[Vision2020] Innocent man sent to Syria and tortured

[Ralph Nielsen]

Recommendation 22

The Government of Canada should register a formal objection with the  
governments of the United States and Syria concerning their treatment  
of Maher Arar and Canadian officials involved with his case.

The American authorities who handled Arar’s case treated him in a  
most regrettable fashion, O'Connor wrote. They removed him to Syria  
against his wishes and in the face of his statements that he would be  
tortured if sent there. Moreover, they dealt with Canadian officials  
involved with Arar’s case in a less than forthcoming manner.

The inquiry concluded American officials were not candid, either with  
the RCMP officers with whom they had been working jointly on the  
investigation that involved Arar, or with Canadian consular officials  
seeking to assist Arar, about their intentions or about the process  
that led to his removal.

The act of objecting will be more symbolic than anything else,  
O'Connor concedes. Unquestionably, he says, Canada should continue to  
co-operate fully with American authorities in the global fight  
against terror.



The entire text is available at:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/arar/arar_inquiry.html
I might add that the American authorities could much more easily have  
sent Arar back home to Canada than to Syria, which according to  
President Bush is an "evil" country. The Americans then lied and said  
they had sent him to Switzerland (of all countries!).

I'm sure Dick Sherwin would also admit to being a terrorist if he  
were sent to Syria or Guantanamo.