Yeah, Well
Canada removes the United States from its list of nations that practice torture. NYT:
OTTAWA — The Canadian minister of foreign affairs, Maxime Bernier, said Saturday that he had ordered officials to rewrite an internal government manual that listed the United States among countries that potentially torture or abuse prisoners.
“I regret the embarrassment caused by the public disclosure of the manual used in the department’s torture awareness training,” Mr. Bernier said in a statement. “It contains a list that wrongly includes some of our closest allies. I have directed that the manual be reviewed and rewritten.”
The United States government has repeatedly said that it does not torture prisoners, an assurance that has been accepted by Canada’s Conservative government.
Although the Department of Foreign Affairs would not specify which countries would be removed from the list, the United States is a close ally and had complained to Canada about its inclusion.
The 89-page PowerPoint presentation now under review is used to train diplomats on how to detect and handle cases involving the torture of Canadians held by other countries. It became public after being turned over last week to Amnesty International Canada as part of a lawsuit.
The document includes the United States on a list of nations under the heading: “Possible Torture/Abuse Cases.” Another slide, titled “Definition of Torture,” lists six “U.S. interrogation techniques” that it describes as nonphysical, including blindfolding, covering heads in hoods, forced nudity and sleep deprivation.
Israel’s good with the Canucks now, too. And that’s fine. Thanks. But I’m not removing Canada from my list of nations that deny their citizens freedom of speech, and make a mockery of human rights.
Topics: America, Canada, Guantanamo
Posted by Jules Crittenden at 11:57 am on Sunday, January 20, 2008
10 Responses to “Yeah, Well”
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January 20th, 2008 at 12:57 pm
Denying citizens the freedom of speech is a form of torture. Canada therefore uses torture!!
/leftie
January 20th, 2008 at 2:01 pm
One has to wonder if there is actual dissension in the Canadian governmental ranks, or if the manual is being rewritten only because of the embarrassment of being found out?
January 20th, 2008 at 3:26 pm
We can still torture jihadis when no one’s looking, right? As the French used to say, ‘Torturing jihadis is the spice of life.’
January 20th, 2008 at 3:27 pm
Oops. That may have been ‘variety’. Same thing, really.
January 20th, 2008 at 7:23 pm
I’m being tortured by our primary process.
January 20th, 2008 at 10:42 pm
Ya know, I’m starting to wonder if some of these allies are worth having.
Nonphysical interrogation techniques are torture? I’m sorry, but that is taurine excrement. Pulling out fingernails is torture. Beating kidneys to jelly is torture. Electric shocks to the nadgers is torture. The rack is torture. What the Canadians are worried about isn’t torture.
January 21st, 2008 at 2:12 am
Rebecca
The Civil Service is is a swamp filled with well-wishers of the previous government. They’re not fussed about screwing Canada if they can screw PM Harper in the process. DFAIT can make the US State Department look like a den of Bush acolytes without straining. They have elevated incompetence into an art. And they, as a rule, hate the military. So basically, Mr Bernier is conducting damage control resulting from the actions of disloyal subordinates.
Cheers
January 21st, 2008 at 3:47 am
“Another slide, titled “Definition of Torture,” lists six “U.S. interrogation techniques” that it describes as nonphysical, including blindfolding, covering heads in hoods, forced nudity and sleep deprivation.”
In Canadian prisons they have private dressing rooms so prisoners aren’t subjected to the torture of having to appear naked in front of inquisitive jailers.
And, no one is ever questioned by Canadian cops unless they’ve had plenty of sleep.
January 21st, 2008 at 11:25 pm
Aw man? Did we stop? I was just getting ready to buy tickets. Darn!
January 22nd, 2008 at 3:48 pm
Canada?
Are we caring now? When did that start?