Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you to the witnesses, especially to Mr. Harkat and Mr. Charkaoui.
The government has used security certificates sparingly over many years, but the reality is that the times it does use them it affects individuals like you in a very fundamental way, and I appreciate your coming here today.
I know you're opposed to Bill C-3 and security certificates, but one of the items being proposed regarding the special advocates is that if this bill passes in some form, a special advocate will have a chance to challenge the information that is presented by CSIS and RCMP and other sources. I know there's a debate around how complete and effective that could be, etc., but at least that would happen.
I know you're fighting this because you want to clear your names.
Mr. Harkat, in the brief you distributed, it says that “recent information about the human rights situation in Algeria make it clearer...that even his deportation to that country would be to send him to torture”.
I think, Mr. Charkaoui, you're saying the same would be true if you went back to Morocco. I know, Mr. Charkaoui, you're saying that CIC said this based on whatever intelligence or lack they had.
But what would be the motivation for the authorities in Algeria or Morocco to torture you if you went back to your respective countries? Torture normally is to punish someone or to extract more information. What's your sense of why they would cause you harm if you went back to your countries of origin?