Canadian Falsely Accused Of Terrorism

Panel Faults Canada, U.S. For Torture Of Software Engineer In Syria

(CBS/AP) 
President Bush acknowledged earlier this month that terrorism suspects had been held in secret CIA-run prisons in other countries. They included the mastermind of the Sept. 11 attacks, Khalid Sheik Mohammed.

U.S. and Syrian officials refused to cooperate in the Canadian inquiry.

The commission found the Royal Canadian Mounted Police shared information about Arar with American anti-terrorist agencies both before and after he was detained.

The RCMP asked the U.S. to put Arar on a watch list as an "Islamic extremist individual suspected of being linked to the al-Qaeda terrorist movement," the report said.

They did this after Arar met with another man who was under surveillance, a meeting Arar has said in interviews was merely about where to find inexpensive computer equipment.

Police had no evidence linking Arar to terrorist activity yet they asked the U.S. to put him on a watch list as an "Islamic extremist."

"The RCMP had no basis for this description, which had the potential to create serious consequences for Mr. Arar in light of American attitudes and practices," the report said in reference to the climate after 9-11.

"Mr. Arar has, for a long time, said that he was innocent of any terrorism charges. Innocent of being any kind of security threat. We've known that and believed that for a long time," Michael Ratner, president of the New York-based Center for Constitutional Rights, tells CBS News

"This report agrees with that, and says there was never any evidence that Mr. Arar was involved in terrorism or was a security threat. what Mr. Arar wants is an apology from the United States," Ratner adds.

The force also described him as the "target" of a domestic anti-terrorist investigation in Canada when he was a peripheral figure seen in the company of the man who was under surveillance.

O'Connor said much of the material had not been double-checked to ensure its accuracy and reliability — a violation of the RCMP rules for sharing information with foreign agencies.

O'Connor concluded the inaccurate information passed by Canadian police to U.S. authorities "very likely" led to their decision to send Arar to Syria.

"It's quite clear that the RCMP sent inaccurate information to U.S. officials," Arar said. "I would have not have even been sent to Syria had this information not been given to them."

"I have waited a long time to have my name cleared. I was tortured and lost a year of my life. I will never be the same," Arar said. "The United States must take responsibility for what it did to me and must stop destroying more innocent lives with its unlawful actions."

The commission concluded there was no evidence Canadian officials participated in or agreed to the decision to send Arar to Syria.

"It did not occur to them that the American authorities were contemplating sending Mr. Arar to Syria,” the commission said, according to the New York Times.

But O'Connor recommends that in the future, information should never be provided to a foreign country where there is a credible risk that it will cause or contribute to the use of torture.

Most of the judge's 23 policy recommendations centered on the RCMP and emphasized the need to improve the force's internal policies for national security investigations and the sharing of information with other countries.

Arar's case has regularly been featured on the front pages of Canadian newspapers and public outcry led to the government calling an inquiry. Canada's federal government established the inquiry in 2004 to determine the role Canadian officials played.

O'Connor also found "troubling questions" about the role played by Canadian officials in the cases of three other Arab-Canadians, Ahmad El Maati, Abdullah Almalki and Muayyed Nureddin. All claim they were tortured in Syria after traveling there on personal business, and all suspect that the RCMP or Canada's spy agency collaborated with their captors.

O'Connor said he could not get to the bottom of those cases because of the limited nature of his mandate. But he urged the government to appoint an independent investigator — something short of a full-fledged public inquiry — to look into those cases.

O'Connor sifted through thousands of pages of documents and sat through testimony from more than 40 witnesses. He delivered two versions of his report to the government: one classified, the other public. But portions of even the public edition of the long-awaited document will be withheld due to security concerns.

The CIA, Bush and Clinton (who gave approval to the policy of "extraordinary rendition" back in the 90's), all have a lot to answer for.

And I hope they pay for their crimes.

[getcentered]

Come on "mcdazz".
Look how you mention Clinton. Has Karl Rove made you a puppet of GOP talking points?

Look, CIA "extraordinary rendition" has been going for many decades, MANY Presidents. Why people are naming Clinton is beyond me. Under President Bush the program has operated on a much larger scale then ever before and that is what is profound, not just that the program exists.

The rendition program is a delicate tool the CIA has for intelligence gathering. We don't need people who are clumsy to be handling oversight. From President Bush on down, GET THESE CURSORY LEADRERS OUT OF OUR WHITE HOUSE!
Politics weakens the usefulness of intelligence!

[clestes-2009]

This is exactly what happens when the basic personal freedoms and protections provided by the constitution are ignored. Our founding fathers knew that when the government had no constraints on it, it would be not long before people would be swept up who had done nothing wrong and imprison them.

In fact, all the abusing of our civil liberties and infringing on our rights has accomplished nothing. Not one terror conviction has come from it that has not been overturned by appeal. NOT ONE.

It is all a sham people. Bush has delusions of power. He sees himself as some great leader when in fact he has FAILED at everything he has ever tried to do. Most people who are continual failures have dreams of greatness. Just look at Zacharia Moussoui. Bush and he are more alike than different. Bush has failed at being president too. He has accomplished NOTHING positive in 6 years. Not content with accomplishing nothing, he has implmented policies have caused a great deal of damage. He will go down in US history as the biggest leader wannabe ever. Always compared to his Dad, who was no great leader either, but better than his son.

[Syndicate]

Give him twenty million. For twenty million you can take me to syria.

[sharncedar]

"The rendition program is a delicate tool the CIA has for intelligence gathering. "

Interesting. There is always a gap between rules and stated ideals and actual practice. For example, it is true in WWII there was some torture going on by US allies. My first instinct is like most citizens who are only potential victims after all to say that torture should be outlawed, and anyone doing it tried for war crimes, but the realists point out that a "little" torture now and then might not be so bad. Perhaps that is all Bush is trying to say, in his clumsy, foot-in-mouth way.

Even if that is the case, what he misses is that the official rule can never be torture, meaning, even if secretly there are a few cases here and there, they must still be illegal and if caught prosecuted for war crimes, so that our ideal of ourselves can be maintained. That is a difficult concept for simple-minded folks like Bush and his followers, isn't it. Maybe that's the problem here - Bush and his rich friends know already that torture has been going on for decades, so what's the big deal. But it is a big deal to admit that publicly, it changes our notion of what is right and wrong. Something like that.

Interesting.

We can torture, as long as we believe it to be wrong. Something like that is the reality, too subtle for Bush.

[shutupmurtha]

Right, the media is blowing this out of proportion. You dont just et picked up for terrorism charges walking on the street. I dont buy it, he obviously did something.

[shutupmurtha]

this same guy will probably be the next suicide bomber to blow the capital, He and his AlQueada friends are probablly laughing at this right now.

Was he an illeagal citizen, why was he arrested, why was he suspected, what are they not telling us in this cbs report, wy was he suspected of bing in Al Queada, there are to many whys and whats in this story. It looks to me (from what I know) that we just let a terrorist go. We obviously didnt do it because he was muslim because we go out of our way to give Cair a tour of security at one of our biggest airports. And it took a 2 1/2 year investigation by th Canadians to clear charges? He must have been neck deep in something??? And now he sits on tv with his poochy lip, mr nice guy face and says "oh, this was so horrible" I want the truth.

[clestes-2009]

The "something" he did was have the wrong last name. Are you stupid or don't read. This has been happening all the time. It is just worse now under shrub & co.

Try reading a little bit about a subject before you start making ignorant remarks and you won't sound so stupid.

[shutupmurtha]

This guy must have had ties to something, two and a half years is along time to clear some one who is completely innocent. We wont even prosecute the terrorists we do have let alone rashly throw muslims around to different countries. We are to careful on this stuff, for this to happen. He must have had money ties or something to ISlamoWAkoNazis. Oh he looks so innocent doesnt he, poor guy. If he was really completely innocent than that sucks, but there seems to be to much here to think that two of the most powerful, competent countries in the world would do this for no reason. My senses tell me there is alot more to this story and that CBS is doing this for their political agenda. I am sure we will here more on this in the coming days. Hopefully the truth will come out.

[shutupmurtha]

clestes
Wow this happens all the time? Oh yeah we run around arresting muslims, if anything we dont do it enough. You are dumb if you believe this garbage at face value. He was meeting with people who were under survielance for terrorism. They had enough to put him on the terrorist watch list. So he was up to something regaurdless of the slanted wording of this article. I just hope we dont see this guy back in the news with his picture along side those wackos that blew up the WTC. And maybe we would be even more effective at getting these guys if we could interegate them harder.

[kevboom]

Further proof that there is no limit to the stupidity of right-wing Americans, who will goose-step down the road to hell behind their president, believing everything they are told. And you want to compare radical muslims to the nazis? Look in the mirror. You're condoning torture, moron! Of innocent people! What's wrong with you? I teach logical thinking to 6th graders who could put together a better argument than you. Look up some facts. But of course you have none, because your president and the CIA bury everything, including their screw up's among this one, so we never know the truth. Yeah, just keep blaming everything on Clinton. Whatever you need to tell yourself to justify further torture, murder, senseless death of our own troops, and a $300 billion war that's drained our paper economy and accomplished little more than further hatred of America. That's on your hands my friend.

[sk_w]

To the first few users who still believe he is guilty: be careful what you ask for.

Just because he had 'met' with somebody who was under investigation does not mean he was guilty of anything (as the investigation confirmed). No it did not take them 2.5 years to figure out he's innocent (he was declared innocent long before that). It took them this long to formally declare what happenend and who was at fault.

I don't know about you, but I certainly don't want to live in an America which uses guilt by association.

Just imagine...yourself being thrown in jail without trial for 'knowing' the wrong person...

Or whenever there's a drug bust, we could start throwing all acquaintances of the drug dealers in jail. And if they're not citizens, we could deport them to countries that would torture a confession out of them.

How sick. Guilt by association? Sounds a lot like the countries we're waging war against...

[clestes-2009]

Of course it happens all the time. Why has over 400 prisoners in Guantamo been there for years with NO CHARGES.

Because they were rounded up with NO EVIDENCE and thrown in jail. Then shrub claims he must break the law to try them as "enemy combantment" because he has NO PROOF. There has NEVER been any proof of wrongdoing. As I said before. All this "War On Terror" has accomplished nothing. No convictions whatsoever.

Try listening to something beside Rush Limbaugh and reading some on US foreign policy. "All the Shah's Men" is a good start.

Did you not know this??

[one_american]

Have any of the Liberal loons posting here acknowledged the fact that terrorists lie to get people like you on their side?

Until you do, your opinions mean nothing.

[sk_w]

"Have any of the Liberal loons posting here acknowledged the fact that terrorists lie to get people like you on their side?"

Great argument. I guess that means from now on..NOBODY accused of being a terrorist can EVER be considered innocent. After all, terrorists lie... even if they are proved innocent. Heck criminals (other than terrorists) lie too. In that case...we should just throw everybody thats ever been suspected of a crime in jail and keep them there. Real smart...

[drgoodwin12]

This is for all the idiots charging so called liberals as idiots.Have you ever heard of Ruben "Hurricane" Carter who in 1962 was arrested and convicted of murder,all along maintaining his innocence,well 20 years later the truth came out and Hurricane was sent free as he was an innocent man,he just happened to be black.The same ideology is at work now with Muslims,they are automatically guilty until proven innocent and sometimes beaten and tortured.Not all muslims are terrorist that's the equivalent of saying all the christians during the witch trials (salem) were guilty of the crimes waged against the victims which the majority of had epilepsy.

[shutupmurtha]

"In the seventh century of the Christian era, a wandering Arab of the lineage of Hagar (mohammed), the Egyptian, combining the powers of transcendent genius, with the preternatural energy of a fanatic, and the fraudulent spirit of an impostor, proclaimed himself as a messenger from Heaven, and spread desolation and delusion over an extensive portion of the earth. Adopting from the sublime conception of the Mosaic law, the doctrine of one omnipotent god; he connected indissolubly with it, the audacious falsehood, that he was himself his prophet and apostle. Adopting from the new Revelation of Jesus, the faith and hope of immortal life, and of future retribution, he humbled it to the dust by adapting all the rewards and sanctions of his religion to the gratification of the sexual passion. He poisoned the sources of human felicity at the fountain, by degrading the condition of the female ***, and the allowance of polygamy; and he declared undistinguishing and exterminating war, as a part of his religion, against all the rest of mankind. THE ESSENCE OF HIS DOCTRINE WAS VIOLENCE AND LUST: TO EXALT THE BRUTAL OVER THE SPIRITUAL PART OF HUMAN NATURE...Between these two religions, thus contrasted in their characters, a war of twelve hundred years has already raged. The war is yet flagrant...While the merciless and dissolute dogmas of the false prophet shall furnish motives to human action, there can never be peace upon the earth, and good will towards men"

[shutupmurtha]

John Quincy Adams
Sixth President of The United States of America
1830 said that.

[shutupmurtha]

Well said.

[drgoodwin12]

You wish to attack Keyboom for his facts but yet you are unwilling to aknowledge that from the the Old Testament on Christianity has been perverted by individuals for their own gain.I am a Christian, beleive in limiting abortions, I beleive that the people who attacked our country should be punished.That is why we invaded Afghanistan only to leave it for the taliban/al queda to come back with a vengenance grow stronger and invade a country that had nothing to do with 9/11 or Al queda prior to our invasion.11 days into Bush's presidency he called a meeting for a plan to invade Iraq (source:"Against All Enemies" and "The Price of Loyalty") neither book has been rebuked on these charges they place both wriiten by Republicans. But I guess as the insults go you can't argue with a sick mind like yours.

[random_radar]

So if I correctly understand the self-proclaimed God-fearing, patriotic people below, they are saying that it is okay for the government to kidnap, torture and kill innocent people?

And further, that anyone who isn't in favor of kidnapping, torturing, and killing innocent people in the war on terror is a filthy liberal and a treasonous anti-american?

Hey, just between you and me, I think the fascist terrorists are pleased that you have joined their ranks. Maybe they will share the virgins with you while you all burn in Heaven.

[drgoodwin12]

It's amazing that these self professed Christians when presented with undeniable arguments shut up.The truth shall set us free,that actually is a paraphrase from Jesus not Martin Luther King.It's also amazing how these self proffessed christians do not want to discuss what my religion has done over 3000 years.From the book of Samuel through the crusades (a land grab by all historic records.)the salem witch trials and the exportation of this country manufacturing base to countries like China with mandatory abortions.Maybe you can't argue with a sick mind but you can silence it.It's true mohammed was not a nice guy however that differs from the Koran which is not violent.
Mohammed ranks up there with Saul and David for pillaging and plundering.

[grazinggoat]

Here is a nice link to CBC.ca which is the canadian broadcasting corporation with a detailed timeline into the Arar case.

This is a excerpt of the article.
But he (judge) finds that in this case, the rules were broken. As a result, he concludes, the FBI and U.S. security officials were given an inaccurate and unfair picture of the Arars and that this portrait dogged his entire time in a Syrian jail.

Are we controlling our neighbours intelligence system? Are we breaking their rules?

[grazinggoat]

Here is the link

[grazinggoat]

http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/arar/

[the74blaster]

It is sad that our government has decided to use the same tools for obtaining information from suspected terrorists that the Nazis used. Unfortunately, it appears the information they use to decide whether someone should be tortured is about as good as that used to base the Iraqi war on. Did we not invade Iraq to eliminate the torturing of Iraqi%u2019s by Sadam? I wonder what other embarrassments are in the classified portion of this report?

The only amusing part of this is watching the GOP "Flip Flop" their positions on the reasons for invading Iraq and contradict each other on the secret prisons. The right will probably consider me a "dirty" liberal for saying this, but I have always believed in voting for whom I believed was the best person for the job, regardless of their political party. Based on this and the other unbelievable failures over the last 5 years I am convinced it is time for a change. I am planning to vote a straight ticket for the first time in my life this november to show my disgust with our country%u2019s direction.

These failures are a result of us assigning higher priorities for our special interests or personal gain rather than the good of our own country. I ask everyone to review the performance of the candidates, ignore the negative campaigning that is intended to divert attention away from the candidate%u2019s track record and base your vote as though our country%u2019s future depends on it. Above all, Vote!!!!

[alphaa10-2009]

The American people now recognize Bush has become more and more like the people he falsely claims to oppose with his fictitious "war on terror". You can expect torture, kidnapping, detention in secret prisons, etc. from al Qaeda-- so who is Bush to claim he opposes terrorism? He has brought it firmly to roost under the seal of the USA!

In Thailand and Hungary today, and all around the world, common people are absolutely fed up with official lies and hypocrisy. They want the truth, they want accountability, they want results. And above all, they want true democracy.

Despite his preaching about democracy, Bush has done exactly the opposite, bringing Americans only more fear-- a never-ending war, with terror at home from Big Brother, the "security services" and a lapdog US Supreme Court. P.T.Barnum of demagoguery that he is, Bush believes a sucker is born every minute, and be sure Bush will be there to exploit whatever ignorance, hatred and fear he can find.

But the one thing Bush cannot deal with is the truth, and his little empire of lies is imploding at this very moment. Even his own party regulars know he is a loser and a sham-- worse than Nixon ever planned to be.

[the74blaster]

Very well stated. Hopefully there are far more of us who will vote in the upcoming elections.

[emhawks]

"Worse than Nixon ever planned to be" is exactly right! I would add this:
Don't forget that Bush is the "mouthpiece" of this adm.; Cheney is the brains. Cheney works in the shadows & prefers it that way. It is much easier for him to be successful in advancing his agenda & plans that way. I wish the media would devote more time to Cheney & put more scrutiny on what he's doing. It concerns me that more people don't seem to realize how truly dangerous he is.
All concerned Americans need to vote in a new Congress in Nov. Hopefully then impeachment proceedings will be started against Bush & Cheney. America cannot withstand (2) more years of this adm.!

[mwe3wm]

I want to thank CBS for this forum.

Have you seen the way Attorney General Gonzales and President Bush smirk when they tell us something they don't really believe. The latest is when Gonzales said he did not know of any reports that Mr. Arar was tortured.

I don't think either one would be very good at poker.

Michael Edwards
Texas

[babus2]

Torture has not solved anything, but has made things worse. It is time we try something different. Maybe kindness, listening, respect and understanding would be more fruitful.
r

[searingtruth]

It's not "You have nothing to fear unless you're doing something wrong."
It's "You have nothing to fear unless the government is doing something wrong."
SearingTruth

"The smell of torture, the smell of death, the smell of fear ... the smell of Republican America."
SearingTruth

"It is an old tale. Catastrophe assaults the senses of a free nation. Fear, a tyrant's only ally, is seized. Democracy, a despot's greatest foe, is assaulted. The people, liberties only defense, are subdued. All in accomplice of those sworn, upon death, to protect them."
SearingTruth

"And then there was the President Who Cried Wolf, five hundred times."
SearingTruth

"When everything is secret, everything is legal."
SearingTruth

"History does not record a government of the people assured in secret."
SearingTruth

"Once again, here's how it goes. First, a tyrant 'suspends' just a 'little' liberty, to protect democracy. Then, a tyrant monitors everyone, everywhere, all the time, to assure freedom. Finally, a tyrant imprisons or executes all those observed in abeyance of authority, to uphold liberty. No step may proceed without the other, the accomplice of a complacent people, and the corruption of a civil state."
SearingTruth

"We have become the evil we fought."
SearingTruth

Freedom Clock - www.searingtruth.com

[davelyoung1]

With the United States handing over a Canadian citizen to Syrian agents claimed as the axis of evil, I wonder if the United States has a secret prison there for interogation. This is a strange bedfellow for the war against terrorism.

[ronniehm]

This guy's story is fishy. Syria has never cooperated with us on anything, much less the war on terror, and CBS's implication that there's a CIA secret prison in Syria is absurd. I know some of you people hate Bush, but this one is a stretch.

[searingtruth]

"... Syria has never cooperated with us on anything ..."
RonnieHM

Hee hee.

Can you spell O-I-L.

And, of course, torture.
T-O-R-T-U-R-E


"We have become the evil we fought."
SearingTruth

Freedom Clock - www.searingtruth.com

[whatiyam]

where did they get that news analyst Brennan that thinks you get good information from torture? or maybe he just likes the idea of torture even though it is worthless in terms of intelligence. In WWII we didn't torture, now we need it. well then others will torture our soldiers when they capture them.

RonnieHM wrote:

"Syria has never cooperated with us on anything, much less the war on terror..."

Really? Because just a few days ago, Syria spoiled a terrorist attack on the US Consulate in Syria. Bush's gov even thanked Syria.

Bush has closer ties to Syria then he'd like you to think he has.

[davelyoung1]

America is this one of Bush%u2019s secret prison locations?
Run clandestinely by the CIA White House police.
Is this why he is fighting Geneva Convention rights,
Saying humanity must have divine dignity treatment?
Mr. Bush are your prisons, inside the axis of evil?

[davelyoung1]

Congress needs to invite Mr. Arar to speak out under oath, but escort him with Congressional guards and protections, so he does not get deported to somewhere else. Maybe they can ask Canada's help on this.