rokus2595
12-05-2003, 10:23 PM
OTTAWA-- The U.S. government will continue to deport Canadian citizens to third countries if they pose a risk to American national security, said Paul Cellucci, U.S. ambassador to Canada.
Cellucci made the comment after he spoke to a conference on Canada-U.S relations on Thursday.
He emphasized that the U.S respects the Canadian passport, but homeland security comes first.
Cellucci's comments came a week after Paul Martin, the incoming prime minister, pledged to further investigate the handling of Maher Arar, a Canadian citizen, who was deported to Syria rather than Canada by U.S. authorities in 2002.
"The president has no more solemn obligation than to protect the safety of the people of the United States," said Cellucci, and if that means acting unilaterally, so be it, he added.
Federal Solicitor General Wayne Easter downplayed the impact Cellucci's comments will have on Canada-U.S. relations, while Alex Neve, secretary general of Amnesty Canada said he found Cellucci's comments troubling.
"It contravenes international law and should, and can play, no part in any effort to increase security," said Neve. "If anything, (he) is fostering greater insecurity in the world."
http://www.cbc.ca/cgi-bin/templates/print.cgi?/2003/12/04/cellucci_passport031204
Cellucci made the comment after he spoke to a conference on Canada-U.S relations on Thursday.
He emphasized that the U.S respects the Canadian passport, but homeland security comes first.
Cellucci's comments came a week after Paul Martin, the incoming prime minister, pledged to further investigate the handling of Maher Arar, a Canadian citizen, who was deported to Syria rather than Canada by U.S. authorities in 2002.
"The president has no more solemn obligation than to protect the safety of the people of the United States," said Cellucci, and if that means acting unilaterally, so be it, he added.
Federal Solicitor General Wayne Easter downplayed the impact Cellucci's comments will have on Canada-U.S. relations, while Alex Neve, secretary general of Amnesty Canada said he found Cellucci's comments troubling.
"It contravenes international law and should, and can play, no part in any effort to increase security," said Neve. "If anything, (he) is fostering greater insecurity in the world."
http://www.cbc.ca/cgi-bin/templates/print.cgi?/2003/12/04/cellucci_passport031204