Binks Is Here

Commentary on the World

Being Kidnapped by the US

Now it’s not just for terrorists!

The US basically feels that, under US law, it is perfectly legal for it to go to another country, pick up someone who has committed a crime in the US, and then take him/her back to the US for a trial.

Originally, people thought that laws like that were only on the books for the arrests of terrorists and other “high priority” targets. Apparently the US has confirmed that, no, they don’t feel they’re bound by restrictions like that at all.

Where an extradition treaty exists, I think that should be used. Canada, traditionally, has mandated that if it extradites a criminal to the US it expects the death penalty to not be used. That seems fair to me; Canada’s laws on the death penalty are in line with international guidelines on the topic, and it seems reasonable that the Canadian government doesn’t want to be party to a murder.

Today, I guess, the US thinks it could just swoop in, throw the ALLEGED criminal in the back of a van, and speed off to the US; rather then going through normal channels. Nice.