July 15, 2002

BY YOUR BEST FRIEND THEY

BY YOUR BEST FRIEND THEY MAY JUDGE YOU?

Canadian Bill Sampson has now spent over 18 months in Saudi custody, without trial, on evidently-trumped up charges for terrorism in connection with a bomb attack that killed an American and a Briton in November of 2000. The Saudi government wants people to believe he was part of a gang of Western bootleggers in a turf war over the abstinent nation... conveniently eliminating any possibility that it was Saudis or other Islamists out to kill Westerners. Even the British Guardian didn't believe this story, and spent some considerable time disproving it. Sampson has also been tortured, apparently. When information about that came out, a Saudi prince cancelled a visit to Canada (!) in protest.

I don't know Sampson from Adam. But it turns out by a twist of fate, I do know his dog, Inca. (Through the person who Sampson entrusted with Inca's care.) Inca's a wonderful animal and a great companion to the surrogate owner. I accordingly have exactly zero faith in Saudi allegations that Bill Sampson is a very, very bad man, on the theory that bad men don't have nice dogs. When is the Canadian government going to do something about this atrocity?

Posted by BruceR at 09:30 AM

COME HOME SAFE The Canadian

COME HOME SAFE

The Canadian army's battlegroup in Afghanistan officially ceased operations and began redeployment home on Saturday. Get home safe, guys.

Posted by BruceR at 09:16 AM

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