QUOTE
Rice says US erred in Canadian's arrest
Rice Says US Mishandled Case of Canadian Man Seized by US Officials
Staff
AP News
Oct 24, 2007 14:32 EDT
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice acknowledged on Wednesday that the United States mishandled the case of a Canadian engineer seized by U.S. officials and taken to Syria, where he and the Canadian government say he was tortured.
Rice, speaking at a U.S. congressional hearing, said the United States has told Canada "that we will try to do better in the future."
"We do not think that this case was handled as it should have been. We do absolutely not wish to transfer anyone to any place in which they might be tortured," she said.
When asked whether the United States relied on diplomatic assurances from Syria that the engineer, Maher Arar, would not be tortured, Rice said she would respond later because her memory of certain details "has faded a bit."
Arar, a Syrian-born Canadian citizen, was detained by U.S. immigration agents on Sept. 26, 2002, as he stopped in New York en route home from a vacation. Days later, he was sent by private jet to Syria where, according to Canadian officials, he was tortured.
After nearly a year in a Syrian prison, he was released without charges and returned to Canada.
The Canadian government has apologized to Arar and agreed to pay him almost $10 million in compensation.
The Bush administration has not apologized. Arar's name remains on watch lists that forbid his entry into the United States.
Source: AP News
Rice Says US Mishandled Case of Canadian Man Seized by US Officials
Staff
AP News
Oct 24, 2007 14:32 EDT
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice acknowledged on Wednesday that the United States mishandled the case of a Canadian engineer seized by U.S. officials and taken to Syria, where he and the Canadian government say he was tortured.
Rice, speaking at a U.S. congressional hearing, said the United States has told Canada "that we will try to do better in the future."
"We do not think that this case was handled as it should have been. We do absolutely not wish to transfer anyone to any place in which they might be tortured," she said.
When asked whether the United States relied on diplomatic assurances from Syria that the engineer, Maher Arar, would not be tortured, Rice said she would respond later because her memory of certain details "has faded a bit."
Arar, a Syrian-born Canadian citizen, was detained by U.S. immigration agents on Sept. 26, 2002, as he stopped in New York en route home from a vacation. Days later, he was sent by private jet to Syria where, according to Canadian officials, he was tortured.
After nearly a year in a Syrian prison, he was released without charges and returned to Canada.
The Canadian government has apologized to Arar and agreed to pay him almost $10 million in compensation.
The Bush administration has not apologized. Arar's name remains on watch lists that forbid his entry into the United States.
Source: AP News
Forget about the torture aspect for a minute. Does anyone else think it's strange that the US and Syria have a cozy little relationship in the "war on terror" at the same time that they're rattling sabres at each other in the news?
