Maher Arar: A Victim of Rendition

Thanks to Dex for pointing me to this article:



As the Boston Globe reported:

This extraordinary rendition first gained national attention in September 2002, when Maher Arar, a Canadian citizen, was seized by the US government while on US soil, but then was whisked away to Jordan and later Syria at the request of the CIA. While in Syria, Arar was tortured and held in a dark, 3-by-6-foot cell for nearly a year. He was ultimately released and detailed his story to the media upon his return to Canada. Since that time, other press reports have identified renditions elsewhere around the world, such as the transfer of an Australian citizen, Mamdouh Habib, from Pakistan to Egypt, where he was reportedly tortured.

"...with liberty and justice for all." So ends our Pledge of Allegiance. That is the Pledge that I grew up with. That helped form my belief about why I love America.

I still believe in that America. I believe in America as a beacon for liberty. Let us show the world through our actions why they should emulate our form of government. Not through incarceration and torture, but through understanding and the rule of law shall we lead the world. Not through bombs but through love shall we succeed in lifting up the persecuted peoples of our Age.

Bob