Canada To Remove U.S. From Torture List

Training Manual Had Warned Diplomats That Prisoners In U.S., Guantanamo Risked Torture, Abuse

(CBS/AP)  A top Canadian official apologized for a government training manual which listed the United States and Israel, two strong allies, among countries where prisoners face torture and abuise.

In a statement, Foreign Affairs Minister Maxime Bernier said he regretted the embarrasement caused by the public disclosure of the manual, which had been developed to train foreign service employees how to deal with Canadian citizens who are detained overseas.

"It does not convey the government's views or position," he said.

According to Bernier, the manual "wrongly includes some of our closest allies," and stressed that the manual "is neither a policy document nor a statement of policy."

Bernier said the manual would be rewritten, no details were provided.

The document singled out the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay as a site of possible abuse, citing interrogation techniques such as stripping prisoners, blindfolding and sleep deprivation.

It also named Israel, Afghanistan, China, Egypt, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Mexico and Syria as places where inmates could face torture.

The listing drew a sharp response from the U.S., a key NATO ally and trading partner, which asked to removed from the manual.

"We find it to be offensive for us to be on the same list with countries like Iran and China. Quite frankly it's absurd," U.S. Ambassador David Wilkins told The Associated Press. "For us to be on a list like that is just ridiculous."

He said the U.S. does not authorize or condone torture.

"We think it should be removed and we've made that request. We have voiced our opinion very forcefully," Wilkins said.

Michael Mendel, the Israeli Embassy spokesman, said Israel's Supreme Court "is on record as expressly prohibiting any type of torture. If Israel is included in the list in question, the ambassador of Israel would expect its removal," he said.

A Canadian citizen, Omar Khadr, is in custody at Guantanamo. His lawyers claim that Khadr, who was arrested in Afghanistan at age 15 back in 2002, has been tortured, but Canada has long publicly said it accepts U.S. assurances that Khadr is being treated humanely.

The government inadvertently released the manual to lawyers for Amnesty International who are working on a lawsuit involving alleged abuse of Afghan detainees by local Afghan authorities, after the detainees were handed over by Canadian troops.

Dennis Edney, one of Khadr's lawyers, said the foreign affairs document shows that Canada says one thing publicly but believes something else privately.

"Canada was well aware that Omar Khadr's allegations of being tortured had a ring of truth to it. Canada has not once raised the protection of Omar Khadr when there are such serious allegations," Edney said. "What does that say to you about Canada's commitment to the rule of law and human rights? It talks on both sides of its face."

[erasmus6]

"Of course they are, after all they are just ''''human'''' like us,,,,, or are they?" posted by ToolMangler


Hmmm, I think that a lot of Americans would agree with me in saying that Bush could not possibly be human.

[candide777]

The U.S. had better clean up its act if it wants any respect.

[toolmangler-2009]

I do not believe that OUR government is as stupid as yours, so for them to do this, I believe there was a good reason for it.
Posted by erasmus6 at 06:30 PM : Jan 20, 2008



Of course they are, after all they are just ''human'' like us,,,,, or are they?

[robertsgt40-2009]

Well,I guess the first run got past AIPAC before print time

[noloyalisti]

I am glad that Canada listed the US because the tortuous truth is the truth. We are the biggest sponsor of state sponsored terror in the world. We have invaded sovereign nations to steal their resources for the fascist government.

Oh by the way, the war on terror is a fraud started by the 911 terrorists within. How can you have a war on a stategy?

[robertsgt40-2009]

Guess this got past AIPAC before it went to press

[erasmus6]

Posted by speakinup at 11:26 PM : Jan 20, 2008

What the h-e-l-l are you talking about?

[speakinup]

So some far left liberal in Canada got a little zelous and then got his azz kicked for it.

Then we have j-whitman, the traitor who claims to be among us. Most likely the jerk is not telling the truth in anything he says.

And daffy - atleast he got the name right for his point of view.

These folks would kiss the enemy to death. They won''t allow us to protect ourselves because the michael moors, sean Pencilnecks, Osama Bin Ladens, jane fondas, and other do gooders (with your money) have convinced them to rot their brains out with liberal BS.

No respect, no brains and no future - that''s all they have.

[erasmus6]

Why would Canada put the U.S. on the list and then turn around and remove it? Think about it. They had to have known how Bush would react before they did it, so why would they go ahead and do it anyway?

They obviously did it that way for a reason. The reason I am thinking that, is this way it is put out there, people hear it and once heard are not going to forget it. They then remove it and can remain on good terms with the idiot till he''s gone.

I do not believe that OUR government is as stupid as yours, so for them to do this, I believe there was a good reason for it.

[ajaxtheleast]

Canada has a watch for war time interrogaters who
remove finger nails.

but doesn''t have a watch for war crime instigators
who remove country''s infraructures.

[rikedoid]

Geez, the Mulroney government IS alive and well in Canada.

[j-whitman]

Looks like the Oak Leaf on Canada''s flag just dried up & blew away in the wind.

[l8c6]

The United States does not engage in torture because Bush said so. So there, neener, neener, neener.

[l8c6]

So political pressure forced Canada to deny their honest assessment?

[bm6005]

If the shoe fits.....

[erasmus6]

"If you torture but are our ally, you''''re not a torturer....." posted by neoconRcrazy


Just because the U.S. was removed from the list does not mean that Canada doesn''t believe they torture. They obviously had the guts to put it out there to begin with and let''s face it, even for a short time it let people know exactly what we think and know.

Who knows what Bush was doing after he heard this. It may not be that Canada has no guts, it may just be a matter of keeping peace with our neighbors until the idiot is removed from office. I don''t think you want to be warring with another country at this time, do you?

[prinzowhales]

Canada continues to sell itself and its citizens down the fascist Washington toilet:

http://www.truthnews.us/?p=1719

It is following the CFR policy for hemispheric integration under the Security and Prosperity Pact signed in March, 2005. Canadians, like Americans, will enjoy open borders and pay for the construction of massive infrastructural projects such as the North American Corridor.

[andrew_693]

Ok, close your eyes and pretend that there is no torture in Guantanamo, even though the CIA already admitted to drowning people for fun. Close your eyes and go to your happy places to eat happy meals and pretend 9-11 never happened. Society is doing an awesome job pretending there is no war in Iraq right now, nobody really cares what happens to those that weren''t smart to go to college or didn''t have the money, they already assume they are cannon futter and don''t have the guts or brains to do anything about those poor illiterate souls. Society only cares about the oil price, getting their 5 extra bucks with lower taxes, social responsibility is null. It''s the same to have a dictatorship with rigged elections.

[lorinkundert]

What a bunch of cowards up there in Canada, the world knows what our so called government is doing.

[neoconrcrazy]

"It also named Israel, Afghanistan, China, Egypt, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Mexico and Syria as places where inmates could face torture."

if memory serves, we sent guys to a couple of those countries to be "interror-gated" and even cited their "confessions"!

does that not smack of hypocrisy?