- The Iacobucci Report Redacted for Security Reasons - Harper's Security

Posted: 7:00am, PDT, 6 Apr.'10 The Ottawa Citizen
Iacobucci appointment another document delay tactic
By Gar Pardy, Citizen Special April 6, 2010 7:55 AM
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/Iacobucci+appointment+another+document+delay+tactic/2767195/story.html Tab 1

Unless it is a full public Judicial Inquiry, I can't see Mr. Iacobucci coming up with any result that won't put him squarely in the middle of a power struggle between Stephen Harper and the Conservative government and Parliament.

If Mr. Iacobucci recommends releasing documents that are incriminating to Stephen Harper, Peter MacKay, Gordon O'Connor, Laurie Hawn, and/or other Con's, would Harper release them - not likely. Then what does Mr. Iacobucci do, presumably he would be bound by, in the least, solicitor-client confidentiality. How would the public view this, assuming we ever found out.

Would Mr.Iacobucci thus become complicit in a cover-up and equally important, would the Canadian people feel that he is complicit. Would he have a duty to the Canadian people to make his finding known anyway because of their public importance. Given Harper and the Con's vicious attacks on anyone that dares to oppose them, how would Harper, MacKay and the other Con's react.

In light of the statements by University of Ottawa law professor Amir Attaran that:

"If these documents were released [in full], what they will show is that Canada partnered deliberately with the torturers in Afghanistan for the interrogation of detainees . . . There would be a question of rendition and a question of war crimes on the part of certain Canadian officials. . . . "
(CBC, News, 5 Mar.'10)

If such documents exist, would Harper let Mr. Iacobucci see them. If so, would he let him report on them. If so, would Harper release this part of the report to the public. If the answer is 'no' to any of these questions, and I think the likelihood of this is very high given it's Harper, all we would get is Mr. Iacobucci making not mention of the documents referred to by Prof. Attaran and a redacted report (assuming it is released at all).

Does that mean Attaran is lying? the documents have been destroyed? Harper is justified in hiding them? And, how does Parliament, and ultimately the Canadian people, find out.

All these possibilities are, to me, quite plausible and quite foreseeable.

I have the greatest respect for justice Frank Iacobucci and anyone who has or is sitting on the bench of the SCC.

However, I can't, for the life of me, understand why Mr. Iacobucci would agree to getting dragged into this sordid affair in this fashion.

Lloyd MacILquham cicblog.com/comments.html