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Fri 16 May, 2003 05:38 pm
Canada: Spying for Israel is a "War Crime"
According to a report in Canada's National Post newspaper yesterday, the Canadian Immigration and Refugee Board has decided to reject the immigration request of a man from southern Lebanon due to his past role as a spy for Israel. The man, who allegedly spied on the Hizbullah terrorist organization from 1998 to 1999, sought asylum in Canada after Israeli forces withdrew from southern Lebanon and he was fingered as a Mossad informant by a former superior, putting his life in jeopardy. However, the Canadian IRB decided to deny the unidentified petitioner refugee status on the grounds that he had committed "crimes against peace", "war crimes" or "crimes against humanity".
According to the IRB decision, "there were serious reasons for considering that the claimant had been an accomplice, because of his personal and conscious participation in crimes against humanity committed by Israel and the SLA." According to the decision, the Lebanese man gave Israeli intelligence agents the names of 40 Hizbullah members, informed them of locations used by Hizbullah members, the cars they used and the print shops that produced their materials. The IRB said that captured Hizbullah terrorists would have been mistreated as a result. The National Post's Stewart Bell noted, "Under Canadian law, Hezbollah is considered a terrorist organization because of its involvement in car bombings, hijackings and kidnappings. Despite that, Canadian officials condemned the man, identified only as Mr. X, for his work against the group."
For their decision, Canadian authorities relied on information provided by Human Rights Watch, which accused the Israeli government of being responsible for crimes against humanity, including torture and murder, in southern Lebanon. HRW last accused Israel of committing war crimes in the wake of the IDF's April 2002 counter-terrorist offensive in Jenin, a charge they persisted in making even after backpedaling on charges that Israel had committed a massacre in the city.
According to the Post, the Canadian Jewish Congress is drafting a response to the IRB, complaining that its ruling relied on "distorted" assertions. Ronen Gil-Or, the deputy head of mission at the Israeli embassy said, "Israel did not and has not been involved in any war crimes or crimes against humanity in southern Lebanon or any other place." Hizbullah, the Post noted, continues to fire rockets at northern Israeli towns.
Do you believe that the Canadians were justified in denying his immigration request?
To answer the question, while ignoring the verbage, which I did in fact read; yes. It is their country and they make the rules. Justification to anyone outside of Canada is unnecessary.
roger
Obviously the Canadians make the rules and have the right to disqualify anyone they please. However, that does not disqualify anyone from commenting on their actions. The a2k has loads of foreigners commenting the actions of the US, our president, our elections, the mental capacity of the American public and etc.
Well, let us assume that IDF and SLA killed Hizballah fighters (well, they actually did). But since when killing terrorists (and Canada recognized the terrorist character of Hizballah) was tantamount to war crime? I can understand if such a person would be considered non grata in any Arab country; but what are the reasons making Canadian immigration authorities to display pan-Arab solidarity? Can anyone remind me the date of Canada having joined the League of Arab countries?
steissd
Quote:
? Can anyone remind me the date of Canada having joined the League of Arab countries?
Around the same time that the EU did
France, IMO, is a latent member of the League mentioned. The only thing left is to add a green stripe with Koranic verses to national flag, to make an image of a male a national symbol instead of Mari-Anne and to appoint some prominent Muslim scholar a spiritual leader. Unfortunately, France is very dominant in EU...
Actually, after having read the commentaries in several Canadian and Israelian papers, this case has originally nothing to do with Arabs and/or Jews but with helping a group [government], who was responsible for crimes against humanity, including torture and murder.
I really don't know the Canadian law. But here in Europe, e.g. killing a murderer is murder as well.
However, I don't know the Canadian Immigration Law neither.
OK, Mr. Hinteler, let us assume that the European laws are valid in Canada (maybe, the British ones, since Canada is not a completely independent country), but this man did not kill anyone (as far as I understand from the posting of AU1929). He provided IDF with intelligence information, while not being a soldier of either IDF or SLA and not taking any part in hostilities. In terms of Hizballah he surely is a criminal; but what has Canada in common with this disgusting terror group? IMO, nothing, and I think that this obviously was a misjudgment.
steissd wrote:I think that this obviously was a misjudgment.
As said above, I know nothing about the various Canadian laws.
So I neither can say if it was correct or a misjudgment.
The primary question is, does Canada have the right to reject assylum to "spys" in their country? The answer, simply, is "yes." c.i.
steissd wrote:. . . maybe, the British ones, since Canada is not a completely independent country . . .
Nonsense: in 1866 and 1867, Irish revolutionaries, known as Fenians, who were veterans of the American Civil War, invaded Canada. Most of these attempts were pathetically inept, and easily dealt with, but one group crossed from Buffalo to Fort Erie, and routed the Canadian militia at Ridgeway. The English considered the probable expenses of defending Canada against the continued threat of Fenians, or others coming over the border from the United States, and dropped them like a hot rock. The modern nation of Canada was founded on July 1, 1867. It was at that time, a dominion, which might technically be described as not a completely independent country--but the British North America Act, which funtions as a constitution for Canada, has been amended to the point that the English have exercised no authority, even notional, since 1967. It is ludicrous to assert that Canada is not a completely independent country.
On the larger issue, I don't know enough about the motives of the Canadian authorities, or the truth of this man's character and past actions, so i wouldn't want to judge.
[sarcasm]Of coures, this is the Soviet Socialist Republic of Canuckistan, which has consistently failed to protect the U.S. border, so any criticism of their policies or actions is justified--right?[/sarcasm]
Quote:The IRB said that captured Hizbullah terrorists would have been mistreated as a result.
Interesting point here.. Not only did "Mr. X" not kill anyone but he's been denied when it appears that no one was erevr even touched as a result of the information he provided to the Israelis.
They
would have been mistreated???? Doesn't someone actually have to be mistreated for there to be a war crime or a crime against humanity?
Well, funny, the Canadians resp. their laws, aren't they?
I think that Canada denied him asylum just because they are peeved that the Mossad has to pick up CSIS slack on the 'war on terrorism'...for those not in the know, all about CSIS, or at least what they want you to hear:
http://www.csis-scrs.gc.ca/eng/menu/welcome_e.html
My favorite section is in 'Terrorism': 'Trends in Terrorism'....hmm, I hear turbans are all the rage this year...what the heck is that category supposed to mean? <sarcasm>
Aw, the Mounties a probably just p.o.'d because they don't have the badass rep they used to enjoy . . .
Like I said, they aren't talking Walter
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