U.S. legislators apologize to Arar in rendition and torture caseBy The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — U.S. congressmen have apologized to Canadian Maher Arar for the actions of U.S. officials in his rendition and torture case.
The apology came today as the 37-year-old Arar appeared before a joint hearing of House subcommittees by video link.
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The Bush administration has not apologized.
“Let me personally give you what our government has not: an apology,” said Bill Delahunt, D-Mass., as he opened the hearing. “Let me apologize to you and the Canadian people for our government’s role in a mistake.”
Republican Dana Rohrabacher also apologized, but said he would fight any efforts by Democrats to end the practice of extraordinary rendition, whereby terror suspects are grabbed by government agents and taken to another country where local authorities may torture confessions out of them.
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