The story of Maher Arar is a good one to tell your children. You can use it as an example of what happens when hysteria cripples rational thinking and emotion rules the head. Teach your children to be careful and not to be afraid, the world will be better off. Don’t be afraid, be careful.
A very nice Canadian man takes a vacation with his family. Unexpectedly, his business calls him home. On his way back to Canada he changes planes at JFK and is apprehended by the US as a suspected terrorist. He is flown to Syria where it is known he will be tortured. One year later he is released back to Canada and is given ten million dollars for falsely identifying him as a member of an Al Qaeda terrorist cell and for the pain and suffering of being tortured.
The Department of Justice under the Bush Administration (that only hired rabid Republican lawyers and excluded Democrats) took steps to prevent the investigation of Maher’s case and to prevent the disclosure and the discovery of the truth that Maher was an innocent man.
Read what the DOJ did to stall the truth. Scott Horton testified before Congress and here is what he said.
Torturing innocent people is a stain upon America that may never be cleaned.
2 responses so far ↓
Marlin // July 6, 2008 at 3:39 pm
My question is why would the bush admin punish troops(now serving time in prison) for torture and they admitted it recently that they gave the “OK” to torture, and nothing happens to them?
Cut the head off and the snake dies.
Put the entire bush admin in prison and the problem is solved.
hd // July 9, 2008 at 8:33 am
Excellent question. The deciders share in the pain (as we often hear) but none of the blame.
This is typical behavior from an arrogant ruling class. Do as I say, not as I do. After all, we do live under different sets of rules, don’t we?