The US oversteps its bounds, or: The Poor Man!

The BBQ Pit
1

Obligatory link.

That article is actually different from the one I read in my local paper, so that should account for any slight differences in what I refer to.

Anyway, to sum up: This guy, an engineer, a Canadian citizen living in Ottawa, is travelling from Tunisia (where he was visiting with his wife’s family) back to Montreal. He goes through New York.

In New York, he’s arrested, interrogated for 9 hours without a lawyer, held for 2 or more weeks, and then deported to Syria (where he lived until the age of 17).

Yes, you heard me right, the United States deported a Canadian to Syria. Where, by the way, this guy didn’t complete his mandatory military service before leaving, so he’s probably going to get a fairly harsh punishment.

The Americans won’t tell their Canadian embassy where he is. They didn’t tell Canada about this in the first place, and they still refuse to disclose information. His family is worried sick.

Now, it’s very rare I ever get seriously angry about newspaper articles, but this one has done it. I can’t believe the gall of the US (or, to be fair, the American officials involved in this situation). This man was a well-respected Canadian citizen, with a wife and two kids and an engineering consulting firm, and he was deported as a terrorist. Deported to a country that isn’t his home and that will likely punish him.

There is no rational explanation for this, none at all.

2

I agree, that sounds crappy. I just wonder if there’s more information that’s not included in that article that would provide the rational explination (not that I believe that every action of my government makes better sense upon scrutiny).

3

Apalling. Unbelievable. As an American, one can only offer apologies to those who have been our most loyal friends, even when we deserved it least.

I am ashamed and embarrassed for my country, and can only hope he is swiftly returned to his family and friends, accompanied by an abject apology from our government. It won’t be nearly enough, but our Canadian friends have long afforded us a tolerance and generosity that we have ill used. I can only hope you can understand that we have become half-mad with the awareness of our own vulnerability, and extend your forgiveness beyond the breaking point. Once again.

4

We’ll forgive you after you give us back the Alaska Panhandle. :wink: Then we might believe you’re sorry this time. :slight_smile:

I don’t have to put up the flashing sarcasm banner, do I? Or use any more smilies?

5

What the fuck???

Okay, now I’m pissed off.

I REALLY hope this guy gets back home-and whoever is responsible for this gets his or her ass fired.

6

Oh, I know you were kidding, but um, Alaska has never been a part of Canada-prior to becoming US territory, it belonged to Russia.

:wink:

7

Eh, Guin? Here.

Smoochies! :smiley:

8

Alaska. Let me get this staight. You’ve got about 100 million square miles of Godforsaken mosquitoe-infested tundra, a vast emptiness broken only by the isolated mounds of moose flop…and you want more of the same.

I’m not gonna ask why, I’m afraid you’ll tell me.

9

D’oh!

Oh well.

:o

10

I’m gonna tell you anyways, elucidator. :smiley:

Just a titch of coastline on the Pacific Ocean would’ve been nice, tradewise…especially since Skagway’s closer to us than youse guys. Not that Yukoners are bitter or anything. :wink: Up until the Alaska Highway got pushed through, pretty much everything went through Skagway. A lot still does.

Sorry, I’ll stop hijacking a perfectly good thread about overzealous fanatically stupid bureaucratic idiots…

Isn’t it the responsibility of said bureaucratic idiot to ensure that Mr. Arar is returned forthwith, in good health? Preferably at his own damn expense, as well.

11

That, and nailing his pecker to a tree, might be sufficient penance. If Mr. Arar gets to wield the hammer, and the tree is in Canada. Preferably, some place where there are bears.

12

Skagway? Don’t tell me those horrible electric scooters have formed their own township and are plotting our downfall already?

13

So do you have to get a lobotomy before you start working for the INS, or are lobotomies covered under their health plan?

It’s bad enough that the INS is slow, uncaring, and unresponsive. But when they start acting like petty thugs at the same time…fucking assholes.

14

As of now, there has still been no news about his whereabouts.

And Sgt. J, it’s possible there is more to this. The US has accused him of being linked to Al Qaida, and I can’t tell you for a fact that’s false. But even if he was, he’s a Canadian citizen and even horrific criminals have rights. Especially a right to a fair trial.

15

yeah.

we’re still waiting for David Hicks to either be given a trial date by the US or returned to Australia.

16

Er… if he were linked to AlQaida, why would they deport him instead of arresting him. I don’t buy that explanation one bit. (OK, they probably suspected him, but that doesn’t mean they can link him)

17

Hell if I know!

Immigration Officer 1: I think this man is a terrorist. What should we do? How do we make sure he doesn’t get in contact with other terrorists and blow us up?

Immigration Officer 2: I know! We’ll deport him to Syria! Better not tell the Canadians, the terrorists might get wind that way.

18

Buddha Amida! What a horrible thing to do! What the hell is wrong with those people?

19

In a word: fear.

20

The RCMP has already investigated Mr. Arar’s alleged terrorist connections, and are satisfied that he is innocent of any ill-intention. His crime is that he was a friend of a man in Ottawa’s Syrian community, who was at one point shortly after 9/11 investigated by the RCMP for possible terrorist connections and then cleared.

As long as gross abuses of power like this continue in the USA, other members of the international community must look hard at the problem of how to effect a regime change. So far, we haven’t come up with anything better than raining depleted-uranium-based artillery down on American urban areas.

This will be a costly endeavor, not only for the initial campaign, but also to rebuild the US infrastruction. Of course, the cost of one bullet, if the American people take it on themselves, is substantially less than that.

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