When a country suspends habeas corpus, when it engages in extraordinary rendition, when waterboarding is actually debated as to whether it is torture or not, and when it engages in an unprecedented attack on civil rights, well there is bound to be fallout.
It may come in the form of public distrust or disdain.
And it may also come in the form of legal suspensions of treaties. This, it seems, is now the case between the US and its longest standing ally as a Federal judge in Canada suspends Canada-US STCA Treaty.
Lightly reported, a Canadian Federal judge has decided that the Canada US Safe Third Country Agreement breaches the rights of asylum seekers.
Quoting legislative changes in the US, and especially referenceing the Maher Arar case where a Canadian Citizen was abducted and sent to a third country for detention and torture, the court determined that:
"the U.S. has not been compliant with the Refugee Convention or CAT (Convention Against Torture).
"... The United States' policies and practices do not meet the conditions set down for authorizing Canada to enter into a STCA," Phelan wrote in his 126-page decision.
"The U.S. does not meet the Refugee Convention requirements nor the [UN] Convention Against Torture prohibition (the Maher Arar case being one example). Further, the STCA does not comply with the relevant provisions of the Charter."
In other words, those sending you their poor, their weak, their huddled masses are not expected by Canada to be given a fair shake, and are welcome to drop by our border if they feel the need.
Frankly, my only response to this is what the hell took Canada this long? And why did it need a judge to point out the blatantly obvious regarding contraventions to international instruments by this American administration?
EDIT: For those interested, the entire decision is available online here