http://kerrypither.com author • advocate • commentator Tue, 15 Jun 2010 15:41:20 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 en hourly 1 http://kerrypither.com/2010/06/c-38-falls-short-on-rcmp-oversight/ http://kerrypither.com/2010/06/c-38-falls-short-on-rcmp-oversight/#comments Tue, 15 Jun 2010 15:22:45 +0000 kerry http://kerrypither.com/?p=572 Globe and Mail editorial points out, the new Royal Canadian Mounted Police Review and Complaints Commission created by Act C-38 falls far short of what Arar Inquiry Commissioner Dennis O'Connor recommended back in December 2006. Note to readers: I am looking into why the Arar Commission's web site seems to be no longer available on the National Archives site. In the meantime, click here for a pdf of the Arar Commission's report and recommendations on oversight.]]> http://kerrypither.com/2010/06/c-38-falls-short-on-rcmp-oversight/feed/ 0 http://kerrypither.com/2010/06/if-only-obama-was-all-so-many-hoped-he-would-be/ http://kerrypither.com/2010/06/if-only-obama-was-all-so-many-hoped-he-would-be/#comments Mon, 14 Jun 2010 15:59:50 +0000 kerry http://kerrypither.com/?p=567 New York Times on the day Obama came to Canada -- because the case was before the courts. If he were, he'd read today's decision by the US Supreme Court and immediately move to ensure his administration public takes responsibility for its role in sending Arar to be tortured, and invite him to the White House for a formal and public in-person apology. And if he were, he'd use the occasion to announce the launch of a full-scale independent and public inquiry into all the other Arars -- into the role the CIA and FBI and other US agencies have been, and still are playing, in the rendition, detention and torture of so many others since 9/11. I, for one, won't be holding my breath.]]> http://kerrypither.com/2010/06/if-only-obama-was-all-so-many-hoped-he-would-be/feed/ 0 http://kerrypither.com/2010/02/iacobucci-inquiry-reveals-new-ways-that-csis-contributed-to-the-torture-of-canadian-ahmad-el-maati-in-egypt/ http://kerrypither.com/2010/02/iacobucci-inquiry-reveals-new-ways-that-csis-contributed-to-the-torture-of-canadian-ahmad-el-maati-in-egypt/#comments Tue, 23 Feb 2010 20:15:12 +0000 kerry http://kerrypither.com/?p=542 newly released information says that in June 2002, CSIS agents sent a message to Egyptian authorities trying to confirm that El Maati was in detention there, and telling them, among other things not disclosed, that he was involved in a plan to commit a terrorist act in Canada. Justice Iacobucci has already confirmed that that this allegation was not based on evidence, but on an alleged “confession” obtained earlier from Syrian authorities – a “confession” that Iacobucci says CSIS should have known was likely the product of torture.]]> http://kerrypither.com/2010/02/iacobucci-inquiry-reveals-new-ways-that-csis-contributed-to-the-torture-of-canadian-ahmad-el-maati-in-egypt/feed/ 0 http://kerrypither.com/2009/12/majority-vote-in-parliament-calls-for-an-official-apology-and-compensation-for-el-maati-almalki-and-nurredin/ http://kerrypither.com/2009/12/majority-vote-in-parliament-calls-for-an-official-apology-and-compensation-for-el-maati-almalki-and-nurredin/#comments Thu, 03 Dec 2009 19:07:41 +0000 kerry http://kerrypither.com/?p=458 here (December 3, 2009, HoC Sitting # 123, beginning at 10:00 a.m.). The report, tabled on June 18, 2009 and debated in the House of Commons today, came out of a study of findings by the Iacobucci Inquiry and findings and recommendations of the Arar Inquiry. (The Iacobucci Inquiry determined that the actions of Canadian officials, such as providing questions and information to Syrian and Egyptian interrogators, likely contributed to the torture of El Maati, Almalki and Nureddin.) In addition to an apology and compensation, the committee report calls on the government correct misinformation shared about the men with foreign agencies – information containing allegations which retired Supreme Court Justice Frank Iacobucci determined were variously inaccurate, inflammatory, and without evidentiary basis.]]> http://kerrypither.com/2009/12/majority-vote-in-parliament-calls-for-an-official-apology-and-compensation-for-el-maati-almalki-and-nurredin/feed/ 0 http://kerrypither.com/2009/10/government-still-stalling-on-watchdog-for-national-security-investigations/ http://kerrypither.com/2009/10/government-still-stalling-on-watchdog-for-national-security-investigations/#comments Mon, 26 Oct 2009 09:08:39 +0000 kerry http://kerrypither.com/?p=428 government's response to the Commons Public Safety Committee report, which called for implementation of all of the Arar Inquiry's recommendations without delay. The government's response was tabled last week on the one-year anniversary of the release of former Supreme Court Justice Frank Iacobucci's report, which determined that Canadian agencies had contributed to the torture of Ahmad El Maati Abdullah Almalki and Muayyed Nureddin by sharing unsubstantiated allegations about them with Syrian, Egyptian, U.S. and other agencies. The government says it can't act now to correct the record because of ongoing litigation — another excuse that has no credibility. Read more in my op-ed in the Ottawa Citizen today.]]> http://kerrypither.com/2009/10/government-still-stalling-on-watchdog-for-national-security-investigations/feed/ 0 http://kerrypither.com/2009/03/public-safety-committee-to-hear-testimony-on-the-iacobucci-inquirys-report/ http://kerrypither.com/2009/03/public-safety-committee-to-hear-testimony-on-the-iacobucci-inquirys-report/#comments Sun, 01 Mar 2009 23:21:54 +0000 kerry http://kerrypither.com/?p=266 Iacobucci Inquiry, and the recommendations of the Arar Inquiry. These hearings are crucial. We've heard nothing from the government since the report's release in October last year: The report confirmed that Canadian agencies did contribute to the detention of Ahmad El Maati and Muayyed Nureddin, and to their torture and the torture of Abdullah Almalki (by, for example, supplying the questions to those interrogating and torturing them). No-one in government has apologized to the men. There's no sign that any Canadian official has been held accountable for their actions. And the Conservative government is still ignoring the Arar Inquiry's recommendation, made more than two years ago, for effective and integrated civilian oversight of the agencies that carry out national security investigations. And without that oversight mechanism in place, it isn't clear how Canadians can be confident that many of the Arar Inquiry's other recommendations have been implemented. ]]> http://kerrypither.com/2009/03/public-safety-committee-to-hear-testimony-on-the-iacobucci-inquirys-report/feed/ 0