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Canada Compinsates Arar


TooFarGone

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OTTAWA (CP) - Four years after he was tortured in a Syrian prison, Maher Arar has finally received an official apology - and $10.5 million in compensation - from the Canadian government for its role in the affair.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced the money Friday, saying Arar, his wife and children deserve to be compensated. "On behalf of the government of Canada, I wish to apologize to you . . . and your family for any role Canadian officials may have played in the terrible ordeal that all of you experienced in 2002 and 2003," Harper said.

"I sincerely hope that these words and actions will assist you and your family in your efforts to begin a new and hopeful chapter in your lives."

Harper also called on United States to remove Arar from its security watch list, which prevents him from travelling to the U.S.

In addition to the $10.5 million, the government is paying Arar's legal fees, reported to be $2 million.

"I know to some Canadians that will sound like an awful lot of money," Harper said.

"But I can tell you that the reality is, given the findings of the O'Connor commission and the unjust treatment that Mr. Arar received, that figure is within this government's realistics assessemnt of what Mr. Arar would have won in a lawsuit and that is the basis on which we concluded this settlement."

Arar, a Syrian-born Canadian citizen who worked in Ottawa as a computer specialist, was detained by U.S. authorities in New York in 2002 and deported to Syria on the basis of unsubstantiated RCMP suspicions.

An independent fact-finder concluded Arar was tortured by Syrian officials before being released from a Damascus prison in late 2003. While behind bars, he was forced to make false confessions about involvement with the al-Qaida terrorist network.

He had sought $37 million in compensation after filing an initial suit for $400 million. Mediation sessions began late last year, opening the door to a settlement.

In September, Arar was exonerated after a two-year public inquiry led by Justice Dennis O'Connor.

The inquiry report found the RCMP passed misleading, inaccurate and unfair information to U.S. authorities that very likely led to Arar's arrest and deportation to face torture in Syria.

O'Connor suggested Ottawa "recognize the suffering that Mr. Arar has experienced" and consider options more creative than a mere financial damage award.

The report pointed out that Arar's inability to find work since his return from Syria has had a devastating economic and psychological impact on him and his family.

The telecommunications engineer came under RCMP scrutiny in Ottawa in October 2001 through his contact with Abdullah Almalki, the target of an anti-terrorism investigation known as Project A-O Canada.

O'Connor urged the RCMP to usher in a raft of policy changes on information sharing, training and monitoring of security probes.

In the aftermath, RCMP Commissioner Giuliano Zaccardelli resigned over his handling of the file.

Arar, who now lives in Kamloops, B.C., continues to have troubles. American authorities continue to keep his name on a security watch list.

That led to a clash this week between Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day and U.S. Ambassador David Wilkins. Day chided the Americans for continuing to harbour suspicions about Arar.

Wilkins said it was presumptuous of Day to tell the United States who they can allow into their country.

Day insisted that there is nothing to suggest Arar is a security risk.

Democratic politicians have raised Arar's case in Washington, demanding the administration officials explain their handling of the case.

U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales has said he'll release more information on Arar to a Senate committee in private.

The NDP applauded Friday's settlement, calling it long overdue.

"From the beginning, New Democrats, along with countless Canadians from every corner of this country, stood side by side with Ms. Mazigh in her battle to bring her husband home to justice and to his family," said New Democrat MP Alexa McDonough

SOURCE

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I'm glad to see this finally come around....the gov't really messed up on this one.

Edited by TooFarGone
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Ya glad this over, hope I never hear another thing about this ya right. This well be in the news until the States take him off the watch list as they should. He has been proven innocent and both Canadian and American authorities are responsible for this mess. Take him of the list PLEASE.

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Wondering if I'd be willing to endure torture for a year for over 10 million dollars.

Also wondering, if he didn't have anything against Canada Then... he sure has a reason now.

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He has been proven innocent and both Canadian and American authorities are responsible for this mess. Take him of the list PLEASE.

He hasn't been proven by the Americans to be innocent. The US government has other infomation that was gathered up by our agents, which in a statement a couple days ago said they would be willing to share the said infomation with the Canadian government in a meeting if they wanted to set one up.

Last time I checked, Canada doesn't get to pick and choose who is on another country's watch list.

For 10.5 million dollars, I'd gladly go through what he went through. :P

He has claimed he can find work and more because of his post-tramatic stress or whatever from the deportation. He looked pretty good today when he was talking. He was also very happy after he found out about the money but he said it was only to 'clear his name'. I guess those millions of dollars are a bonus to him after his lawyers coached him what to say?

Edited by __Kratos__
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He hasn't been proven by the Americans to be innocent. The US government has other infomation that was gathered up by our agents, which in a statement a couple days ago said they would be willing to share the said infomation with the Canadian government in a meeting if they wanted to set one up.

Last time I checked, Canada doesn't get to pick and choose who is on another country's watch list.

For 10.5 million dollars, I'd gladly go through what he went through. :P

He has claimed he can find work and more because of his post-tramatic stress or whatever from the deportation. He looked pretty good today when he was talking. He was also very happy after he found out about the money but he said it was only to 'clear his name'. I guess those millions of dollars are a bonus to him after his lawyers coached him what to say?

I never told the u.s. to take him off the list just asked really nice like. :tu: If the U.S. does have additional information on him It sure would have been nice to have shared that with the Canadian goverment sheesh :hmm: As far as finding work he won't have to work another day of his life. Kratos I'm with you, I would go through what he did for 10 million bucks. As far as the torture goes very little if any but not knowing what your fate is would be the tough part.

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$10.5 million... holy, can you say "damage control"? Yeesh! :hmm: I wonder what this will do to/for Harper's & the Tories' ratings?

(edited for spelling)

Edited by liokee
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$10.5 million... holy, can you say "damage control"? Yeesh! :hmm: I wonder what this will do to/for Harper's & the Tories' ratings?

(edited for spelling)

Thats not to bad concidering his initial lawsuit was for 400 million, then went to 38 million, and he just might have got that to, Harper really had no choice, but to come up with a big settlement. No doubt though 10.5 mill is alot of cash.

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Thats not to bad concidering his initial lawsuit was for 400 million, then went to 38 million, and he just might have got that to, Harper really had no choice, but to come up with a big settlement. No doubt though 10.5 mill is alot of cash.

Oh don't get me wrong - I'm not arguing the amount! I'd say $10.5 million is actually mildly low for the Gov't to offer as an apology for casting out a citizen, based on unsubstantiated proof & sending him to a year of torture in a foreign country. :no: It's shameful and scary! Who else could that happen to?! All you'd have to do is TALK to the wrong person, and boom - you're out! Yikes!

I was going to say (before I got carried away) though, that I think it's likely that the $400 million was aiming high - you know, when negotiating, you always start high and argue down. Likely, it was his lawyer that came up with that figure. What I'm wondering, though, is if the Canadian public will largely agree with this amount and still hold the Gov't responsible, or if they'll support Harper's 'apology'... that kind of thing.

Are they going to launch an inquiry into the RCMP? I seem to remember Zaccardelli being questioned (I have the memory of a goldfish, so I could be wrong)...

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Oh no doubt the 400 mill was extremly high. Your right there. You have to remember it wasn't Harper's goverment that was in charge at the time, so I think it would be easy to shift the blame to the liberal's and claim that they are still wasting tax payers money. To funny really.

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Oh no doubt the 400 mill was extremly high. Your right there. You have to remember it wasn't Harper's goverment that was in charge at the time, so I think it would be easy to shift the blame to the liberal's and claim that they are still wasting tax payers money. To funny really.

LOL - excellent point (wow, I totally spaced on the fact it was the Liberals in power then - DUH)! I wonder then, if this will just be another black mark against the Liberals, and might help the Tories...? Hrm.

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I would let Kratos hit me with a bat 17 times a day for one calendar year for that kind of cash.

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S**T double post.

Edited by girty1600
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LOL - excellent point (wow, I totally spaced on the fact it was the Liberals in power then - DUH)! I wonder then, if this will just be another black mark against the Liberals, and might help the Tories...? Hrm.

Oh I think this could be another bullet in Harper's arsonal, if push comes to shove he will use it and again bring the liberals out as a money wasting party and that he is the one that can clean it up. I'm from Calgary so I'm a bit bias when it comes to Harper. I like the guy and so far no major mess up's ok one but I don't want to talk about it :rolleyes: LOL.

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I would let Kratos hit me with a bat 17 times a day for one calendar year for that kind of cash.

If I let kratos do that I wouldn't last very long :lol: Kiddin Kratos

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I would let Kratos hit me with a bat 17 times a day for one calendar year for that kind of cash.

:lol: It'd be hard to hit you.

Even harder to watch over my shoulder for Falco :ph34r:

If I let kratos do that I wouldn't last very long :lol: Kiddin Kratos

You wouldn't? See the object isn't to kill you but keep you alive long enough to tell me the truth. ;)

lol

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:lol: It'd be hard to hit you.

Even harder to watch over my shoulder for Falco :ph34r:

You wouldn't? See the object isn't to kill you but keep you alive long enough to tell me the truth. ;)

lol

I'd crack like a coconut, and tell you I dressed like Ronald Mcdonald and played with barbies if that were to happen, estimated time of confesion, 1 day, man 17 wacks girty is a tough one and ya Falco would be right over you lol. Ooppps ya off course, to keep this going ignore this and reflect on the Paul Martin we once had, here..... in .... Canada.

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Glad he got something.

~Thanato

Thanato, I would like to hear more on what you think about this. I'm surprised you didn't add more. I look foward to your posts and responses. Why are you glad he got it?

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He spent a year in a foriegn jail were he was tourtured. His life was ruined. He is a father and a husband and he has spent the last 3 years trying to clear his name and now that it has been proven beyond a dout that he had no terrorist connections and that the US was wrong in deporting him to Syria I am glad he got the 11.5 Million (including the 1 million he got for legal fees).

And I am glad Arar said he wants to give back to the Canadian Society. Now that Canada has formely appologized maybe the US can take him off the banned list and appologize. We've shown we are man enough, is the US government?

~Thanato

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Now that Canada has formely appologized maybe the US can take him off the banned list and appologize. We've shown we are man enough, is the US government?

Man enough? Sure, I bet the US would be more then man enough to do it. But the US has other intelligence from their own guys that still point to him, which was said would be shared with the Canadians in a private meeting if they choose to. :tu:

Also, why hasn't Canada manned up enough to give a formal apology to the United States of America for it's government protest over their liars within the RCMP?

Canada's top policeman resigned on Wednesday, a day after he admitted misleading legislators about how his force had botched the case of a Canadian deported to Syria by U.S. agents.

Source

Edited by __Kratos__
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Man enough? Sure, I bet the US would be more then man enough to do it. But the US has other intelligence from their own guys that still point to him, which was said would be shared with the Canadians in a private meeting if they choose to. :tu:

Also, why hasn't Canada manned up enough to give a formal apology to the United States of America for it's government protest over their liars within the RCMP?

Canada's top policeman resigned on Wednesday, a day after he admitted misleading legislators about how his force had botched the case of a Canadian deported to Syria by U.S. agents.

Source

Let me get this strieght you are asking the Canadian RCMP to apoligize for having false eviedence, I'm sorry that made me laugh. When the U.S. says they have other evidience and is unwilling to share it with Canada in such a case as this, I do not and will not trust that for one second. "IF" the U.S. had something else on him then it's in the best interest of both nations to share this, don't you think? If they have proof he's a terrorist why would the U.S. want him free in Canada ? Till I see the evidience I think it's a lie !!!

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Let me get this strieght you are asking the Canadian RCMP to apoligize for having false eviedence, I'm sorry that made me laugh. When the U.S. says they have other evidience and is unwilling to share it with Canada in such a case as this, I do not and will not trust that for one second. "IF" the U.S. had something else on him then it's in the best interest of both nations to share this, don't you think? If they have proof he's a terrorist why would the U.S. want him free in Canada ? Till I see the evidience I think it's a lie !!!

Yeah, because the Canadian government made a silly protest over those lies.

They're willing, they said they could set up a private meeting. It's not saying he's a terrorists either, it means he should be watched because he could have ties.

Think it's a lie all you want, won't change the fact the US is a different country then Canada and is allowed to conduct it's own operations without the Canadians approval.

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