Wednesday, June 15, 2005

Defending Canadian interests

Offered the chance to sit in on Syrian interrogations of Maher Arar, Ambassador Franco Pillarella declined. And the public won't be told why:
(T)he former Canadian ambassador to Damascus...testified Wednesday that the offer was made to him by Gen. Hassan Khalil, head of Syrian military intelligence...

Pillarella did not explain, in his public testimony, why the Syrian offer was rejected. He has testified at length in camera, but that evidence remains secret for national security reasons.

But don't worry: if Pillarella had been shown "conclusive proof of torture", he may have taken action.
Pillarella acknowledged that prison conditions were likely "appalling" and that Arar was "probably subject to some form of abuse."

But the ambassador, who has since been posted to Romania, insisted for a second straight day that he had no conclusive proof of torture.

Keep in mind that this is Canada's top representative in a foreign state known for torture...and he not only didn't follow up himself, but even declined invitations to gather more information.

And for this he was rewarded by being assigned another ambassadorial position.

Ever rewarding merit, that Martin.

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