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| Arar launches lawsuit against U.S. government |
| 2004-01-23 |
| A Canadian citizen who says he was tortured in a Syrian prison after being deported by the U.S. launched a lawsuit against the American government Thursday, seeking financial compensation and a declaration that the U.S. acted illegally. "And a Ferrari would be nice too..." Maher Arar’s lawsuit was filed through a lawyer who represented him at the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York. Since he’s barred from entering the US. Attorney General John Ashcroft, Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge and FBI director Robert Mueller were among the officials named in the lawsuit, as well as 10 "John Does" who took part in Arar’s detention and interrogation in the United States in the autumn of 2002. Barbara Olshansky of the New York-based Center for Constitutional Rights called Arar’s case a clear example of constitutional overreaching by the U.S. administration. She said the lawsuit alleges that U.S. officials made the decision to deport Arar with the full knowledge that Syria practises state-sponsored torture, and that they intentionally deported him to acquire more knowledge about terrorism because Syria "can and does use methods that would not be legally or morally acceptable in this country." Hmmm. Clever. The suit is being filed under the Torture Victims Protection Act, brought in by former U.S. president George Bush Sr. to help victims around the world. Olshansky noted that this is the first case in which U.S. officials are being accused under that statute. She said Arar wants a declaration that "he is entirely innocent," as well as assurances that nobody else in his situation will be treated similarly. What?? No call for disarmament?? Free Mumia!! He is also seeking damages for the economic losses he suffered during his 10 months in Syria, as well as for the mental and physical anguish endured by himself and his family. "Until my name is cleared, neither I nor my family can move forward," Arar said from Ottawa after the lawsuit was filed. "I am a family man, a husband and an engineer. I am not a terrorist." He spoke vividly of his 10 months and 10 days in a Syrian prison, saying: "The screams of my fellow inmates filled my waking hours and remain with me to this day." Arar added: "I hope my lawsuit will ensure that no one else ever again has to go through what I went through at the hands of the United States government." And I hope the US government continues to do the great job it is doing now. He also called once more for the government of Canada to call an inquiry on his case, a move that Prime Minister Paul Martin has rejected until all current investigations by the RCMP and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service are complete. "My own government is not without responsibility for what happened," Arar said. He would not rule out a lawsuit against the Canadian government if it doesn’t call a public inquiry. U.S. authorities detained Arar at Kennedy airport in New York in September 2002, while he was on a flight back to Canada from Tunisia. He was accused of having ties to Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaeda network and deported to Syria, the country where he was born. Last November, Ashcroft defended the U.S. decision, saying it was legal and Syria gave assurances Arar would not be tortured. |
| Posted by:Rafael |
| #11 Time to call in the hit squad, and have this guy's car lose steering control on Wolf Creek pass - in a snowstorm. He's just a jihadi a$$ trying to hammer the US any way he can. Cut him off at the knees and can him as dog food. |
| Posted by: Old Patriot 2004-1-23 11:25:40 PM |
| #10 Arar looked pretty good for someone who was tortured. |
| Posted by: Rafael 2004-1-23 9:24:36 PM |
| #9 Last November, Ashcroft defended the U.S. decision, saying it was legal and Syria gave assurances Arar would not be tortured. And then this guy ends up being tortured anyway? Nice to know that Syrians are capable of keeping their word... |
| Posted by: Bomb-a-rama 2004-1-23 5:09:10 PM |
| #8 As it was noted in previous posts on this subject, "rogue" elements of the RCMP are supposed to have alerted US Customs to this guy. He arrived from Tunesia, and technicly should have gone back there if refused entry. Deporting him to Syria was useful but perhaps not the most Kosher choice, if you will. You notice that he did not sue the Canadians. In a series of raids yesterday, posted elsewhere here, the RCMP attempted to discover classified materials cited by a reporter who has written about this guy. It's fairly clear he has some connection with terrs. |
| Posted by: Chuck Simmins 2004-1-23 2:25:29 PM |
| #7 It might be cheaper to export the work, but a better job is done by an American Union Torture Specialist and his required 2 assistance. Just don't schedule anything for the weekends or Monday. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2004-1-23 2:02:11 PM |
| #6 Well, sometimes outsourcing is cheaper. I hear the Syrians will do it for half of what a U.S. union torturer will......bwhahaha. Fuck Arar. |
| Posted by: Jarhead 2004-1-23 12:41:44 PM |
| #5 We've known since Sept. 11 that America contracts out torture work abroad. Now we have strong circumstantial evidence that Canada does as well. Not just in Syria, but perhaps Egypt as well, as we shall see. |
| Posted by: LongLiveIsrael 2004-1-23 10:54:32 AM |
| #4 Rafael clipped this article a bit too soon. The next sentence is: "The CBS news program 60 Minutes II reported on Wednesday night that Canadian authorities were told of Washington's plan to deport Maher Arar to Syria and that they approved." |
| Posted by: Tom 2004-1-23 9:13:34 AM |
| #3 Robert..why let facts get in the way of a good story? |
| Posted by: B 2004-1-23 8:58:12 AM |
| #2 He was sent to Syria because he's a Syrian citizen. Doesn't it mention that in the story? Curious... |
| Posted by: Robert Crawford 2004-1-23 8:08:49 AM |
| #1 Dumbass.. His name didn't show up on the Feds hit list for nothing. I wonder why he was sent to Syria though. Maybe he should have been sent someplace where they don't practice torture like ummmm...Cuba or China or Iran or Saudi or Turkey or.... |
| Posted by: JerseyMike 2004-1-23 7:31:43 AM |