10.26.2007

Well OK then

WASHINGTON - Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice acknowledged on Wednesday that the United States mishandled the case of a Canadian engineer seized by U.S. officials and taken to Syria, where he and the Canadian government say he was tortured.

Rice, speaking at a U.S. congressional hearing, said the United States has told Canada "that we will try to do better in the future."

(MSNBC)
Rice was asked by a committe member if the US had diplomatic assurances from Syria that the engineer, a guy named Maher Arar, would not be tortured, Rice said she'd need more time to make up an answer.

The Canadian government has apologized to Arar and agreed to pay him almost $10 million in compensation.

The Bush administration has not apologized. Arar's name remains on watch lists that forbid his entry into the United States.

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