[ql06] INTERNATIONAL: Graham confirms Arar deal
- From: Sheldon Erentzen <sheldon.erentzen@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: QL'06 newslist <ql06@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 13 Jan 2004 11:32:16 -0500
My question in reading this is what the hell does "formal notification
and expeditious consultation" mean?
[snip]
Graham confirms Arar deal
By DARREN YOURK and DREW FAGAN
Globe and Mail Update
Foreign Affairs Minister Bill Graham confirmed Tuesday that Canada and
the United States have agreed on new rules aimed at ensuring that the
Maher Arar scandal is never repeated.
"Following the discussion between Prime Minister Martin and President
[George W.] Bush on December 15, 2003, and building on the subsequent
work of officials, I am pleased to confirm that earlier today my
counterpart, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell, and I exchanged
letters outlining a formal understanding concerning the removal of
Canadian and U.S. nationals to third countries,” Mr. Graham said in a
statement.
“...Canada is now the only country that has such an understanding with
the U.S. Thus, this understanding represents an unprecedented step.”
Under the new agreement, the White House has pledged “formal
notification and expeditious consultation” with Canadian authorities
immediately whenever a Canadian national is detained in the United
States on security grounds.
Mr. Arar, who holds dual Canadian and Syrian citizenship, was detained
as a terrorist suspect at New York's John F. Kennedy Airport in
September, 2002. Although never charged, he was deported to Syria a
month later without the knowledge of Canadian officials. He spent 10
months in solitary confinement in the Middle Eastern country and said he
was tortured before being released to return to his family in Ottawa
three months ago.
"Secretary Powell and I — along with officials from both countries —
will monitor closely the understanding to ensure its efficacy in
protecting the rights of nationals from both countries," Mr. Graham said.
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