If Iacobucci and his Torys LLP crew have any reputation left it is sure melting fast in the hot air emanating from government that sounds just like the US mantra of national security interests. Of course the Canadian Muslim trio are not on trial but they are accused of being terrorists and have suffered at the hands of the Syrians in part it seems because of the actions of officials. Apparently there is not going to be any assessment of the evidence against the three as there was in the Arar Case.
This government is strong on human rights as long as it has nothing to do with the rights of those accused of terrorism. Arar was the first and last innocent accused who got a fair hearing in spite of the fact the no one was punished for their misdeeds. Even if Iacobucci finds there were misdeeds, no heads will roll, and the Canadians who suffered will have had no opportunity to clear their names.
The inquiry seems to be content to stonewall even censoring letters of complaint!
Iacobucci will not even face the media--a director of Torstar!
Ottawa wants Syria investigation kept secret
Probe about Canadian officials' actions, not Muslim trio, brief says
Oct 27, 2007 04:30 AM
Tonda MacCharles
OTTAWA BUREAU
OTTAWA–The federal government is fighting any move to open up the secret inquiry into how three Canadian Muslim men came to be detained and interrogated under torture in Syria.
"In short, this is not a public inquiry," the government says in a written submission to the inquiry led by former Supreme Court justice Frank Iacobucci.
The government's legal brief flatly states the men are not at the heart of the inquiry; their reputations are not at issue; and they are in no way on trial.
"They do not face a finding of misconduct. They have no case to meet."
Rather, the inquiry's sole purpose "is to inquire into the actions of Canadian officials and no one else," government lawyers argue.
The government's submission rebuffs calls by lawyers for Ahmad El Maati, Abdullah Almalki, and Muayyed Nureddin and civil liberty groups for a more open, transparent review of the actions of Canadian officials that may have led to the men's detentions and torture.
Almalki, an Ottawa electronics engineer, was detained in Syria in 2002 and held for 22 months.
El Maati, a Toronto truck driver, was arrested in Syria in 2001, then sent to Egypt in early 2002. He was imprisoned there almost two years.
Toronto geologist Nureddin was held for 34 days in Syria in late 2003 and early 2004.
Iacobucci, who is also Torstar chairman, is expected to rule on the motion within a couple of weeks.
Inquiry spokesperson Francine Bastien declined a request from the Star to interview Iacobucci, saying he has chosen to "speak through his rulings" not to the media.
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