Oversight

Funny. We didn't hear much about this part of the hearing in the American press...

The Attorney General sat before a newly constituted Judiciary Committee. He had been there for hours, answering questions of the sort he had not had to answer before.

I, I believe that piece of information is public, he said in response to questions about the US shipping an innocent Canadian citizen to Syria where he was subsequently tortured. If there were, there were steps, I think [Attorney] General Ashcroft can confirm this publicly is that there were assurances sought that he would not be tortured from Syria.

The chairman interrupted his stuttering answer with a gasp and then a laugh of disbelief. He held up his arms and pushed back into his chair.

Attorney General. I, I, I am sorry I don't mean to, to treat this lightly.

And then he raised his voice, and an angry scowl came over his face. He pointed at the Attorney General seated before him.

We knew damn well if he went to Canada he wouldn't be tortured. [...] We also knew damn well if he went to Syria he'd be tortured. And it's beneath the dignity of this country, a country that has always been a beacon of human rights to send somebody to another country to be tortured. You know and I know that has happened a number of times in the past five years [...]

It is a black mark on us. It has brought about the condemnation of some of our closest and best allies. [...] And it, and it is easy for us to sit here comfortably in this room knowing that we're not going to be sent off to another country to be tortured, to treat it as though, well Attorney General Ashcroft said, We got assurances.

Assurances!? From a country that we also say now we can't talk to them because we can't take their word for anything?

He paused, and the Attorney General began to speak, but the chairman interrupted him.

I'm somewhat upset.

Yes sir, the Attorney General said with a smirk on his face, I can tell, but before you get more upset perhaps you should wait to receive the briefing --

How long? the chairman asked.

I'm hopeful that, uh, we can get, we can get to the information next week.

Well Attorney General, I'll tell you what I'll do. I'll meet you halfway on this. I'll wait until next week for that briefing. And if we don't get it, I guarantee you there'll be another hearing on this issue. [...] I'll wait a week. I won't wait more than a week for that briefing.

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Resources:

• C-SPAN coverage: "Senate Oversight Hearing on Justice Department", 01/18/2007, Real Player video (The interchange happens around 2:58:00.)
• Democracy Now reporting on the hearing.
• Crooks and Liars also has some video clips.

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