Bar Dick Cheney from Canada?

September 28th, 2011 - by admin

Seattle Post-Intelligencer – 2011-09-28 01:03:13

Bar Dick Cheney from Canada?

SEATTLE (September 26, 2011) — Former Vice President Dick Cheney, making his first book-selling foray outside the US, is speaking Monday night at an exclusive, sold-out, $500-a-ticket dinner at the Vancouver Club. But the immigration critic for Canada’s opposition New Democratic Party, Vancouver lawmaker Don Davies, is demanding that Cheney be denied entry to the Great White North.

The appearance by Cheney before the Bon Mot Book Club (a previous author guest: Sarah Palin) may serve as a warmup to former President George W. Bush’s scheduled appearance next month in Surrey, British Columbia.

Davies is citing Sections 35 and 36 of Canada’s Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (INPA), which declare that any foreign national who has violated human or international rights can be barred from Canada — or even held for investigation.

“What’s special in this case is that Mr. Cheney has admitted to endorsement of programs that I consider torture,” Davies said in an interview. “There has been clear admission, from Mr. Cheney’s own mouth, that he participated in and authorized programs of waterboarding and sleep deprivation. Waterboarding is simulated drowning. In my mind, and that of most serious people, that is torture . . . It’s a no-brainer.”

In a letter to Canada’s Immigration Minister Jason Kenney, Davies elaborated:
“Mr. Cheney has publicly, unequivocally and on numerous occasions admitted too authorizing, approving and failing to prevent acts of torture in circumstances that engage each and every provision (of IRPA). These acts include approving the use of water boarding (simulated drowning), sleep deprivation and other treatments prohibited by both Canadian and international law.

“Evidence that is part of the public record far exceeds the ‘reasonable grounds’ required by the inadmissibility sections of IRPA. Indeed, the acts of which Mr. Cheney was an integral proponent include acts of torture against a Canadian citizen, Mr. Omar Khadr…. Mr. Cheney has publicly admitted to playing an integral part in torture, and IRPA must be engaged accordingly.”

The left-of-center New Democrats became Canada’s official opposition party after the May election in which they unexpectedly captured 103 seats in the House of Commons.

The party is a trenchant critic of US foreign policy and longtime foe of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. It has repeatedly called for withdrawal of Canada’s troops from Afghanistan.

“This has nothing to do with politics,” Davies argued. “It has nothing to do with whether I agree or disagree with Mr. Cheney’s politics. It has everything to do with what Canadian law says.”

Davies challenged Immigration Minister Kenney to debate points raised in his letter. Kenney has not responded. The Globe and Mail newspaper reported that senior civil servants who are experts in Canada’s immigration laws make admissibility decisions on a case-by-case basis.

Cheney’s new book, “In My Time: A Personal and Political Memoir” topped Sunday’s New York Times non-fiction bestseller list. The book is notably unkind to former Secretaries of State Collin Powell and Condi Rice. The Bon Mot Book Club states as its purpose the exchange of ideas and stimulation of debate.

Several Vancouver-area peace groups have announced plans to protest at the Vancouver Club. Stopwar.ca, a website, calls Cheney an “unrepentant torture and war advocate” and calls on supporters to render “the welcome he deserves.”

Posted in accordance with Title 17, Section 107, US Code, for noncommercial, educational purposes.


Protesters Rally in Vancouver Demanding Arrest of Dick Cheney
Coverage of Canadian and US Media. Links to Selected Articles

Lawyers against the War (LAW) & Global Research (September 27, 2011_

Cheney greeted by protesters in Vancouver
http://mwcnews.net/news/americas/13720-cheney-greeted.html

Cheney to spur Vancouver protest
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2011/09/26/bc-dick-cheney-vancouver-protest.html

Canadians protest ‘murderer’ Cheney’s visit
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5i05Fb6C9KkMa_zQKX0P9_hh1sJrw?docId=CNG.61fdb3c26d9af2a5d7089e64b2d243a2.501

Why it’s important to protest Cheney’s visit to Vancouver
http://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/derrick/2011/09/why-its-important-protest-dick-cheneys-visit-canada

Rights group sees Cheney Vancouver visit arrest opportunity
http://www.timescolonist.com/news/Rights+group+sees+Cheney+Vancouver+visit+arrest+opportunity/5455685/story.html

Barr Cheney from Canada
http://www.globaltvbc.com/bar+former+us+vice-president+from+canada+ndp+immigration+critic/6442489330/story.html

NDP wants to bar Cheney
http://www.ctvbc.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20110926/bc_dick_cheney_protest_110926/20110926?hub=BritishColumbiaHome

Bar Dick Cheney

Bar Dick Cheney from Canada?

Group calls for Cheney arrest
http://www.news1130.com/news/local/article/281634–group-calls-for-dick-cheney-s-arrest

Rights group wants Cheney charged
http://thechronicleherald.ca/Canada/1265041.html

Rowdy crowd protests Cheney’s Vancouver visit
http://www.ctvbc.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20110926/bc_dick_cheney_speech_protest_110926/20110926/?hub=BritishColumbiaHome

Canadian MP calls for rejection of visa
http://www.visabureau.com/canada/news/26-09-2011/canadian-mp-calls-for-rejection-of-visa-for-former-us-vice-president.aspx

Dick Cheney comes-vancouver groups call for his arrest
http://vancouver.openfile.ca/blog/curator-blog/curated-news/2011/dick-cheney-comes-vancouver-groups-call-his-arrest

Dick Cheney’s visit to Vancouver draws protest
http://ozarksfirst.com/fulltext?nxd_id=528567

Canadian MP calls for barring Cheney
http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/311973

Dick Cheney reviled
http://www.vancouverobserver.com/blogs/publishersplatform/2011/09/26/dick-cheney-reviled-international-rights-group-vancouver-club

Why its important to protest Cheney’s visit
http://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/derrick/2011/09/why-its-important-protest-dick-cheneys-visit-canada

MP wants former US VP banned
http://cfjctv.com/story.php?id=4620

Cheney Unapologetic
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/americas/dick-cheney-unapologetic-defies-vancouver-protesters/article2181194/

Crowd of protesters greet dick cheney
http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/large-crowd-of-protesters-greets–dick-cheney-outside-vancouver-club-130605888.html

Rowdy crowd protests Dick Cheney
http://www.ctvbc.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20110926/bc_dick_cheney_speech_protest_110926/20110926/?hub=BritishColumbiaHome

Barring Cheney from Canada
http://www.castanet.net/news/Canada/65143/Barring-Cheney-from-Canada

Protests greet Cheney
http://www.torontosun.com/2011/09/26/protests-greet-cheney-event-in-vancouver

Dick Cheney always right
http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Dick+Cheney+always+right/5461614/story.html

Hundreds protest VP Dick Cheney
http://www.theprovince.com/news/Hundreds+protest+former+vice+president+Dick+Cheney+outside+Vancouver+Club/5461549/story.html

Antiwar protesters outside Vancouver Club
http://www.theprovince.com/news/Photos+Anti+Cheney+protesters+outside+Vancouver+Club/5461561/story.html

Protesters rally for Dick Cheney’s arrest
http://www.globaltvbc.com/protesters+rally+for+dick+cheneys+arrest+outside+sold-out+event/6442489895/story.html

Protesters shout, shove chant and boo
http://www.news1130.com/news/local/article/281789–protesters-shout-shove-chant-and-boo-outside-cheney-event

Cheney Unapologetic, Defies Vancouver Protestors
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/americas/dick-cheney-unapologetic-defies-vancouver-protesters/article2181194/

BC MP calls for Cheney to be barred
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/british-columbia/bc-politics/cheney-heads-to-vancouver-amid-ndp-call-he-be-barred-from-canada/article2180226/