Arar to remain on US watch list!

Before the Arar inquiry there were reports that Arar was deported based on Canadian (much of it false) information. THe O'Connor inquiry concluded that he was probably deported based on Canadian informaton. THe US refused to co-operate with the inquiry so O'Connor could not be sure. Later the US said the it deported him based upon multiple sources that they did not specify. Now Gonzales says it was based upon independent US intelligence. I would not trust any testimony by this guy. He has about as much an idea of what truth is as he has about torture.
Gonzales and CHertoff are the Homeland Injustice twins. I sure hope that Sen. Leahy keeps after them. I really doubt that any smoking gun new evidence will be released. As this article points out the US had already shown Stockwell Day the US evidence apparently. He did not change his mind and he is quite right wing and pro US.



Arar will remain on watch list: U.S.
Last Updated: Monday, January 22, 2007 | 7:08 PM ET
CBC News
Washington will keep Maher Arar on a security watch list for the time being, saying it has independent information that warrants keeping him out of the country.

U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff conveyed that information to Canada's Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day in a letter dated Jan. 16 of this year.

In it, the officials said that in response to concerns raised by Ottawa, they re-examined materials related to Arar. They said based on that review "we remain of the view that the continued watch listing of Mr. Arar is appropriate."

"Our conclusion in this regard is supported by information developed by U.S. law enforcement agencies that is independent of that provided to us by Canada regarding Mr. Arar."

Chertoff and Gonzales say they want to ensure the information is shared with Canada and welcome a confidential meeting with Canadian officials.

But appears Canadian public security authorities have already seen the secret file on Arar.

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On Jan. 17, a day after the letter was dated, Day met with Chertoff in Washington. Day said Canadian authorities had seen the new information provided by the U.S. and that there was "nothing new" in the file that warrants that Arar remain on the list.

"He should not be on a watch list,'' Day said then.

Information 'has not altered' Canadian opinion: Day

"We have seen some recent information that has not altered our opinion on this at all."

Arar, a Canadian citizen born in Syria, was seized at a New York airport in 2002 and sent to Syria, where he was imprisoned and tortured. A judicial inquiry into his case, led by Justice Dennis O'Connor, was set up after Arar returned to Canada more than a year later.

O'Connor concluded Arar had no terror links and the RCMP had given misleading information to U.S. authorities, which may have been the reason he was sent to Syria.

Parliament apologized to Arar, and the government has been asking Washington to remove him from a watch list that prevents him from travelling to the U.S. and makes him a marked man, despite being cleared in Canada.