White House Backs Torture-Abroad Law!!!
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| Sat, 10-02-2004 - 5:41pm |
Published on Friday, October 1, 2004 by the Toronto Star
White House Backs Torture-Abroad
Law Bypasses U.S. Interrogation Restraints, 'Rendition' Bill Angers Canadian Arar
By Michelle Shephard
WASHINGTON - The White House has endorsed a proposed bill that would make it legal for U.S. intelligence officials to deport individuals to countries known to use torture to extract information.
The "9/11 Recommendations Implementation Act" marks the first time the U.S. government has officially scripted its policy known as "extraordinary rendition," whereby American authorities can circumvent their own restraints on interrogations by sending suspects to countries known to employ harsh tactics.
Canadian Maher Arar alleges he was a victim of this practice, which is the crux of the lawsuit he has launched against the U.S. government. Arar was detained in New York on Sept. 26, 2002, on a stopover flight to Canada, and after two weeks was quietly deported on a private plane to Syria, via Jordan. He says he was questioned and tortured for almost two weeks, then held without charges in deplorable conditions for a year.
"What does this mean for Canada? Should we keep maintaining the sharing of information knowing now, publicly, that this is going to happen?" Arar said in an interview Wednesday. "This administration is now showing their real face and hopefully people now understand what kind of human rights they're trying to violate."
Arar's lawyer, Lorne Waldman, said passage of the legislation would provide further impetus for Canada to review current arrangements with the U.S. on intelligence sharing agreements and immigration laws.
In particular Waldman pointed to the proposed Safe Third Country Agreement, a Canada-U.S. regulation that would force refugees to seek safe haven in the first country they reach. As many as one-third of refugees seeking asylum in Canada come from the U.S., which means they would be sent back there to make refugee claims.

Here are a couple of posts on this very same subject.
Just Trust Us........
http://messageboards.ivillage.com/iv-elinthenews/?msg=6527.1
Timeline: Prisoner Abuse in Iraq.........
http://messageboards.ivillage.com/iv-elinthenews/?msg=6528.22
These things go on regardless of the administration. If you don't believe it you are naive. The president (generic) is shielded from alot of direct knowledge of these things. Plausible deniability.
Does it make it right. No. It is unique to the time that Bush is in office no. If Kerry wins will it still go on...of course.
The original poster asked for a wake up call...so lets have one...lets be realistic...the world is a cold cruel place...we have Americans in dark corners doing unspeakable things to get results. We don't know about them or hear about them because we couldn't stomach them (and rightfully so). It goes on and will go on...so how about it....Wake up.
>"we have Americans in dark corners doing unspeakable things to get results"<
Those that use torture to get to the 'truth'
Sometimes yes...sometimes no. There is a skill in doing what they do.
"As we saw, from the photo's, at Abu Ghraib the torturers get pleasure from the control of their victims."
It definitely takes a certain type of person do be able to torture someone.
"Is this what we should expect from a civilized society?"
Expect? Probably not.
Has it happened in the past? Yep.
Does it happen now? Certainly
Will it happen in the future? Without a doubt.
That is why these type of activities go on without our "knowledge". The civilized portion of our society couldn't handle the knowledge of such reprehnsible behavior. Unfortuantly it can be and is effective. We pretend it doesn't happen or ignore it as we go through our lives to allow ourselves to believe we are a civilized society and for the most part we are.
It will go on...it is best just to continue to pretend it doesn't. Just don't believe one admistration is doing it and another isn't. That isn't realistic.
The "wake up call" I was asking for is specifically about this administration and how BLATANT its disgusting behavior is. Like you say, most administrations are doing this kind of repulsive crap, but they rarely have the audacity and arrogance to actually pass laws PERMITTING TORTURE. If America votes for this lunatic, it is basically giving permission for legalized torture - and that is just plain SICK.
"the answer is to get rid of the ruling elite, but hey, that's just me."
And exactly which candidate does that? Nader? Perhaps.
"If America votes for this lunatic, it is basically giving permission for legalized torture - and that is just plain SICK."
Don't hold back...how do you really feel.
;)
Jim