Link for immediate access to PDF format Report on the Events Relating to Maher Arar

[Boojatta]

Volume One (Factual Background)

[Boojatta]

1. Some Excerpts

Mr. Arar did not come to the attention of
Project A-O Canada until an October 12, 2002 meeting between
Mr. Almalki and Mr. Arar at Mango’s Café in Ottawa.

Mr. Almalki was a very religious man, educated in the Koran, who was
viewed as an elder in the community.

From Page 51

At a meeting on October 11, 2001, the Project A-O Canada team identified a
number of individuals connected with Mr. Almalki as targets of its investigation.
Although Mr. Arar was not among them, by the next day, he had been brought
to the team’s attention.
Based on certain information that was disclosed in camera, two RCMP surveillance
teams (and one Ottawa Police Service surveillance team) covered a
meeting between Messrs. Almalki and Arar on October 12, 2001. According to

From Page 52

the RCMP’s record, the two men met at four o’clock in the afternoon at an
Ottawa restaurant called Mango’s Café. They then had a 20-minute conversation
outside as they walked in the rain. Messrs. Almalki and Arar then went to a local
house of prayer, where they stayed for approximately 15 minutes. They traveled
together in Mr. Arar’s car to a local shopping mall, where they examined computer
equipment, continuing to talk after they exited the store. They appeared
to be taking great pains not to be overheard. The men then returned to the
house of prayer, going their separate ways soon afterwards.

From Page 53

Moral: if you are having a discussion in a public place, then
it may be considered very suspicious if you "take great pains"
to not be overheard. When you are in a public place, you should not
hesitate to discuss politics, religion, new and unbreakable
encryption methods, bodily functions, etc. You should not
worry about whether or not people can overhear you.
After all, you don't want to give anybody reason to be suspicious.
There are limited resources available to defend the general public
from terrorists. If you aren't a terrorist, then those resources
shouldn't be wasted on you. Also, if you are eventually taken somewhere
to be tortured, then the pain inflicted upon you will probably dwarf
any of the "great pains" that you took to not be overheard while you
were involved in a private conversation in a public place.

At an October 15, 2001 briefing, Project A-O Canada investigators discussed
the Ottawa subjects of their investigation, including Mr. Arar. The two chairs
of the meeting testified that Mr. Arar was a “person of interest” at that time,
not a “target.” A person of interest is someone whose role is not clear to the
investigation team and about whom more information is required. A target, on the
other hand, is someone about whom the investigation team is trying to uncover
evidence to support criminal charges. Project A-O Canada’s manager agreed
that it would be incorrect to refer to Mr. Arar as a target.

From Page 53