Tortured Canadian Still on U.S. 'Watch List'

[rodeodance]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/15/AR2006121501227.html?nav=hcmodule

Tortured Canadian Still on U.S. 'Watch List'
Muslim Cleared By Ottawa Inquiry

By Doug Struck
Washington Post Foreign Service
Saturday, December 16, 2006; Page A16

TORONTO, Dec. 15 -- Maher Arar, the Canadian Muslim who was whisked by U.S. agents from a New York airport to imprisonment and torture in Syria, remains on the U.S. "watch list" despite an exhaustive Canadian inquiry that found he is an innocent man, the U.S. ambassador to Canada said Friday.

Ambassador David Wilkins said in an interview with CBC Radio that Arar "is on the watch list and has been since he was deported" in 2002 to Syria, where he was held for 10 months, much of it in a coffin-like dungeon.

His transfer to Syria, part of a series of U.S. clandestine "extraordinary renditions" of terrorism suspects for interrogation in foreign countries, created a scandal in Canada.

The head of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police resigned last week after a two-year judicial inquiry found his officers gave U.S. agents false information to cast suspicion on Arar.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

1. Created a scandal not only in Canada

Since when do we have the right to take a citizen from another country, and ship them out to a third country to be tortured? Isn't this a violation of international laws, or, at the very least, treaties between the US and Canada? This is opening the door wide for any nation that wishes to take US citizens and do the same thing.

[truthisfreedom]

2. Well of course he's on the watch list now. After being tortured, he's now an enemy.

Seems simple enough to me!

:sarcasm:

[IntravenousDemilo]

3. We should send David Wilkins packing immediately.

Unfortunately, this is unlikely as long as Stephen Harper's Conservative interim government is in power. But we may have an election soon, and a new Liberal government will be talking a bit tougher to Washington.

Quite frankly, I'd also like to see us cut America off from our oil, gas, and electricity until every state in the Union is required to recognize all of our marriages, even the gay ones. And if that doesn't work, we should nationalize all American companies that operate in Canada. We are getting a bit tired of being pushed around, and we can be a bit prickly. We have a number of grievances...

[Thor_MN]

8. Any chance that Canada could adopt Minnesota?

[Spazito]

4. Wilkins is a complete asshole but, no surprise, so was the previous

US Ambassador to Canada, Cellucci. On the other hand, they are merely reflective of the asshole that appointed them.

[IndianaGreen]

5. Once your name is on the Gestapo's watch list, you are SOL

Arar is in good company though, the watch list includes Ted Kennedy, peace activists, environmentalists, etc.

[irislake]

6. Makes me boil

No mystery why this administration is loathed world wide.

[Jack Rabbit]

7. He's innocent of everything but being a victim of Bush regime torture

That's a crime, isn't it?