Arar Legally Deported to Syria: Attorney General (Gonzalez)

[Supersedeas]

http://www.cfra.com/headlines/index.asp?cat=2&nid=42868

<The US attorney general says Maher Arar was legally deported to Syria under US immigration law. Alberto Gonzalez's comments are the first by a US official since the public inquiry released its report. Gonzalez says the Ottawa man's ordeal was not a case of extraordinary rendition. That program sends terror suspects to foreign countries known to use torture during interrogations. Arar was detained in New York in 2002 on his way home from a vacation in Tunisia. US officials deported him to Syria where he was held in a tiny dungeon for 10 months and beaten. >


A-OKay. Just your garden variety immigration violation here. Nothing to see. Move right along.

[babylonsister]

1. MR. PRESIDENT. YOU NEED CLARITY? HERE'S YOUR CLARITY... Meet Maher Arar.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=103x236367

[Supersedeas]

3. Well at least the AG is on record -- but expect * Admin &US Media silence

from here on out.

Odd how both the * Admin and the US Media feel no need to elaborate.

[ThomCat]

2. Bullshit.

He was passing through the airport on his way to a connecting flight. He wasn't immigrating to the US, so our immigration laws had nothing to do with it.

Also, we didn't just put him on a flight to his home country, we denied him the right to contact his home country, put him on a flight to another country and had him tortured for a year.

Gonzalez needs to be arrested and interogated for a year or so. x(

[longship]

4. Why don't we start using lions?

They look hungry, don't they?

:evilgrin:

[ThomCat]

10. Too hungry.

He might not stick around long enough to really enjoy himself. x(

[Garbo 2004]

5. If he was being "deported" he should have been sent to Canada, his home

country and where he was en route to when they detained him. Canadian citizen "deported" from US via small jet to Jordan, and later sent to Syria. What "immigration law" covers the "deportation" of Canadians to Syria? And does the US normally fly and escort "deportees" in small noncommercial jets?

[Supersedeas]

13. a demonstration of neo-conservative logic and legal thinking

[yellowcanine]

22. Exactly. Good points.

[coalition_unwilling]

6. Gonzalez = LIAR! (n/t)

[susu369]

20. You beat me to it -

LIAR (n/t)

[DoYouEverWonder]

7. Then send Luis Posada back to Cuba

Liar.

[earthside]

8. I Despair for My Country. n/t

[wryter2000]

9. He was covered on the ABC news last night

I'm going to get a reputation for praising the corporate media here. :) However, they did cover him rather well last night.

[Supersedeas]

12. But was his case put in the broader context of the legislative debate?

Sorry, I missed that. I have see the case mentioned, but when mention, it has been more of a personal interest story rather than a case, like al-Libi, which might flesh out a discussion of 'intelligence' gathering tactics.

But thanks for the heads up, wryter.

[dkofos]

11. Just how fucking stupid is gonzales??

On second thought I already have the answer

[MasonJar]

14. Gonzales is running scared as he should be. No one believes

any of them anymore. Canada's commission found US culpable.

[Supersedeas]

16. Running requires a conscience--this unequivocal stmt that the deportation

to Syria was legal shows little in the way of reflection.

They won't run. They won't acknowledge wrong doing. They will have to be confronted.

[nealmhughes]

15. Maher Arar was on Amy Goodman this morning: he said that Harper

won't even acknowledge that an international incident happened, and the Canadians treated him like crap and a judge ruled that his torture-extracted "confession" was to be used against him in the Canadian War on Terror! The press villified him after he was finally released.

How could the US just waltz into an international transit zone (JFK airport) and hold a citizen with good papers of another country and that country not come to the the citizen's full aid?

How can our closest ally be treated like that?

[Supersedeas]

17. when the whole world is whipped up by xenophobic furor--no place is safe

but the immigration argument from the Attorney General is just BAFFLING - BAFFLING.

A Canadian citizen passing through a U.S. airport gets deported to Syria for violation of immigration laws. And the U.S. media has squat to say about this!?!?!

[lumpy]

18. Is Maher Arar a Muslim?

Haven't been following this. I understand he is Syrian born Canadian citizen.

[Tesha]

25. Wiki says "Yes", he's a Muslim.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maher_Arar

[Bandit]

19. Remember the fuss Republicans made over Elian being

deported to Cuba. He was not going to be tortured either...

[Supersedeas]

21. the integrity of the Family Values PR machine has collapsed-yet Gonzo will

speak at the Value Voters summit.

[ShortnFiery]

23. Gonzo lives in a deluded world where the M$M is culled into silence

However, the rest of The World Community KNOWS BETTER.

The World is not NEAR as frightened of Iran or North Korea, as they are frozen with fear thinking of what next State Sponsored Terrorism Dear Leader will launch and/or support. Truth is, so amy I. :scared: :nuke:

[Supersedeas]

24. the battle for hearts & minds is in Repubby Strategist Karen Hughes hands