The extraordinary rendition of Maher Arar

Four years ago, Maher Arar, a Canadian citizen born in Syria, was detained in New York based upon faulty information provided by certain Canadian officials. He was accused of being a member of Al Qaeda and questioned for several days. He was then deported to Syria. He was imprisoned for over a year and tortured into confessing he had been in Afghanistan training with Al Qaeda. He was finally release due to diplomatic pressure by Canada. An inquiry by the Canadian government found him innocent of any wrong doing. U.S. officials denied “extraordinary rendition” had taken place.

You may see the CBC timeline here, a report on recent developments here, and his website here. You may see a short video here prepared by the Center for Constitutional Rights.

And when you get a chance, read (or re-read) the old Sinclair Lewis novel, It Can’t Happen Here.