R Soul on 24/9/2006 at 17:52
Quote:
I was terrified, and I did not want to be tortured. I would say anything to avoid torture.
The quote needs no comment.
Garboshnik on 25/9/2006 at 13:19
Quote Posted by ercles
I am so incredibly ashamed right now, its indescribable. The fact that this kind of shit happens is just disgusting.
I hadn't actually seen that writeup before this, and I have to agree. Unfortunately, I bet that most people here in the US will never see it. I would like to keep up the bit of hope that if they did then they might change their opinions somewhat.
Stitch on 25/9/2006 at 15:57
I miss feeling like I was more or less one of the good guys :(
America has completely and utterly lost its way.
JKeats on 25/9/2006 at 21:21
Reading that made me red faced with shame. Astonishing stuff.
There is a House bill sponsored by Representative Ed Markey and a Senate version by Patrick Leahy (<a href="http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c109:H.R.952:">H. R. 952</a> and <a href="http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c109:S.654:">S. 654</a> respectively) that specifically outlaw the practice of extraordinary rendition. They were introduced last year but have not progressed very well since then. In the wake of the recent vindication of Maher Arar, there will hopefully be more momentum behind this legislation.
It would be well worth your time to contact your representatives in Congress to express your support for these bills.
Lamb on 26/9/2006 at 00:00
Being Canadian, i've followed this story for awhile now, and seriously hope that the head ofthe RCMP responsible for transmitting the false inteligence to the US gets at the very least fired.
In no situation should our government be letting another country deal with such situations, allies or not. if their was intel suporting that Arar was a terrorist they should of picked him up themselves and investigated it themselves.
The mere fact that the Bush's government tried to pass a bill that would prevent him and his staff ffrom being tried for war crimes is cause enough for concern. And to think they tried to impeach the previous guy for lying about a blowjob is a joke, considering the half-assed cover-ups and flip flopping of this administration.
And to think the they are trying to send Dog the Bounty hunter to Mexico prison for capturing a serial rapist 86 times over is even bigger proof that they wouldn't know justice is it turned around and bit them in the ass.
Rug Burn Junky on 26/9/2006 at 00:25
Quote Posted by Azal
I amazes me how often I hear this argument. Non-Americans don't have the same rights, any rights, etc. Leaving aside the obvious question of how that suddenly means it is all right to torture someone, it is also demonstrably and incredibly wrong.
Please read your country's constitution; it would be your turn to be amazed. This time by how wrong you are and the sheer depths of your ignorance.
(
http://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/index.html) This is an easy to read online version of the US Constitution.
Visit it and then tell me where it gives any sort of justification to carte blanche treatment of non-citizens. Like whisking them away without trial to face torture for months or years.
To help you out, when reading your country's constitution, you'll see a lot of phrases like "right of the people" and "In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial" and even "Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted" which comprises the entirety of the 8th Amendment.
No mention anywhere about "non-citizens" being classified as subhuman and lacking basic human rights.
I'll even give you a handy (
http://www.law.indiana.edu/uslawdocs/declaration.html) link to the Declaration of Independance since you falsely pretend to have such deep insight into the minds of the men who fought for the indpendance on the US.
I quite like the "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness" part.
I hear it's pretty famous.
But I must have mised the bit where it said "self-evident unless you're a dirty foreigner with the wrong coloured skin, heritage or religion"
Thank you.
