Ottawa must act now on RCMP watchdog: Arar

Last Updated: Tuesday, December 12, 2006 | 4:38 PM ET

CBC News

The federal government must act immediately on Justice Dennis O'Connor's recommendation to create an independent watchdog to review the national security activities of the RCMP, Maher Arar says.

"I hope that the recommendations be implemented as soon as possible and without delay," Arar told reporters Tuesday in the same Ottawa press gallery where he launched his appeal for a public inquiry into his case more than three years ago.

Dennis O'Connor speaks to reporters Tuesday following the release of his second report on the Maher Arar affair.
(CBC)

"I just hope it won't take years. Weeks, maybe months, it's acceptable because there's too much at stake here."

Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day, who is responsible for the RCMP and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), said the government will need time to review the recommendations, but will respond soon.

'I just hope it won't take years. Weeks, maybe months, it's acceptable because there's too much at stake here.'— Maher Arar

The second part of O'Connor's report on the Arar affair makes 13 recommendations with respect to the review of the RCMP's national security activities, as well as those of five other federal departments and agencies involved in national security.

"The case for giving an independent review body the mandate to conduct self-initiated reviews of the RCMP's national security activities is now overwhelming," O'Connor told reporters on Tuesday in a news conference following the report's release.

Separate inquiry called

Arar also welcomed Day's announcement Tuesday of a separate inquiry into the detentions of three other Canadians in Syria who allege they were tortured by Syrian officials.

"They are Canadians who deserve answers," Arar said. "The Canadian public deserves to know the full truth of what the action of Canadian officials might have been in the cases of these individuals."

Arar was stopped at a New York airport on his way home from a vacation in September 2002. U.S. officials accused him of links to al-Qaeda and deported him to Syria, where he was imprisoned and tortured for months.

O'Connor concluded the U.S. decision to deport Arar was "very likely" based on misleading information provided by the Mounties that wrongly suggested the Ottawa computer engineer was linked to the militant group.

Giuliano Zaccardelli resigned as RCMP commissioner last week after telling a Commons committee he had given incorrect testimony on the Arar affair in September.

Arar said he was grateful to the commission for exonerating him, but reiterated his remaining objective was to see all of those responsible for his ordeal exposed.

"The people responsible for what happened to me have never been held accountable," he said. "The people who smeared my reputation … have not been revealed."

Call for review of other agencies

The other agencies O'Connor said need independent review mechanisms include the Canada Border Services Agency, Citizenship and Immigration Canada, Transport Canada, the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada, and the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade.

O'Connor found the existing Security Intelligence Review Committee (SIRC) — which reports to Parliament on the operations ofCSIS — is best positioned to review the activities of four of the five agencies.

O'Connor, who led the public inquiry into the Arar case, released the first part of his report in September, outlining what happened to the Syrian-born Canadian engineer and why.

The report also recommends:

• Changes to the law to allow national security watchdogs to exchange information and conduct joint investigations.
• Creation of a co-ordinating committee that includes various security watchdog chairs to ensure smooth handling of complaints and probes.
• A review in five years to evaluate how well the recommendations have been applied.

O'Connor said the design of the review mechanism must take into account that the RCMP has certain police powers that other security intelligence agencies such as CSIS do not possess.

"The use of coercive police powers can result in significant curtailment of rights and freedoms," he said.

Compensation, apology could come this week

Arar has filed a lawsuit against the federal government and police seeking $37 million in compensation for extraordinary injury to him and his family. Arar plans to attend mediation talks Thursday and Friday.

While the House of Commons issued an apology in September, an official apology from the government could follow a settlement.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper has acknowledged Arar suffered a "tremendous injustice," but has not apologized, citing the continuing legal action.