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This is why we need an inquiry.
The Globe has more on the newly released documents. It appears a foreign government first (believed to be the U.S) intervened back in July of 2004, in an effort to keep Abousfian Abdelrazik from re-entering Canada. The communications were between that government and a group of high-ranking Canadian security officials- who kept the then Liberal government in the dark.
“Put plainly, I was not informed by anyone of any request seeking Canada's agreement not to allow Abdelrazik to board aircraft bound for Canada,” said Irwin Cotler, who was justice minister in the Liberal government led by Paul Martin at the time.
The Globe has been met with the usual response by those involved with the case at the time. I understand it was five years ago and folks would want to be sure of their spin what they say, but let’s get to it, shall we? What happened to Mr.Abdelrazik is a disgrace.
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Globe & Mail ~ apparently, a secret document has been obtained by Professor Amir Attaran of the University of Ottawa. In it, it describes how the American right-wing government wanted the Canadian right-wing government’s help in locking up Abousfian Abdelrazik. Despicable! The document can be found here.
“The U.S. would like Canada's assistance in putting together a criminal case against Abdelrazik,” John Di Gangi, then the director of foreign intelligence at Canada's Foreign Affairs Department, writes in the note sent to top officials in the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, the RCMP and other security agencies, following a high-level diplomatic request from senior U.S. officials.
“If Canadian police or security agencies shared what they had, it might prove to be enough for the U.S. to proceed as the threshold for prosecution there [in the U.S.] was lower than here [in Canada].”
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This is yet another case screaming for investigation and justice. What is so terrifying is the pattern - government ministries or agencies acting at variance with our country's historical moral and democratic values followed by investigations and then justice years hence. And while one investigation is going on more situations never see the light of day and others are in the oven getting ready to emerge. The historical record years hence is going to label this period as one of profound shame and sadly I for one don't know how or when we can get ourselves out of it. Have we lost the moral fiber to demand and be better?
ReplyDeleteTake care, Elli
Have we lost the moral fiber to demand and be better?
ReplyDeleteThat is a great question, Elli. I am not sure what the hell is going on, but I find it remarkable that a large portion of the Canadian public seems to be okay with it. The trampling of our rights have reached a new level. Cases such as Mr. Abdelrazik’s and Maher Arar, for sure, and now with the assault on the rest of the country, Harper is taking it up a notch.
From giving police the power to trace online activity without a warrant, to hiding the cost of the mission in Afghanistan because telling the taxpayers how much it is costing us would be a threat to national security, I am simply baffled by it all.