In various corners of the blogosphere, you can hear much gnashing of teeth over the apology and settlement reached with Maher Arar.
Why are we (the taxpayers) paying the man $10 Million dollars? Well, I'd say it falls into the same category as "punitive damages" awarded in court. In this case, Canada's law enforcement agencies acted improperly, and overstepped their authority in a way that at least contributed to Arar's arrest and deportation to Syria.
Now, many people will no doubt point out that it was the United States that did the actual arrest and deportation. While I completely understand that, the wake of the Arar Inquiry makes it quite clear that we cannot allow our investigative activities to run unmonitored, especially when anti-terrorism laws are being used both here and in the United States to justify restricting people's liberties without due process within the public legal system.
I believe that sooner or later the abuses of power that resulted in US authorities arresting and deporting Mr. Arar will be exposed, and the perpetrators called to account. It will, I suspect, require a change of government down there before this happens, but some thorny questions are beginning to be asked in the halls of Congress.
For those who believe in the power of due process, and the importance of civil liberties in a democratic society, the Arar case is a poster child for all of the things that can go awry when we allow our lawmakers and enforcement agencies to act out of fear.
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4 comments:
"For those who believe in the power of due process, and the importance of civil liberties in a democratic society, the Arar case is a poster child for all of the things that can go awry when we allow our lawmakers and enforcement agencies to act out of fear." .....ABSOLUTELY! Well said!
When I read that I instantly said, yes!
I haven't been able to put what I feel about this whole matter into words...you just did!
It's a shame that Harper had to use this as an opportunity to slag the previous government, given that he was just as culpable in calling Mr. Arar a terrorist.
In reply to Mr. Harper's cheap sniping at the Liberal governments, I would point out that the Arar inquiry was initiated by the government under Chretien.
Second, I don't see Harper doing a damned thing to ensure that our law enforcement and intelligence agencies operate with reasonable and adequate supervision / safeguards.
Grog...stop bringing logic to a gum fight.
The Conservatives yet once again found a way to flap their jaws over 'the previous' government while ignoring the published attitudes they gave the world at the time of Arar's arrest. If Harper wants to prove differently, how goes those inquiries into other Canadian men who were also deported and tortured?
And while we're at it, let's hear something about 'hate/terror groups' who happen to be white and martyred getting as much surveillance time as the TO '17'. If the phrase "incompetence is no reason not to fear someone will actually get hurt" is to be an excuse, pleeeeeeeeease visit some of the fine folks haunting Ezra Levant's comment section as well as freedominion.ca and other fun sorts who prattle on breathlessly about what /they'd/ do if cornered by the New World Order ZOG police.
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