Arar Inquiry Continues

The former head of C-SIS has wrapped up his initial testimony at the Maher Arar inquiry.
Ward Elcock invoked National Security to refuse to answer several questions, including whether Canada shares intelligence information with Syria.

That's where the Ottawa man was held for 10 months after being arrested in New York.

Arar says it's frustrating.

Public testimony dealing directly with Arar's arrest and detention will begin in September.

http://www.cfra.com/headlines/index.asp?cat=2&nid=16208


RCMP clears itself in Arar case

The Mounties have absolved themselves of any wrongdoing in the ordeal suffered by Maher Arar, according to newly released documents.
<snip>

Commissioner Clement said that an unidentified senior Mountie, who was brought in from another unit to probe work done by Ottawa colleagues, concluded that they "did not improperly encourage U.S. authorities to deport a Canadian citizen, Mr. Maher Arar from U.S. territory to Syria," and that there were "no discussions" about this.

Further, the senior Mountie found that the RCMP "did not provide any information about Mr. Arar to the Syrian authorities." The report fails to clarify whether the force talked to U.S. agencies about him.
<snip>

The RCMP report challenges Mr. Arar's main allegations against the Canadian government, although the document's credibility will surely be attacked because it is the result of an internal investigation.
<snip>

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20040623/ARAR23/TPNational/Canada


CSIS aware of U.S. torture loophole

CSIS was aware the U.S. sidesteps its own laws by shipping terrorist suspects to rogue countries to interrogate them through torture, Canada's former spymaster told the Maher Arar inquiry yesterday. Ward Elcock, the recently retired director of CSIS, did not say when he first learned of the practice known in security circles as "extraordinary rendition." Refusing to wade into specifics of Arar's case, he insisted CSIS balances potential harm to personal safety with threat to national security.

"We take into account the consequences to any individual and their safety wherever they go, anytime we release information to anybody, and we would do the same with the United States," he said.

"The reality is, I'm not aware of any case where the Americans have taken somebody they've arrested inside the United States -- apart from Mr. Arar's case -- and sent them to another country."

Rendition has been condemned by human rights groups around the world.
<snip>

http://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/CalgarySun/News/2004/06/23/510439.html



Harper may be called to testify at Arar inquiry
<snip>
Stephen Harper might be called as a witness at the Maher Arar inquiry after the Conservative leader revealed he had received a secret briefing on the case.
<snip>
http://www.canada.com/ottawa/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=6abea734-1e11-40c1-b706-3f4c937d2bd5


Arar inquiry contemplates calling Harper

The inquiry examining Maher Arar's deportation to Syria might call Conservative Leader Stephen Harper to testify, after comments he made Tuesday night on CBC Television.
<snip>

Harper said at first it was suggested that the deportation of Mr. Arar was appropriate.

"Then we found out later that may not have been the case," Harper said. "I'd like to find out a lot more about what actually occurred. My suspicion is, quite frankly, that this was not a random act just by the United States. I do think they received some encouragement from authorities in this country."
<snip>

Cavalluzzo also wouldn't rule out calling other party leaders, perhaps even the prime minister.
<snip>

Maher Arar: Timeline
http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/arar/index.html
(extensive links to past CBC stories)


<edit:> This is the Canadian arrested in NYC by the Feds and sent to Syria where he was apparently tortured. The story was an early warning about Bushista attitudes towards human rights.

recent DU posts/threads:

Arar case called difficult to crack
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=636478

Ottawa 'acted appropriately' over Arar: statement
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=631887

That is very interesting and I hope they do call him to testify. Anyone that has information that could shed light on what happened in the Arar case needs to testify, imo. What happened to this man is an outrage and if the RCMP and/CSIS had anything to do with helping or supporting Mr. Arar being arrested in the US and then shipped to Syria it needs to be public.

We're keeping our eyes on it, especially as Monia Mazigh, Arar's wife is running for office in next week's election.

http://www.moniamazigh.ca/home.html

She's unlikely to win the riding, but we'll see Monday night.

Later in Toronto, Harper said he had not been given a private briefing, though he did not elaborate on what he had been told concerning Arar or by whom.

The Conservative leader said he was surprised at the inquiry's interest in his comments.
"I'll talk to my lawyer about that," Harper said.
"I'm as much in the dark as anyone (about the Arar case), but I'll see why they want to talk to me."

http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1087985102102&call_pageid=968332188492&col=968705899037


Who? Me! I didn't say noting.

Though the RCMP seem to be doing a CYA here.

it is laughable that the "RCMP clears itself" and carries squat credibility, imo.

Justice grinds exceeding fine..

http://victoria.indymedia.org/news/2003/10/17334.php

Initially, there was not much support in Canada for Arar. His only public champions were the New Democratic Party's Alexa McDonough and his own Liberal MP, Marlene Catterall. When Arar's wife invited MPs to a candlelight vigil on Parliament Hill for her husband, the office of one Alliance member sent back the curt reply, "Get a life."

her fight for her husband's freedom was awesome and I have tremendous respect for her, I really hope she does win!

By Thomas Walkon of the Toronto Star on Oct. 11, 2003.
My reference is a reprint but I remember hearing the comment at the time.
Some one might have it in writing.

And received a very nice letter from Dr. Mazigh and her campaign team.

The other day, I encountered a guy who claimed he had "inside proof" that she and her husband were both "terrorist moles" -- he was dancing with glee at the prospect, saying how it would "destroy" the Liberals and NDP. I think he's going to be waiting a LONG time because he couldn't even get the history of the Conservative party right (he claimed, erroneously, that Joe Clark never won a federal election!).

So that's one Harper voter. A brief discussion with him revealed that he believes that the only "real" Canadians were born here. When I pointed out that my parents also were born in BC but were interned as enemy aliens in WWII, under the same type of legislation that he was advocating for the "war on terror", he muttered that "they deserved it because they could have done something". Yeah, my mom was 13 years old -- typical "terrorist" profile. So he kept on dissing immigrants, and I said politely, "Oh, you're aboriginal, yourself?" -- and he admitted that he was "half" aboriginal. Didn't say anything about the rest of his ancestors. (By the way, none of the First Nations people I know spew out hatred like that. Probably because they know that the bigots also treated native people like second-class citizens.)

:kick: