. Markey, Democrat of Massachusetts, introduced five “resolutions of inquiry” aimed at forcing the release of government documents related to the case.

Under Congressional rules, the resolutions must be voted on in five House committees within 14 days, or Mr. Markey will be able to force a vote by the full House, his staff said.

[Emphasis added.] It will be interesting to see how they get around this one.

65 Rambler Lady

Sep 23 2006, 08:46 AM

This was all the story in Canada last week and the papers covered it excellantly, even down to the admission they were at fault as well. Our media could take a lesson from them on this.

This poor man was interviewed and he has some horrendous scars, both physical and emotional, from the abuse (aka TORTURE) he needlessly suffered. Last I heard, they wanted to make restitution....as if one ever could even begin to do so.

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