Mike Cabana
Mike Cabana is a Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officer who is most well-known for his role at the centre of the controversy over the extraordinary rendition of Maher Arar by American security officials.[1][2] Prior to being assigned to count-terrorism Cabana was investigated money-laundering.[3]
Proceeds of Crime investigator
Cabana served as an Inspector, assigned to the Integrated Proceeds of Crime section, in Ottawa.[3] His office investigated criminal money laundering.
Role in the extraordinary rendition of Maher Arar
Cabana was then assigned to counter-terrorism duties, where he was one of the officers responsible for sharing RCMP files with United States security officials.[1][2][4] This sharing lead to US security officials capturing Maher Arar, Abdullah Almalki, Ahmad Abou El-Maati, Canadian citizens of Syrian descent. Through a process the US calls extraordinary rendition all three men were sent to Syria, which tortured the men over associations with other individuals who were suspected terrorists. After judicial inquiries in Canada determined none of these men had a genuine association with terrorism the Canadian government apologized to all three men, and offered them multi-million dollar compensation packages.
As the controversy over his rendition became more public American officials, including Secretary of State Colin Powell and Attorney General John Ashcroft claimed that American officials rendered Arar to Syria because they were told by Canadian officials that Canada didn't want him back.[1][2]
Cabana has been called to testify before the inquiry several times.[1][2] Cabana's account has differed from that of a more senior colleague, Deputy Commissioner Garry Loeppky. Cabana's version is that the RCMP had been directed to cooperate more fully with American security officials, following the terrorist attacks of late 2001, going so far as to drop the assurances they would normally have extracted from the Americans that information provided to them was for background, and would not result in arrest, or harassment. Cabana's more senior colleague's version was that increased cooperation would stop short of requiring the assurances which would protect Canadians who fell into American hands.
Director general of border security
In March 2006 Cabana, described by Military.com as the RCMP's "Director General of border security", said the Canadian government was working to eliminate "impediments" to working more closely with US security officials.[5] According to Military.com his rank at that time was Chief Superintendant.
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Ottawa hampering Arar testimony: RCMP investigator, CBC News, 2005-06-13. “Supt. Mike Cabana was the head of Project AO Canada, an RCMP investigation looking into possible al-Qaeda activity.” [1]
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Anti-terror probe targeted Arar colleague: RCMP, CTV Television Network, 2005-08-09. “Ottawa engineer Abdullah Almalki was the "main target" of the investigation that evidently led to the deportation and imprisonment of acquaintance Maher Arar, a senior RCMP officer confirmed Tuesday. Supt. Mike Cabana told the inquiry into Arar's case that Almalki and Toronto truck driver Ahmad Abou El-Maati also came under scrutiny following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States.” mirror
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Mike Cabana. Integrated policing: towards the future, Canadian Police College, 2003-08-18. “Inspector Mike Cabana is responsible for the Ottawa Integrated Proceeds of Crime Section. He has led many integrated teams in local and international money laundering investigations.” mirror
- ↑ 'I am proud of our investigative work', Canada.com, 2006-09-26. Retrieved on 2012-05-29. “At the time, Chief Clement was assistant criminal operations officer for the RCMP's "A" Division in Ottawa and helped select investigators for Project A-O Canada, including the project's officer-in-charge, then-Insp. Mike Cabana.”
- ↑ Matt Hillburn. Border crossings, Military.com, 2006-03-23. Retrieved on 2012-05-29. “Chief Superintendent Mike Cabana, director general for border integrity with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, would also like to see something like “ Shiprider ” become a normal way of doing business on the Great Lakes. “This is new territory,” he said. “The laws that are in place were not put in place with cross-border law enforcement in mind.” Cabana added that the Canadian government is currently working on a legal framework that would address “impediments” to working more closely with the U.S. Coast Guard, such as sovereignty, governance, oversight and other issues. The Canadian parliament would have to approve any changes in the law, and Cabana said he hopes that will happen in 2007.”