Maher Arar — the Syrian-born Canadian whom U.S. authorities accused of links to al-Qaeda militants and deported to his homeland, where he was jailed and tortured — says he has been offered several book and movie deals.

Arar, whose name was cleared by a Canadian public inquiry, said he would have to do a lot of thinking before he agrees to share his story in a book or in a movie.

Maher Arar, shown in January, smiles shortly after the federal government officially apologized to him and offered him compensation.
(Tom Hanson/Canadian Press)

"Contrary to what many believe, I value my privacy and haven't had time to sit down and think," he said in a speech to about 400 students at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver on Friday.

"If it happens, it won't be soon. I just want a break."

Arar did not provide any other details about the deals.

Arar, who worked as a telecommunications engineer, was flying home to Ottawa after a vacation in September 2002 when he was arrested during a stopover at New York's JFK Airport.

U.S. authorities, suspecting he was involved with the al-Qaeda network, deported him to Syria, where Arar says he was systematically tortured and brutalized for a year.

A year after Arar was allowed to return to Canada, Ottawa set up an inquiry into his case.

Justice Dennis O'Connor issued his main report in September 2006, concluding that the RCMP provided misleading information to U.S. authorities, which may have led to his deportation.

O'Connor also determined there was no evidence that Arar, who now lives in Kamloops, B.C., had links to terrorist organizations or militants.

In January, Arar received a formal apology from Prime Minister Stephen Harper and $10.5 million in compensation from the federal government, plus an estimated $1 million in legal fees.

In Arar's speech on Friday, he credited the Canadian public and the media for pushing for a public inquiry into his case.

However, he faulted journalists for reporting on false and misleading information during his ordeal. Most of that information came from unnamed sources, he said.

"It's time for journalists in Canada to look at the protocol they use with confidential sources," he told the crowd.

With files from the Canadian Press