CBC news: Canadian engineer abducted, held, deported by U.S. authorities

http://www.cbc.ca/stories/2003/11/04/arar031104

This story is leading the CBC news tonight. A Canadian engineer of Syrian birth, returning to Canada from a vacation in Tunisia, was arrested in New York, held for 10 days, and then deported in shackles to
Syria, where he was born. U.S. authorities claim they consulted with the RCMP, but the Mounties deny that they were ever told American authorities planned to send him to Syria as a prisoner.

on edit: RCMP was contacted but never informed of U.S. intentions. Maher is a Canadian citizen.

...to reroute travelers of Mid-East heritage to avoid any US stopovers.

that's absolutely ridiculous :wtf:

The Ambassador has made nasty remarks about Mr. Arar -- given how much power he holds, I think this is an abuse of his position. I would like to see him called in front of the public inquiry that the House of Commons is now demanding. If the Ambassador has information to back up his opinions, he should share them. If not, for being so unprofessional and undiplomatic, he should step down.

http://media.cbc.ca:8080/ramgen/cbc.ca/national/real/thenational.rm

There's a few minutes on it at the top of the program, then they cover other stories, then there's much more starting at about 23 minutes in to the program.

He spoke at considerable length from prepared notes (and the CBC simply presented his presentation) concerning his treatment -- i.e. torture and isolation -- in the Syrian prisons.

(I actually missed the beginning of the piece, and am going to zip home and catch it by "time-shifting" to CBC Vancouver on cable later.)

No Liberal in authority -- Deputy Prime Minister, Foreign Affairs Minister, Solicitor General (responsible for the RCMP) -- was available for comment, so CBC had a Liberal backbencher who apparently decided this was his opportunity to make his mark by questioning his government's complicity. There are still questions about the role played by the RCMP in assisting US authorities to commit this appalling injustice.

It's a rather important story for both countries. I hope people are listening.

.

What do they care if he is Al Qada?

to get info via torture. Because, you know, the US doesn't torture.