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U.S. Took Canadians to Jordan and Syria for Interrogation

By Last Night in Little Rock, Section War on Terror
Posted on Sun Sep 18, 2005 at 12:43:44 AM EST
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by Last Night in Little Rock

The NY Times reports today that the Canadian government is undertaking a judicial inquiry into whether four Canadian citizens were detained in NYC and then flown by U.S. government planes to Jordan and Syria for interrogation, possibly under torture, by the U.S. and Canada.

A judicial inquiry [in Ottawa] is turning up evidence that Canadian police and intelligence agencies solicited and used information that was obtained from at least four Canadian citizens under torture by foreign intelligence agencies.

The main purpose of the inquiry is to explore the Canadian role in the case of Maher Arar, a Syrian-born Canadian who has emerged as perhaps the most infamous example of the United States policy of rendition, the transfer of terrorism suspects to other nations for interrogations.

Mr. Arar was detained while changing planes in New York and was flown in an American government plane to Jordan and Syria. But three other Canadians whose cases are now coming to light were apparently handled entirely by Canadian authorities.

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    • U.S. Took Canadians to Jordan and Syria for Interrogation | 7 comments (7 topical)
    Re: U.S. Took Canadians to Jordan and Syria for In (none / 0) (#1)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:59 PM EST
    This is big news in Canada, as is the related stories of certain right-wing elements within the RCMP coordinating with US law enforcement (DEA and imported Texas cops) to arrest Vancouver pot seed-seller/reformer Marc Emery and to illegally profile and stop drivers in BC for drug searches. See this . There was also a wire story in New England this morning about how drug smuggling arrests at the Canadian border were bankrupting local and state governments as they were buckling under the weight of unwanted prosecutions. See this.

    Re: U.S. Took Canadians to Jordan and Syria for In (none / 0) (#2)
    by Al on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:59 PM EST
    You hadn't hear about the Arar inquiry? The question for Canadians is whether the RCMP handed Mr. Arar over to the US authorities knowing that he would be tortured. There's no doubt that the US authorities knew what was going to happen to him, though, and that should be a big concern to Americans.

    Re: U.S. Took Canadians to Jordan and Syria for In (none / 0) (#3)
    by jimcee on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:00 PM EST
    The NYTimes has a year old scoop. How timely of them. There has been a Canadian Gov't inquiry going on for the last eight months and it was widely reported in the Canadian media for over a year. The Fifth Estate on the CBC had a pretty good piece a while back. But I guess it wasn't a real story until the NYTimes says it is.

    Re: U.S. Took Canadians to Jordan and Syria for In (none / 0) (#4)
    by Johnny on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:01 PM EST
    No Jim, it was just not news to those of us living south of the border... It has nothing to do with the NYTimes, no matter how hard you try to make it so. Living in the US means you get some of the most filtered news sources the world has ever seen... This "current" event shows US foreign policy to be distictly distasteful-it is a wonder it has been reported at all. So do you have anything at all to say in regards to the topic, or are you just in a trolling mood? I think it disgraceful-and typical of our American attitude. Imagine! for a moment... Saudi Arabia grabs two American citizens on whatever charges they decide are appropriate-do you think the MSM in this country would play all hush hush? Doubtful.

    Re: U.S. Took Canadians to Jordan and Syria for In (none / 0) (#5)
    by jimcee on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:04 PM EST
    Johnny, I do live south of the border but I pay attention to international news. It's easy. See that computer in front of you? Obviously you know about the internet or you wouldn't be here. So.. This may surprise you but there are very few borders in the cyber-world. The CBC is available on-line and that is where I found this item. Ignorance of information is inexcusable when one uses contempt as a point of argument. This case is far from conclusive but does have future ramifications about civil rights and could bode poorly in that direction. The answer is to be aware when this stuff happens and following the story to its conclusion and making a judgement then. If you haven't heard this story prior to this post then you are willfully ignorant and you are just jumping on the Lefty sound-bite bandwagon. This kind of stuff has happened in the past and is wrong but awareness is the key to changing these practices and not assigning specific blame until the whole story comes out.

    Re: U.S. Took Canadians to Jordan and Syria for In (none / 0) (#6)
    by Johnny on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:04 PM EST
    Having been burned by wrong wingers so often in the past for citing the internet as a news source... And now being admonished by the wrong wingers for not utilizing the internet... ? Anyways, personal insults aside (here's your cookie Jim), awareness is sometimes facilitated by those who claim to be in the know... The point of the entire topic is that it was only recently picked up by an American MSM paper... Which, even Bushie has admitted to not reading. Willfully ignorant...

    Re: U.S. Took Canadians to Jordan and Syria for In (none / 0) (#7)
    by squeaky on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:04 PM EST
    jc-OK we know that you hate the times but what about rendition and enemy combatants and terrorists without trial, and illegal wars.
    Ignorance of information is inexcusable when one uses contempt as a point of argument.
    It is even more inexcusable when one uses contempt as the point of argument irrespective of having knowledge and a clear position based on that knowledge.

    U.S. Took Canadians to Jordan and Syria for Interrogation | 7 comments (7 topical)