Critics condemn U.S. torture by proxy When Ottawa computer expert Maher Arar arrived back in Canada this week after a year of captivity, his account of torture in Syria and Jordan shocked many.
Arar, who was seized by American officials in New York during a flight back from a family visit, has called for a full investigation of Canada's role in his ill-treatment, which he said included confinement in a dark, filthy cell, beating and psychological abuse.
Arar also encountered another Syrian-born Canadian, Abdullah Almalki, in the Syrian jail, and reported he had received even more severe treatment....
...But for the U.S., deportation of suspects to countries where torture is conducted by proxy — "rendition" as it is known in American intelligence circles — is part of a larger pattern that is causing alarm, and critics say it's damaging America's image in the international community. [Toronto Star: World]
