Canada's human rights failure

[CHIMO]

Abousfian Abdelrazik's detention as a suspected terrorist was Kafkaesque. Michael Ignatieff's failure to help him is shameful

In August 2003, Canadian Abousfian Abdelrazik flew to his native Sudan from his home in Montreal to visit his mother. He didn't return for almost six years. His extended stay was granted by the Canadian government and included interrogations by the Canadian Security Intelligent Service (CSIS), the FBI and Sudanese police. It featured prison time, alleged torture, a year-long residency at the Canadian embassy in Khartoum and almost no chance of coming home. Why? Because he wasn't a terrorist.

As early as 1999, Abdelrazik had been of interest to CSIS, who believed he had ties to the "millennium bomber" Ahmed Ressam, that he knew Osama bin Laden, and that he had at one time attended an al-Qaida training camp. But, despite this, Abdelrazik had flown to Sudan on his Canadian passport without any trouble. It wasn't until he was in Khartoum that he was taken from the street and detained on suspicion of terrorism.

No charges were ever filed, yet he was held for 11 months, until July 2004. He was finally released, only to find that he had been placed on the US no-fly list, and that Air Canada and Lufthansa (with whom he'd booked his flight) refused to allow him on board. Worse still, his passport had expired while he was in prison.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2009/jul/21/canada-abdelrazik-ignatieff-terrorism

[Tindalos]

1. but we're the good guys, right?

Do I need a sarcasm tag on that?

How did we (as a country) end up falsely imprisoning, torturing, and committing almost every crime we used to argue against? And yet, if you asked most Canadians, they would probably have no idea these things are happening. There is such a disconnect. It's long past time we faced reality.

[Spazito]

2. The government's failure to help him is obscene...

Ignatieff, of whom I am no fan, was not in a position of power to help him, Harper and, before him, Paul Martin were the ones who could have done something and did not.

Ignatieff's statements were certainly not in isolation of what the Liberal government at the time was thinking otherwise Paul Martin and the Liberal government at the time would have done something then.

[CHIMO]

3. Canada's Human

Rights failure is the result of the government.

I found it a bit silly for him to name Iggy and not Dions nor the NDP nor the Bloc.

The government right now is headed by Harper.

Seems to me that ever since Jean got Khadrs' father out of prison in Pakistan the Liberals won't touch anything on this topic. The red necks have taken over. And all parties are trying to paint the others into a corner that can be used in a Conservative attack add.

We seem to be devoid of any intelligence at the federal political level.

I for one will keep my money in my pocket until I hear someone taking a consistent policy for Canadians.

[Spazito]

4. Well said...

"The red necks have taken over. And all parties are trying to paint the others into a corner that can be used in a Conservative attack add."

Your statements reflect my thoughts exactly. None of them are doing Canada's 'business' they are all completely focused on the next election and, yes, the red necks have taken over in all parties, it is beyond disgusting, imo.