Canada doesn't torture - nudge, nudge, wink wink
It appears the Canadian government is continuing its push to follow in Bush's footsteps.
Canada does not tolerate torture, but must sometimes work with countries that have questionable human rights records in its efforts to protect the public, a federal lawyer told an inquiry looking into torture claims by three Arab-Canadians.
. . .
Peirce began his inquiry submission with the strong declaration: "Canada does not countenance torture."
But then he went on to say that the risk of mistreatment abroad is just one factor that determines whether the RCMP and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service should share suspect-related information with foreign governments.
And even if Ottawa did facilitate the men's arrests, he argued, that would not violate the UN International Convention on Torture, saying the agreement obliges Ottawa only from preventing torture on its own soil not in foreign countries.
We promise we won't torture you. We'll just have you picked up by somebody who will, feed them the questions we want confessions tortured out of you for, and then walk away whistling. And when they come back with the information we want . . . well, who are we to look a gift horse in the mouth?
Unfortunately, none of this is a surprise. It is entirely consistent with many of the other positions this government has taken.
Hand off prisoners taken on the battlefields of Afghanistan to people who may torture them? Not our problem. Just get us some new boots so we don't mess our own up walking through the blood and shit.
Our government won't lift a finger to ensure Canadians in Gitmo get a fair trail, and don't mind if other governments want to kill you.
In light of all that, sending some of us out to be tortured in the name of "security" is just par for the course.
