Harper to Bush: Canada to officially protest U.S. treatment of Arar

[sabra]

http://www.570news.com/news/national/article.jsp?content=n100641A

Harper to Bush: Canada to officially protest U.S. treatment of Arar

OTTAWA (CP) - Canada will launch an official protest over American treatment of Maher Arar, Prime Minister Stephen Harper told U.S. President George W. Bush in a phone call Friday.

...

A recent inquiry report by Justice Dennis O'Conner said U.S. officials treated Arar "in a most regrettable fashion" when they shipped the Ottawa engineer to a prison in his Syrian homeland in 2002 on suspicion of terrorist links.

Arar spent a year in prisons there, where he was tortured before being released without charge.

...

The White House welcomed the phone call - but had little to say about the Arar protest.

"The president noted his appreciation for Harper calling him directly on this," said White House spokeswoman Dana Perino.

[Kagemusha]

1. Well isn't that cold.

Guess the WH is still holding to the attorney general's cold shoulder treatment of the case.

[MadMaddie]

2. Well I guess Condi's boyfriend will have to chat with her behind

closed doors...

Another country alienated by the * cabal torture policy...

[AX10]

3. Harper needs to do something to get his poll numbers up.

Even though he is a right wing stooge, he needs to appear
"moderate".

[Hoping4Change]

4. IMO this is stagecraft orchestrated by Harper and Bush.

To have any credibility Harper needs to demand the resignation of the RCMP's top dog however Harper has already stated that this won't happen.

[Kolesar]

6. You think this is a gimmick to get the terrorists-scare back in the media?

"Do you?" (ran out of space for the complete subject line)

[Hoping4Change]

11. I believe that American business interests recognize that it is

to their benefit to have a pro-business government in Canada. Given the minority gov't in Canada, Harper cannot act with impunity to impose his what many Canadians would consider an extreme rw agenda. IMO Washington is prepared to play any games that would support Harper;s quest for a majorty gov't. Harper has no hope of achieving that goal if it appears that he is close to Buswh. This stagecraft allows Harper to appear to be standing up to Bush. The stagecraft is all about getting Harper a majority govt.

[Kolesar]

12. understood

[Lisa]

18. wouldn't it be funny if they got their signals crossed ...

... and the role-playing continued until Georgie really did start to think that his good buddy "Steve" had turned on him and was using that excuse as a cover! Given that Bush can hardly contain himself at the best of times, it would be fun to see him fly off the handle. (Even more so than the LBJ/Pearson "you pissed on my rug" incident from decades ago.)

[daleo]

9. You could have a point

There is something fishy about it. Granted, Harper desperately needs to do something to disguise his neo-con identity a bit, but they may have worked out something in the background. It should become obvious.

[Hoping4Change]

13. If both are in collusion I don't see why it would have to be obvious.

Did you see CTV's coverage of Harper at the Leaf's game last night? CTV gave Harper what amounted to friggin free 3 minute ad. It was all stagecraft. The story was about how Harper has NEVER let on which team he supported let the cat out of the bag last night at a Leafs vs Senators game. There he was with his son who wore a Leafs jersey. Then lo and behold the cameras were on him when Harper abandoned caution aside and threw up his arms when the Leafs scored a goal.

[daleo]

30. I don't mean the collusion with Bush will become obvious to everyone

Just those of us who are paying attention.

Harper feigns neutrality between the Oilers and Flames too. During last years Oilers playoff run he wouldn't even wear an Oilers jersey. It's just as well - it would have been a jinx.

[tuvor]

15. Curious that Harper doesn't want anyone in the RCMP to step down.

[Hoping4Change]

16. Did you read Jim Travers in the Star suggesting Harper is beholden

to the RCMP? He writes:

"Is the current government so beholden to Zaccardelli for the unusual, arguably pivotal, RCMP intervention in the last election that it's willing to blink at incompetence — or worse?

If true, that would confirm a Third-World relationship between the ruling party and the federal police.

Having benefited politically from the very public, and now disturbingly private, RCMP investigation into leaks around the Liberal income trust decision, Conservatives are protecting a commissioner who should either resign or be fired.

Extenuating circumstances only make that scenario more seductive to cynics and conspiracy theorists.


http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1159783988422&call_pageid=968256290204&col=968350116795

[tuvor]

23. I'd glanced at it earlier but had forgotten.

Thank you for posting the reminder!

[CHIMO]

25. You Hit The Button

Bush treated Steve as just another guy.

Then after his moves to RW policy Bush said hmm...

Then after the reports of Steve's' internal communications he realised that the guy was really falling hook, line and sinker for his agenda.

Now Blair and that guy in Australia will have to wait in line.

I would suspect that Bush will look to Steve for something to support the Nov. elections. More than just the slush fund.

[me b zola]

5. What is an "official protest"?

Are they going to file a complaint with the UN? They should.

[coalition_unwilling]

7. They should pull their troops out of Afghanistan ASAP, as those

troops are fighting and dieing for BFEE's neo-imperial Unocal agenda.

[Kagemusha]

10. An official protest is bilaterial, from one government to another

Specifically, what would be protested is treating Arar like he was a Syrian only and he had no right to have Canada informed of his pending rendition, or given consular access to him like any normal Canadian citizen would be (even or, especially, in cases where serious criminal conduct is alleged), before being shipped off to a Syrian gulag. Though yes, there are international obligations involved here, it's not, say, a case brought before an international court. It's an official protest of American official misconduct.

[MaineDem]

8. Perino's statement at the briefing sounded like it was a friendly call

She didn't say Harper was issuing a protest. What a surprise...

[tuvor]

14. Oh, so has Harper finally apologized to Arar then?

As of a few days ago, he hadn't.

[Spazito]

17. Yep, I can just imagine the conversation....

Hey George, I am formally (wink, wink) protesting the treatment of Arar (wink, wink). Oh, and, btw, I will probably be in a tough election soon, not that it is the reason I need to go on the record with this formal protest (wink, wink) so anything you can do to help out on this will be appreciated and the favour returned. Do you need any more Canadian cannon fodder for Afghanistan, just let me know, I am sure I can find some more bodies for you.

[Lisa]

19. "Hey Stevie -- you got somethin' in yer eye? Why you winkin' like that?"

"Stevie, you better not be comin' onto me!"

It would probably take Bush a while to catch on, since he's not really adept at the subtle stuff.

[Spazito]

20. LOL, you reminded me of the "you're Scottie is prettier than my

Scottie" comment from bush to Chretien. Maybe harper better be very careful with those "winks", lol.

[whirlygigspin]

21. from one predator to another...

Maybe Steven Harpy is miffed that Harpy Bush shook him down for $450 million

just a thought

[Lisa]

22. yes, I can't forget that "prettier" comment -- even though I try!

The Liberal aide he was referring to, later commented that "when the President of the USA says that you are pretty, you have to go along with it", or words to that effect. I wonder whether Bush (who has inordinately big ears when it comes to sensitive information) had meant it as a derogatory comment -- he might have known that one of the Liberal caucus (Scott Brison, formerly on the other side of the House) was openly gay. And he got him mixed up with the other Scott, when they were introduced (and Bush just assumed that the Scott who was working for the PM was the same guy). It seems to make a bit more sense than if it were simply off-topic babbling by Georgie.

Bush has done something similar in the past -- that "going fishing" comment when he met Chretien for the first time (probably got info from Mulroney on how Chretien needled him about going fishing with Bush's dad so much and being too buddy-buddy with the White House).

[tuvor]

24. Canadian Press: Bush promises statement on Arar

OTTAWA — U.S. President George W. Bush has promised to respond to a Canadian complaint about Maher Arar's deportation to Syrian torture chambers, Prime Minister Stephen Harper says.

In a phone conversation today, the prime minister told Bush he would be sending a letter to protest Arar's treatment at JFK airport in New York in 2002.

"The president had some awareness of the issue," Harper later told a Calgary news conference.

"He obviously expressed some concern, said he would look at the letter, said he would address it and reply to it."

<snip>

But the NDP ridiculed the federal government.

They noted that while launching protests in the U.S., the government itself has yet to formally apologize to Arar.

http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&pubid=968163964505&cid=1160171410828&col=968705899037&call_page=TS_News&call_pageid=968332188492&call_pagepath=News/News

[Telly Savalas]

27. Why is Bush "expressing some concern"?

He's the one to institute a policy of torturing innocent people. Shouldn't he be happy about this?

[struggle4progress]

26. About. Time. eom

[Vidar]

28. Protests from Canada & Mexico on the same day. Who's Secretary

of State? Oh yes...

[leesa]

29. Excellent. I am hoping this is the first court challenge that ends up

in an international court.

[NVMojo]

31. Canada to Protest Treatment of Suspect (by US)

OTTAWA (AP) -

Canada's prime minister said Friday he will send a formal letter of complaint to President Bush over the treatment of a Canadian terror suspect who was sent to a Syrian prison by American authorities.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper notified Bush of that decision during a telephone call Friday.

The suspect - Syrian-born Maher Arar - was exonerated of all suspicion of terrorist activity last month by a Canadian commission of inquiry.

The inquiry indicated that Canadian police told U.S. authorities that Arar was an Islamic extremist suspected of links to al-Qaida. The accusations proved to be wrong and are likely what led the Americans to deport him to Syria.

more...

http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/w-na/2006/oct/06/100603478.html

[longship]

32. This is what ChimpCo needs, an international incident.

Next comes the International Court at The Hague.
:woohoo:

[The Sushi Bandit]

33. Canada in protest over rendition (Canadian man deported to Syria)

Canada is to make a formal protest to the United States over the case of a Canadian man deported to Syria in 2002 over suspected al-Qaeda links.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/5415320.stm

Maher Arar claims that he was tortured in Damascus after being detained by US officials while changing planes in the US on a flight from Tunisia to Ottawa. A Canadian government inquiry cleared him of any involvement in terrorism.

Canadian Prime Minister Steven Harper said the US should "come clean" about its "inappropriate conduct".

Mr Arar was detained and questioned by US customs agents while changing planes on his way back from a holiday in Tunisia in New York's JFK airport in September 2002. He was subsequently deported to Syria. A Canadian government inquiry supported his claims to have been tortured during his eight months of imprisonment in the country.

[Selatius]

34. Is this not a war crime or a crime against humanity? n/t

[whirlygigspin]

35. a kick in the nads

I think Stephen Harpy is angry that Bush shook him down for $1 Billion (nearly half of witch gets to be 'pocketed' by the white house with no oversight)

$450 million slush fund for Bush from Canadian lumber deal, just in time for the mid-terms
http://www.correntewire.com/450_million_slush_fund_for_bush_from_canadian_lumber_deal_just_in_time_for_the_mid_terms

Payback is a bitch sometimes

[NVMojo]

36. it's always about money, isn't it?? Not life and doing what is right.

[Spazito]

37. bush didn't shake down harper, harper gave bush the money

as a gift, he wants to be bush's poodle after blair leaves. harper is working "real hard" to kiss bush's ass.

The only reason harper is doing this now is because he is going to be in a tough election soon and Canadians, unlike their current government, ARE genuinely outraged.

[Telly Savalas]

38. "Shook him down"?

Nah. That spineless weasel Steve couldn't be any more enthusiastic about handing out that money.