So, on the third day when they didn't find anything, third or fourth day, they -- in my view, they just wanted to please the Americans, and they had to find something on me. So, because I was accused of being an al-Qaeda member, which is nowadays synonymous with Afghanistan, they told me, “You've been to a training camp in Afghanistan.” And I said, “No.” And they started beating me. And I said -- well, I had no choice. I just wanted the beating to stop. I said, “Of course, I've been to Afghanistan.” I was ready to confess to anything just to stop the torture.

AMY GOODMAN: That was Maher Arar speaking to us in November of 2003 just after he had been released from the Syrian jail and was back in Canada. We spoke to him again just months ago, talking about the psychological effects of that year's detention. This is Maher Arar again.

MAHER ARAR: I’m completely a different person. I still have fears. I don't take the plane anymore. I don't fly. I lost confidence in myself. I feel overwhelmed. My -- there is some kind of emotional distancing between me and my kids and my family. They ruined my life. They ruined my life, and I have not been able to find a job. People try to -- you know, some people I know, they try to distance themselves from me. It's -- you know, I don't know how to describe it. I don't think there is any word I could use to describe what I am going through. And I thought when I came back it would take me a month or two months or a year or two years to get back to normal life. It’s been two years and four months since I came back to Canada, and there are things that are improved a little bit, but I’m still not the same person, and I’m still suffering psychologically.

AMY GOODMAN: That is Maher Arar, speaking to us in February of this year. This is years after his year detention in Syria, after he was tortured. He was sent there through the CIA's extraordinary rendition, as it is called. Maria LaHood is with us in Ottawa. She has been with Maher Arar. Maria, can you describe what it was like when the judge handed down his findings?

MARIA LAHOOD: Well, it was, you know -- these findings are over -- it’s three volumes and it’s over 1,200 or almost 1,200 pages. So, you know, we were given the reports to look through. So everyone was furiously trying to look for information. And, you know, we were all thrilled to see that Maher's name was cleared. There was some information in there that came out that was new information, like this false information that the RCMP gave the U.S. that was really troubling. There was also information that Maher’s -- you know, not only Maher’s wife was put on a list, but actually his children were put into intelligence databanks. You know, they are nine and four now. They were one years old and five years old before. And so, it was really troubling to see that, but really quite a relief and exciting to have a public inquiry in this country, to have people applauding Maher for the hero that he is, you know. Today it's on the front page of all the newspapers. It's amazing, especially in comparison to what happens in the U.S., where they still claim he's an al-Qaeda member and won't let anything be released.

AMY GOODMAN: The Ottawa Citizen reporter Juliet O’Neil, her home was broken into by the authorities in Canada. She was one of those who had reported on what happened to Maher Arar.

MARIA LAHOOD: Right. There was a lot -- a big part of the investigation has to do with what happened after Maher got back and the fact that there were government leaks. There was, you know, not only just government incompetence, but what seems to be, you know, an effort to ruin his reputation, to claim he wasn't tortured, to sort of stain his name. And I think that's the same thing that's being done in the U.S., basically. By keeping secrets and saying he's a member of al-Qaeda, you know, you can cast doubt on the unlawful atrocious behavior of the government. And I think that's what's been done.

But now, at least there is a clear record and a clear statement by the commission that Maher has been cleared. I mean, of course, these findings have to be accepted by the Canadian government, along with all the findings. I mean, you know, one of the findings is that the Canadian government should register its objections with the U.S. government for what happened to Maher, for how he was treated, like you said, for the fact they sent him to Syria despite his objection, despite the fact that he said he would be tortured, the fact that the U.S. officials were less than forthcoming with the Canadian officials about what they were going to do. They didn't let them know that Syria was an option until the day before they sent him. They breached the Vienna conventions on consular relations by not contacting the Canadian consulate for five days. These are all findings in the report.