Friday, November 03, 2006

Connections show no apology deserved

I wonder when the media is going to get off the back of the RCMP in the Mahar Arar affair?

Now it is clear from documents tabled in court (Globe & Mail, Nov.03, 2006) that Arar had a connection to the cadre of Khadrs, our very own Canadian jihadists. We already knew he was connected to Abdullah Almalki, himself trying to gain sympathy as a “torture victim” of Syria.

What is clear to me is that the RCMP had every right – no – every duty to consider Arar a terror suspect and include him in their investigation..

Almalki, according to Khadr the Younger, was connected to Khadr the Elder, also known as “al Kanadi” (The Canadian) to his al Qaeda pals. At the very least, the Mounties had every reason to believe that Arar was a suspect and needed to be investigated. In the days post-9/11, they also had every reason to share information with the US authorities.

I believe that neither the RCMP nor Canada owe Arar an apology for anything. If in fact, he is totally innocent, then perhaps he should be more careful who he associates with. If he is that desperate for an apology, perhaps he should ask the people who actually imprisoned him and allegedly conducted the torture, the country of his birth, Syria.

Leo Knight
leo@primetimecrime.com

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I think time will prove that Arar is indeed involved more deeply than all the politically correct bleeding hearts think.

Anonymous said...

I certainly believe the same thing. Unfortunately, it is the seemingly favourite Canadian pass time to worship the political (or perhaps I should say politically correct) "victims."

What the Mounties gave to the US was little more than an intel package, not evidence. And in the context of what was occurring in those days, the US was not prepared to let an al Qaeda suspect into their country. Since he was a Syrian national by birth, see ya Mahar. To suggest they needed hard evidence is, in itself, specious. Any nation has the right of refusal on mere suspicion.

The connections between Arar and Almaki are too close and suggestive of something much more than a passing coincidence.