>More on this. An interview with w/cbc
>
>http://www.cbc.ca/thecurrent/
>
>Dharmesh
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: dana tierney [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>Sent: Thursday, November 06, 2003 8:25 AM
>To: CF-Community
>Subject: Re:The Damasus Holiday Inn...
>
>
>As a Canadian living in the US I have crossed the border many many
>times.
>
>The Canadians ALWAYS ask 1) where I am going 2) why 3) what my status
>is in the US (probably because I am driving an American-registered car
>and presenting a US driver's license as ID). If I have my children
>with me I am directed to the office, 100% of the time, where we have a
>courteous but pithy discussion of the children's citizenship and of my
>custody arrangements.
>
>Coming back, I have learned to use the green card as ID as I will be
>asked for it if I have anything else out. I have crossed without it,
>but this requires a visit to the office for status verification.
>Either way I will ALWAYS be asked how long I have been in Canada and
>why, and where I live. It can go on from there; I have been asked why
>my car has NM tags if I live in Texas (fair question), do I own land
>and why not (huh?), aren't I lucky that they are going to let me in,
>and so forth.
>
>My assessment of the two borders is that the Canadians are always
>courteous, although they are rather firm about not wanting any
>parental kidnappings. I would say professional. The Americans on the
>other hand have some really angry people in the immigration service.
>If you dont run across one of them, you are generally also treated in
>a professional matter. It may be that given my citizenship I do not
>get to see the bigots in the Canadian immigration service.
>
>As for the article..... my brother sent it to me. I had not heard a
>thing about it before that, though as I have said, the Albuquerque
>Journal is extreeeemely pro-administration.
>
>A few comments -
>
>The Globe and Mail is a highly respected newspaper. If they printed
>this, they investigated it.
>
>I too have had US immigration tell me that foreign citizens have no
>rights in the US. So it is not surprising that he wasn't allowed a
>lawyer. What bothers me is that the man was a refugee essentially, I
>don't know if he entered Canada with political asylum, but it does
>sound like he had excellent reason to fear for his safety in Syria.
>
>So, if the fact that he is Syrian triggers all these alarms, why send
>him back there? I mean, we are not on the best of terms with the
>country, correct? And that is, according to Tim, a possible reason for
>this scenario? So if we are on such bad terms with them why send this
>man there? He should have gone to Canada, where he was a citizen. In
>the unlikely event that they had refused to take him (why? he had been
>peacefully living in Montreal for years) then he should have be turned
>over to some third party. Switzerland for instance seemed unruffled by
>his stay there....
>
>Another thought is that it may be rather easy to be suspected of
>terrorist ties. I understand that a lot of Irish in Boston and New
>York donated to charities that turned out to be affiliated with the
>IRA. I don't really know the details but I understand that they
>thought they were paying into some sort of poor-relief fund, and in
>fact may have been doing exactly that, except that the organization
>running it shares some board members with another organization that
>also makes bombs. I am not excusing the making of bombs, just saying
>that your name can conceivably wind up on a list without you yourself
>ever having done anything to support terrorism that you know.
>
>I would appreciate an update on the inquiry in Canada, when someone
>sees one.
>>One small comment on crossing the border from the US to Canada and
>from
>>Canada to the US.
>>
>>When I drive over, I enter at the Detroit/Windsor border. When I go
>into
>>Canada, I show my passport and get grilled with questions like:
>>
>>- What is my occupation
>>- Why am I visiting
>>- Do I have any weapons
>>- Do I own firearms even thought I don't have them on my person
>>- How much cash am I bringing into the country
>>- Who am I going to see and how do I know them and for how long
>>- Have I ever been fingerprinted
>>
>>Then, I am asked to raise the cover on the bed of my pick up for a
>quick
>>inspection.
>>
>>When I cross back into the US from Canada, it's almost silly. All
>they
>>do is glance at my passport, ask me if I want to declare anything,
>and
>>then wave me on. They never check my truck or anything. Granted they
>>look at me and see that I'm a white male with proof of US
>citizenship
>>but so what? American Taliban anyone?
>>
>>When Amy comes to visit me from Canada, she is asked many, many,
>many
>>questions by US Immigraion even though she has a passport and
>Canadian
>>government ID. The only difference is that she flyes instead of
>driving.
>>
>>~Dan
>>
>>-----Original Message-----
>>From: Matthew Small [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>>Sent: Wednesday, November 05, 2003 2:56 PM
>>To: CF-Community
>>Subject: Re: The Damasus Holiday Inn...
>>
>>
>>I don't remember any Indian terrorists coming here to bomb us. Nor
>>Mexicans, Japanese or Russians. There's a stereotype of
>>Middle-easterners being terrorists and it's caused by the fact that
>>every one of the 911 terrorists was Middle-eastern, that 243 Marines
>>were killed in Lebanon, that Isreal is under constant siege from the
>>Palestinians, and that they throw parades when Americans die.
>>
>>Ok, you don't agree with me. All I said was that it was right to be
>>suspicious of him. He's a middle-easterner who's associated with
>>somebody who is thought to be a terrorist, and he was returning from
>an
>>Islamic country, on his way to Canada, which has far more liberal
>laws
>>about people entering their country than we do. I never said it was
>>right to torture him or deport him. He should have been given a
>lawyer
>>at the very least. Above all, this is only if you believe everything
>he
>>has to say.
>>
>>- Matt Small
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: Larry C. Lyons
>> To: CF-Community
>> Sent: Wednesday, November 05, 2003 2:33 PM
>> Subject: Re: The Damasus Holiday Inn...
>>
>>
>> Matthew,
>>
>> Britons and other Europeans also come into the US from Canada. So
>do
>> Mexicans, Japanese, Indians and Russians. So what. Hell even
>Canadians
>>come
>> from Canada to the US. There are terrorists in all of the countries
>I
>> mentioned. So does that give the US government the right to kidnap
>>them and
>> send them to somewhere else where he could be tortured?
>>
>> The guy was not staying in the US, he was changing planes to end
>his
>> journey in Montreal, PQ Canada. He was not sneaking into the US. In
>
>> contrast he was trying to get out of the country. His only crime
>so
>>far, he
>> slightly knew someone who may have been suspected of having
>terrorist
>>ties.
>> I say suspected because the American government has offered no
>>substantive
>> evidence that Alkamadi was in any way associated with any
>terrorist
>>group.
>>
>> larry
>>
>> At 01:38 PM 11/5/2003, you wrote:
>> >The publicized fact that is that Middle-Easterners are known to
>come
>>into
>> >the US via Canada. This is a suspicious situation, plain and
>simple.
>>I
>> >didn't agree with the fact that he was tortured or deported. I
>said
>>it
>> >was suspicious and I believe the right thing to do is to question
>>further.
>> >You don't have to give me one, the one taints the other two. I
>don't
>>like
>> >a lot of things going on with this kind of interrogation, but
>they
>>were
>> >right on the money in detaining him for further
>> >questioning. Bigoted? How about realistic. Lots of people have
>>been
>> >"further questioned" for far less, including myself. I'm a young
>>white
>> >southern male.
>> >
>> >- Matt Small
>> >
>> >
>> > ----- Original Message -----
>> > From: Raymond Camden
>> > To: CF-Community
>> > Sent: Wednesday, November 05, 2003 12:37 PM
>> > Subject: RE: The Damasus Holiday Inn...
>> >
>> > Wow, so you listed 3 facts:
>> >
>> > 1) A middle-easterner living in Canada.
>> >
>> > So, is Canada just a bunch of white guys?
>> >
>> > 2) Coming back from a Middle-Eastern country.
>> >
>> > So all Middle-Eastern countries are under suspicion now?
>> >
>> > 3) Known contact with a terrorist.
>> >
>> > Wasn't he a suspected, not proven terrorist? Wasn't the
>contact
>>from
>> > years ago? I can maybe give you this one, but the other two
>are
>>simply
>> > wrong. Bigoted at worst.
>> >
>> > -rc
>> >
>> > > -----Original Message-----
>> > > From: Matthew Small [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>> > > Sent: Wednesday, November 05, 2003 11:40 AM
>> > > To: CF-Community
>> > > Subject: Re: The Damasus Holiday Inn...
>> > >
>> > >
>> > > A Middle-Easterner living in Canada, coming back from a
>> > > Middle-Eastern country, known contact with Middle-Eastern
>> > > terrorists. That's suspicious. I didn't say guilty, I said
>> > > suspicious.
>> > >
>> > > - Matt Small
>> > >
>> > > ----- Original Message -----
>> > > From: Raymond Camden
>> > > To: CF-Community
>> > > Sent: Wednesday, November 05, 2003 12:22 PM
>> > > Subject: RE: The Damasus Holiday Inn...
>> > >
>> > >
>> > > > I don't agree with the torture and deportation... but I
>> > > > stand by the fact that it's a very suspicious scene.
>> > >
>> > > Why? You said he was middle eastern flying from a islamic
>> > > country. Is
>> > > that something rare? Doesn't this happen thousands of
>times
>> > > a day? Is it
>> > > suspicious to fly home?
>> > >
>> > > -ray
>> > >
>> > >
>> > >
>> > >
>> >
>> >----------
>> >[
>>
>>
[Todays Threads] [This Message] [Subscription] [Fast Unsubscribe] [User Settings]
