The Merged Maher Arar Thread

[FGH_Recce_DJ]

BLackhorse7 is stationed in BC, i wonder what his thoughts are on the new interm commisioner. seeing she is commander of BC district???

 

[noneck]

I am posted out here in the LMD as well. With D/Comm Busson at the reigns we are being led from the front! She has current operational leadership experience having commanded 1/3 of the operational members of the RCMP for the last 5 years. She is also is fully versed in the anomaly that is the LMD for the RCMP, being that it is the only area of Canada that the Force does big city policing. In the past we have had the folks in Ottawa expecting that E Division run places like Surrey and Richmond like Bugtussle Saskatchewan. I hope that Bev is made substantive, if that is the case then we will definitely see some positive changes  to the way we are led and managed.

Noneck
The opinions expressed above are merely those of Noneck and are not to be quoted or disseminated without the permission of the writer.

 

[FGH_Recce_DJ]

Thanks for that noneck, for those of us not in the RCMP it is nice to get an informed opinion on the situation. Cheers!!

 

[Blackhorse7]

NONECK!!!  How dare you say that the LMD is the only big town Policing there is!!  Are you casting shame on my fair city? 

I posted this in a previous thread discussing the new temporary Commish.  She is a class act.  I have yet to hear anyone say a bad word about Mrs. BUSSON, and she ran E Div (arguably one of the hardest Divisions to manage) quite well.  Her role is temporary now, but I would not be upset to see her stay in the role.

And back on topic, I think you will see Mrs. BUSSON adopt or at least start to implement many of the recommendations of the Arar report in short order.

 

[GAP]

Maher Arar to stay on U.S. no-fly list: letter
Updated Mon. Jan. 22 2007 5:07 PM ET CTV.ca News Staff
Article Link

The United States will keep Canadian Maher Arar on its security watch list.

Homeland Secretary Michael Chertoff and Attorney General Alberto Gonzales have written a letter to Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day.

The letter says the two have reviewed the U.S. government's secret file on Arar. They think he should still be on the list.

The two said their decision is based on information obtained by U.S. authorities, independent of anything supplied by Canada.

"We want to ensure that this U.S.-derived information has been shared with Canada, and that both countries have an understanding of the facts.  To this end, we welcome an opportunity to participate in a confidential meeting with appropriate Canadian officials at their earliest convenience," the letter said.

Day had raised the Arar issue during a visit to Washington last week. Day's position is that Canadian officials see no reason why Arar shouldn't be able to visit the United States.

Arar, a Syrian-born Canadian, was detained in New York while returning from a holiday in Tunisia. U.S. officials sent him to Syria, where he spent 10 months in prison.

His Syrian jailers tortured him into making a false confession about terrorism links.
More on link

 

[observor 69]

This part revived my hope in Americans:

The attorney-general also said the U.S. government had received assurances that Arar would not be tortured.

"We knew damn well, if he went to Canada, he wouldn't be tortured," Leahy said loudly. "We also knew damn well, if he went to Syria, he'd be tortured. And it's beneath the dignity of this country, a country that has always been a beacon of human rights, to send somebody to another country to be tortured."

This man tells it like it is:  http://leahy.senate.gov/press/200701/011807.html

 

[gillbates]

I know this is a bit O.T. but...

If the Syrians are suspected of supporting terrorist organizations like Hezbollah, and sending jihadis to Iraq, why do the Americans send their prisoners there for interrogation? Doesn't seem to make much sense.

 

[observor 69]

I know this is a bit O.T. but...

If the Syrians are suspected of supporting terrorist organizations like Hezbollah, and sending jihadis to Iraq, why do the Americans send their prisoners there for interrogation? Doesn't seem to make much sense.

ABC NEWS
Jan. 21, 2007 — A roundup of the late-night comics.

Late Show

David Letterman: Bush admitted to making mistakes in Iraq and he says that he has learned from these mistakes and will do better in Iran.

 

[3rd Horseman]

This part revived my hope in Americans:
The attorney-general also said the U.S. government had received assurances that Arar would not be tortured.
"We knew damn well, if he went to Canada, he wouldn't be tortured," Leahy said loudly. "We also knew damn well, if he went to Syria, he'd be tortured. And it's beneath the dignity of this country, a country that has always been a beacon of human rights, to send somebody to another country to be tortured."
This man tells it like it is:  http://leahy.senate.gov/press/200701/011807.html

Baden Guy,
  I dont accept the rant from this left wing political opportunist who choose a public moment to open his yap and disrespect the Attorney General. There is more to the story then is in the public domain and as the AG said he would brief the loud mouth later on in the week. I will be surprised if we hear from him again after he sees inside the file.

  Arar was not on holiday he was returning to Canada to collect his family and leave the country and his citizenship behind for ever. What you read in the papers is only the half truth to make him look like a victim.

 

[geo]

3rd
If my memory serves me right, Arar was in Tunesia on vacation... with family.
He left said family behind, at the beach, while he headed home for work.
(the family was not in Canada, the CRMP paid a nocturnal visit and nobody was home!)

His flight was Zurich to JFK to Montreal & he got hauled out for questioning - and got sent to Syria for his trouble.

Even if he was returning to collect his family & leave the country.... So what does that have with the price of tea in China?

 

[geo]

The only other point I would make would be that, if the US had real tangible evidence to support the acts they carried out, they would have had it published on CNN a long time ago.  They don't want to show they were wrong (again) and open themselves up to more ridicule and potential legal pursuits - which Arar is trying to launch.

Oh yeah - 3rd.... If Arar was planning to leave the country with his family - what are they still doing in Canada as we speak?  I would have thought they would have had plenty of good reasons to flee Canada for some other Democracy somewhere or other if that had been his intention.

But that is just my opinion.

 

[observor 69]

Baden Guy,
  I dont accept the rant from this left wing political opportunist who choose a public moment to open his yap and disrespect the Attorney General. There is more to the story then is in the public domain and as the AG said he would brief the loud mouth later on in the week. I will be surprised if we hear from him again after he sees inside the file.

  Arar was not on holiday he was returning to Canada to collect his family and leave the country and his citizenship behind for ever. What you read in the papers is only the half truth to make him look like a victim.

And you know this how?  References?
Judge O'Connor's report doesn't mention any of your latter comments. http://www.ararcommission.ca/eng/26.htm#

Senator Leahy is no shrinking violet so I will be watching with interest how this comes out.

 

[aesop081]

: here we go again.......

 

[geo]

: here we go again.......

didn't know we had gone anywhere.  3rd made some statements that are not supported and he's been called on it. 

 

[aesop081]

didn't know we had gone anywhere.  3rd made some statements that are not supported and he's been called on it. 

Thats what i meant Geo.......Its not unusual in his case

 

[geo]

Ah

"I see!" said the blind man to the deaf mute :

 

[3rd Horseman]

And you know this how?  References?
Judge O'Connor's report doesn't mention any of your latter comments. http://www.ararcommission.ca/eng/26.htm#
Senator Leahy is no shrinking violet so I will be watching with interest how this comes out.

 Baden Guy,

 Your right Leahy is no shrinking violet but he is a political opportunist. We shall see by Leahys future rhetoric or silence as the the veracity of my statement.

 How do I know....very well placed source. Reference, I have none. I would suspect the classified info the US is willing to brief the Cdns on contains this info and very much more. Had Arar been given the chance to collect his family and depart, once back in the Middle east the result would have been different for us as a nation but the same for him and probably much worse. He from my perspective is not so innocent. (Special note, I dont condone his torture)

 

[aesop081]

 How do I know....very well placed source. Reference, I have none.

....and that ladies and gents is your typical 3rd Horsman answer to being called out.  Guess maybe Arar was on his way to do some deep-battle ops too........

 

[geo]

Hmmm.... 3rd

I wonder if Maher's wife ofered coffee & cookies to the nice RCMP constables who tossed his place - so the RCMP could provide the FBI with "evidence" about contracts and leases he and his brother had signed.

The US homeland security and the FBI all leak like a sieve.  If the US really had something on Arar, do you really think :
1) he would have been allowed to return to Canada?
2) Homeland security would continue to keep it a secret when their competence & credibility is sooo much in question?

 

[3rd Horseman]

Hmmm.... 3rd

I wonder if Maher's wife ofered coffee & cookies to the nice RCMP constables who tossed his place - so the RCMP could provide the FBI with "evidence" about contracts and leases he and his brother had signed. Do you mean the house he sold on his way out of the country? Cookies I hope so. ;D

The US homeland security and the FBI all leak like a sieve.  If the US really had something on Arar, do you really think :
1) he would have been allowed to return to Canada? Obviously not and I would cotend that he was not for a very good reason, my point is that had he been the result would be different for us not him.
2) Homeland security would continue to keep it a secret when their competence & credibility is sooo much in question?

Well cant argue with that it does not change my view.

My info is not a leak its from a very high placed source. It is what it is. If I spent all my time discussing things from open source or news media or CFAOs the conversations and discussions here would be very dull.