Protocol offers no guarantee: Canucks still at risk internationally

[struggle4progress]

By JIM BROWN, CP

A Canada-U.S. protocol negotiated in the wake of the Maher Arar affair is no guarantee other Canadians won't suffer the same fate of deportation and torture, says an expert in American immigration law.

"To be blunt, I don't think it (the protocol) does a damn thing," Stephen Yale-Loehr, who teaches at Cornell University, told a public inquiry yesterday. "Basically, all it requires is notification and consultation ... The same thing could happen to another person." <snip>

The so-called Monterey protocol, signed in 2004 by then-foreign minister Bill Graham and then-U.S. secretary of state Colin Powell, provides for broader and higher-level consultation should similar cases arise in future. <snip>

Julia Hall, legal counsel for New York-based Human Rights Watch, dismissed Graham's attitude as showing "deference to the United States in all matters related to national security issues. <snip>

http://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/OttawaSun/News/2005/06/08/1076446-sun.html

[Spazito]

1. I agree, the government's actions throughout the Arar case

have been despicable and the Monterey protocol is not worth the paper it is written on. It was a sop to appear like they were doing something.

[gula]

2. Despicable indeed.

That's why I always travel with two passports. Sad to say but I am just not sure that I could rely on the Canadian embassy/consulate to help me if I ever got into trouble abroad.

[achtung_circus]

3. But,

wasn't part of the American case for deportation to Syria Arar's dual nationality? I'm not sure.

[Spazito]

4. He had lived in Canada for years, carried a Canadian passport

and, if they had concerns, they should have deported him to Canada. We have many dual citizens, as long as they live in Canada and carry Canadian passports, they would, prior to 9/11, deport them to Canada to deal with if necessary.

This was a major breach of protocol.

[achtung_circus]

5. Absolutely.

But did the dual citizenship work against him? I heard, I don't remember where, that Syria will not you totally renounce Syrian citizenship when you become a citizen of another country. True?

[Spazito]

6. I have no idea what Syria does with regard to former citizens

I only know what the responsibility of our Canadian government is in protecting citizens who carry a Canadian passport as he was and there is NO excuse for their actions, either government, imo.

[achtung_circus]

7. Don't get me wrong.

I agree wholeheartedly.

[Spazito]

9. I know, I am sorry if I sounded snippy, it wasn't meant to be that way

I guess I am so outraged by what has happened and the action of our government it seeps out even in my posts.

[CHIMO]

8. Syria

I believe still recognizes him as a Syrian. Thus he was a Syrian as far as Syria was concerned.

It certainly worked against him. Since the US no longer recognizes a Canadian passport it should also send up warning flags to all Canadians and non US citizens.

The US attempt to create two types of Canadian citizens has not worked.