CBC;
Documents released by the Arar Commission suggest former foreign affairs minister Bill Graham asked for Washington's help in staving off a public inquiry into the case.[...]
At the time, the federal government was resisting growing calls for a public inquiry into Arar's case and the previously secret memos indicate Graham hoped to find another way to deal with the pressure.
In December 2003, public pressure was mounting both in Ottawa and Washington to explain how U.S. officials had been able to send a Canadian citizen to a Syrian military prison.
In a memo marked 'secret' the director of Canada's Foreign Affairs Intelligence Division writes that Graham spoke directly with former U.S. secretary of state Colin Powell about negotiating a protocol for handling future problematic security cases.
The memo says Graham pointed out to Powell that "agreeing to negotiate such a protocol would [provide] a way to deal with the pressure for a public inquiry in Canada and to turn the page of this issue."
Via Coyne who has more.
Willy Graham will be devastated when he reads this post. As they say, he will be all in over it.
Liberals conspiring with evil Americans? I thought they embodied Canadian values. Clearly (hee hee) a vote for a Liberal is a vote for American values.
1) Ms Kazemi - A dual Canadian/Iranian citizen held, tortured and killed by the Iranian government. No significant Canadian reaction. No penalties to the Iranian government, no sanctions nothing
2) Bill Sampson - Dual British/Canadain citizenHeld and tortured by the Saudi government. No significant Canadian reaction, no background work and no penalties to the Saudi government or individuals
3) Mahar Arar - A dual Syrian/Canadian held and tortured by the Syrain government. We have an inquiry but to date no significant Canadian reaction. No penalties on the Syrian government, no sanctions etc
4) Omar Khadr - A dual Canadian/ Yemeni (?) citizen. Captured by Pakistani forces in a raid on a suspected terrorist camp/house. Is able to get an intervention from the former Prime Minister and is released.
The last exception is the one that proves the rule. The Canadian government fails again and again to protect Canadian Citizenship, its most fundamental and basic task. One must ask why the others did not warrant the intervention that Mr Khadr got. There is apparently only one possibility, contributions to the Liberal Party. This angle has not been followed but it is all that is left. We have seen immigration sold for contributions, we have seen advertising contracts sold for contributions.
Oh Bananada!
"Immigrations sold for contributions"? Heck, it's been sold for pizza.