Report on Gonzales briefing of Specter and Leahy

U.S. senators briefed on Maher Arar. This report did not mention Leahy's refusal to say whether Arar should remain on the list. We will have to keep watching to see if there is any GAO investigation into these matters and if congress keeps up any pressure to examine rendition.


Canadian Press


Thursday, February 01, 2007





WASHINGTON (CP) — Two U.S. senators who have been briefed on the Maher Arar case say they have a lot more questions.

But Democrat Patrick Leahy and and Republican Arlen Specter clammed up about what they were told by Justice Department officials today during a meeting that lasted an hour and 40 minutes.

They say the information is classified but wanted to assure people that the file was receiving a lot of congressional oversight.

The two senators say they want to know more about why Arar was sent to Syria and why the United States won’t take him off its security watch list when he’s been completely exonerated in Canada.

Leahy also wants the Government Accountability Office to look into Arar’s case. The office is already conducting a study of how people make it onto the U.S. no-fly list.

Leahy angrily demanded answers last month from Gonzales at a public hearing, saying the case was a black mark on the United States.



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