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Has the Former Canadian Intelligence Chief admitted to Torture?
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by rodrus | December 1, 2010 at 04:12 pm
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A recent disclosure by Wikileaks, recounts a July 2, 2008 meeting in Ottawa between former CSIS Director Judd and State Department official Eliot Cohen. Apparently Mr. Judd states that CSIS is “vigorously harassing” known Hezbollah members in Canada. Vigorously harassing indeed - At first glance this may sound OK; but let’s think about its implications
An honest spy service is about intelligence and information gathering; not torturing, intimidating, harassing, threatening – that’s the role of a secret police.
What is vigorous harassment? Well, Mr. Judd doesn’t define it in the reported cable. But harassment is defined under Section 264 of The Criminal Code of Canada - as behavior that must give one good reason to fear for your personal safety. And if it’s coming from the intelligence service; and if the harassment is ongoing and vigorous -- that’s torture Mr. Judd.
Does Mr. Judd not understand that in Canada one is supposed to charge those whom the authorities believe are law breakers; not arbitrarily torture them instead?
Intimidation, Harassment, Threats and Surveillance - that’s been my family’s experience as well. Is this what you call “vigorous harassment” Mr. Judd?
CSIS use a no-touch torture technique that was developed by the former Communist East German secret police, the STASI, to persecute dissidents. The Stasi called it Zerzetsen; CSIS calls it “D & D” (disrupt and diffuse). Here is an example of its use against an innocent family in Canada:
http://zerzetsen.wikispaces.com
What about CSIS’s testimony before parliamentary committees, in light of Mr. Judd’s disclosure in this cable of CSIS “vigorously harassing“ innocent citizens? After all it was CSIS, under Mr. Judd, who told a Parliamentary Committee that it neither practiced nor condoned torture? Was this contemptuous of Parliament? Why are our MPs so fearful of CSIS?
Canadians should be deeply concerned if they value civil liberties and human rights. Either you believe in Rule of Law and Democracy, or like CSIS and the Stasi you don’t.
Roderick Russell
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at 08:48 on December 3rd, 2010
If these people are "known Hezbollah" members, they are not "Innocent Canadian citizens." They are members of a known Terrorist group, and are therefore they are breaking Canadian law. Or did I miss the press conference where Terrorism became legal, and National Security a crime?
Your attempts at Persuasive definition, equating an ambiguous statement of harassment to torture is fallacious. You are also question begging (no, not the Peter Mansbridge definition of question raising) by making an argument that CSIS is torturing Canadians, by using the premise that CSIS is torturing Canadians.
The fact of the matter is, no explanation or definition of “Harassment” is given. Considering that people are prone to hyperbole, harassment could be as simple as being visible while observing these known members of a terrorist organization; preventing them from indulging in any illegal activities, because they know they are being watched is hardly torture, but could easily be “harassment” in this context.
The Wikileaks documents are not all given in context. They were leaked for the sake of sensationalism, personal glory, and personal/political agendas. To take a small part of a second hand conversation, out of context like this, is exactly what Mr Assange, and those who fed him the documents, want. Moreover, as it breaks down communication and confidence between various allied nations, and causes them to focus on internal issues, rather than national and international security and stability, it is exactly what groups like Al Qaeda want as well. Drive a wedge between the nations who have banded together to stamp out terrorism, it makes being a terrorist easier.
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Roderick Russell (not verified)at 09:27 on December 3rd, 2010
Piobar these are "Innocent Canadian Citizens" until charged and convicted. That's what democracy is about - Rule of law. A service like CSIS that admits to dishing out severe punishment without recourse to the Courts is acting as a Stasi-style secret police and is a disgrace to Canada.Indeed my family and I am are innocent victims of CSIS ourselves. If you click on my URL you will see what my own story is about. Dishing out severe punishment, like CSIS does, without recourse to the Courts - THAT'S TERRORISM AS WELL AS TORTURERoderick Russell