RCMP Apologizes to Falsely Accused Man

Royal Canadian Mounted Police Commissioner Giuliano Zaccardelli appears before the Commons Public Safety committee in Ottawa on Thursday, Sept. 28, 2006. Zaccardelli formally apologized Thursday to Maher Arar and his family for the "nightmare" caused by Arars deportation to Syria by U.S. authorities, largely because of RCMP mistakes. (AP Photo/CP, Tom Hanson) (Tom Hanson - AP)

TORONTO -- The head of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police apologized Thursday to Mahar Arar, a Canadian who claims he was tortured in Syria after the U.S. sent him there based on false accusations by the RCMP.

The Syrian-born Arar was exonerated of all suspicion of terrorist activity earlier this month by a commission of inquiry into his case, which urged the Canadian government to offer him financial compensation. Arar is perhaps the world's best-known case of extraordinary rendition _ the U.S. transfer of foreign terror suspects to third countries without court approval.

In the RCMP's first public comments since the inquiry report was released, RCMP Commissioner Giuliano Zaccardelli told a House of Commons committee he is "truly sorry" for the RCMP role in Arar's ordeal.

Zaccardelli also said he wouldn't resign.

"Mr. Arar, I wish to take this opportunity to express publicly to you and to your wife and to your children how truly sorry I am for whatever part that the actions of the RCMP may have contributed to the terrible injustices that you experienced and the pain that you and your families endured," Zaccardelli said.

"I know that an apology can never give back to Mr. Arar what was taken from him, but what we can do is move forward with changes and reforms."

Justice Dennis O'Connor's inquiry report found that the RCMP sent unfair and inaccurate intelligence reports about Arar to the United States.

Arar was detained by U.S. authorities in New York while traveling on a Canadian passport, and was then sent to Syria for interrogation as a suspected member of al-Qaida.

Arar spent nearly a year in prison in Syria and made detailed allegations after his release in 2003 about extensive interrogation, beatings and whippings with electrical cables.

Zaccardelli said he accepts the recommendations from O'Connor's report and said the RCMP will learn from it and have already changed some management practices.

Arar has filed a multimillion-dollar lawsuit in the case.