[Rumor]

Yannone: This is the America we have become

My nightmare began on September 26, 2002. I was transiting through New York airport, JFK Airport, when they asked me to wait in a waiting area. I found that to be strange. Shortly after, some FBI officials came to see me and they asked me whether, I was willing to be interviewed.

My first immediate reaction was to ask for a lawyer and I was surprised when they told me that I had no right to a lawyer because I was not an American citizen.

Then I asked for a phone call, I wanted to call my family to let them know what was going on. And they just ignored my request.

Then they told me, we only have couple of questions for you and we'll let you go. So I agreed. I had nothing to hide. And the interrogation started. Soon after, you know, they asked me about people I knew. It was deeper, until the interrogation was going deeper and deeper and deeper.

During this time, they played mind games with me. They would sometimes insult me; say to me something like you're smart. Other times they would accuse me of being dumb.

And, I repeatedly ask for a lawyer, to make a phone call. They always ignored my question.

The interrogation that day lasted about four hours with the FBI officials and another four hours with immigration. At the end of that day, instead of sending me back to Canada, they shackled and chained me and sent me to another, another terminal in the airport where I stayed overnight and in that place, in that room they kept me in, the lights were, were always on. There was no bed in that room and I could not sleep that night.

The next day another set of interrogations started. This time it was about, they asked me about political opinions--I answered openly, I didn't try to hide my political opinions. The asked me about Iraq. They asked me about Palestine and so many other issues. And they also, if I remember correctly, asked me about my emails and some other questions.

I've never heard of this term before.

I'm not quite sure what to make of the statement as to whether it is true or false.

They basically accuse him of being a terrorist and refuse to let him go home. Instead, they send him to Syria where he is tortured for 10 months.

Maher Arar, a Canadian citizen, was a victim of the U.S. policy known as "extraordinary rendition." He was detained by U.S. officials in 2002, accused of terrorist links, and handed over to Syrian authorities, who tortured him. Arar is working with the Center for Constitutional Rights to appeal a case against the U.S. government that was dismissed on national security grounds.

[Rumor]

No one has anything to say about this?

[Macrobat]

He was NOT a "victim of U.S. policy," if the RCMP had not issued inaccurate reports of his terrorist statuts, in (likely) collusion with some elements of the Canadian government with their own axes to grind, he would never have come onto the FBI's radar in the first place.

False RCMP info 'very likely' led to Arar deportation: report

[Rumor]

Originally Posted by Macrobat 

He was NOT a "victim of U.S. policy," if the RCMP had not issued inaccurate reports of his terrorist statuts, in (likely) collusion with some elements of the Canadian government with their own axes to grind, he would never have come onto the FBI's radar in the first place.

False RCMP info 'very likely' led to Arar deportation: report

Ahh, that would make sense.

I wasn't claiming he was victim to US policy, remember that.

What I found most interesting is the term Extraordinary Rendition. I've never heard it before.

Though to be tortured for ten months in Syria because the RCMP made a mistake would suck ass too.

[Macrobat]

True that.

It's interesting where he seems to be placing the blame tho, hmmm?

[Rumor]

It's understandable though considering who sent him to Syria.

I'm sure he didn't know at the time that it was his government behind it.

[Macrobat]

Yeah, looks like he has now accepted the RCMP's apology and is currently negotiating a financial settlement.

CTV.ca | Maher Arar accepts RCMP chief's apology

[Rumor]

It's good to see he's getting something for it. Though, I don't believe a monetary apology will fix him. He's probably going to be emotionally damaged for a long time, if not the rest of his life.

[OreoCookie]

Originally Posted by Rumor 

What I found most interesting is the term Extraordinary Rendition. I've never heard it before.

You haven't, really? It's been all over the news ever since El Masri (a German citizen) was kidnapped by the US and spent some quality time at one of the black sites.