Canada apologizes for torture of innocent man, say Americans share blame

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=110414&version=1&template_id=43&parent_id=19

Canadian police apologise over Syria torture, say Americans share blame

Published: Saturday, 30 September, 2006, 11:48 AM Doha Time

OTTAWA: Canada’s police commissioner has apologised to a Canadian man deported by US authorities to Syria and tortured based on bad Canadian intelligence, but said the US shared blame.

Giuliano Zaccardelli, commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, said on Thursday that he is “truly sorry” for “the nightmare” Maher Arar experienced and for “whatever part” the federal police actions “may have contributed to the terrible injustices” his family endured.

“It is true that the early days after 9/11 were confusing and challenging. Of course this doesn’t excuse or allow us to avoid facing head-on the ramifications of that time,” he told a parliamentary standing committee on public safety and national security.

[StellaBlue]

1. I wish I was Canadian

:/

[walldude]

2. Apologized? Why do they hate America?

Oh wait.... :evilgrin:

[acmavm]

3. Americans? Not all of us by any means. Only the bush** admin and its

supporters.

I wouldn't send anyone anywhere to be tortured and I firmly don't believe that anyone else should either.

[ShortnFiery]

4. Don't hold your breath Canada, Dear Leader does NOT ever apologize.

Even worse, they will NOT admit that ANYTHING they did was wrong.

The Bush Regime is truly ABOVE THE LAW, i.e., Both in the USA and The World.

The Bush Regime now can BULLY The World Community without regrets. :cry:

[panader0]

5. It's so refreshing to hear that someone can admit a mistake

and apologize for it. bushco, on the other hand made no mistakes. They did it on purpose.

[Pachamama]

6. I have spoken to friends in Canada - they feel that the RCMP was duped by

the US Government and that they genuinely felt that they were trying to "cooperate on the War on Terror" and be good allies. Never, ever did they believe the United States Government and its law enforcement, intelligence and military would use rendition and torture of ANYONE and so they thought what they were doing in turning Maher Arar over to US custody was okay.

Not anymore...my understanding from Canadians is that they are so outraged, as are the RCMP and Canadian government authorities. Canadians are demanding that no more Canadians be "handed over to the US"...especially now that Torture is the law of our land.

[Lisa]

7. I'm in Canada -- a couple of years ago, the wingnut down the street ...

... was going on about how he HOPED that Maher Arar and his whole family would be shown to be deep cover terrorists, and that the New Democratic Party and the Liberal MPs who stood up for him would be ridiculed as dupes and traitors!

I confronted him with the information that my entire Japanese-Canadian family had been put in a BC prison camp in WWII, using the same ethnic profiling. All he could say was "well, they could have sabotaged something" -- and when I told him that was highly unlikely since most of them were schoolkids at the time, he just glared at me. I asked him if he were aboriginal, and when he muttered, "well, I could be", I said that he had better be certain that he's 100% First Nations, because if he had a Ukrainian, German, Italian, French, Irish, Japanese, or Arab ancestor -- just to name a few examples -- his claim that "those people aren't really Canadian" could just as easily be turned around and used against HIM, as it has in the past.

I really, really wish that he could see how many Americans are furious and ashamed about all of this. He goes on about what a great man Bush is, and how Canadians are cowards for not supporting him. (I'm not going to leave a copy of the newspaper cover story about the RCMP apology in his mailbox, because it would just be wasted on him -- but I'm happy that the Arar family is finally vindicated.)

[Pachamama]

8. Lisa - there are clearly lots of people like your neighbor on both sides

of our borders and they are scary and dangerous and a risk to all of our futures. So many of us in the US (and Canada) see what is going on and while we ofcourse want to stop any "terrorism" and prevent any deaths from extremists (of any kind) we also value our constitutions and the principles on which our respective countries were founded and we are not willing to sacrifice those things and throw them away for a little bit of security.

I have more hope for Canada and Canadians right now than the US....I sense more Canadians realize the dangers of what they see happening in the US and while you may have Harper in place, my sense is that he is not nearly as "right wing" as what is going on here and you all have the benefit of a minority parliament.

Sigh...I just can't believe that in 2006 we are watching happening what is occuring. I never thought in my lifetime I would honestly say that I am ashamed to be an American - I would never have ever believed my Nation would subscribe to rendition and secret prisons and approve of torture.

I'm sorry that the Arar family had to go through what it did...I am glad he is even alive. But imagine the horror he had to endure as well as others. My guess is Canada will not be willing to hand over its citizens so readily to the US ever again...Actually, I think the whole world feels that way....