The U.S. has previously said it had independent intelligence that supported the officials' actions, but it refused to release the classified information.
"I have seen the confidential information, and I can tell you it's nonsense," Nadler said. "There is nothing that is incriminating."
In his testimony, Skinner said it was unclear why the Justice Department overruled the Immigration and Naturalization Service to send Arar to Syria, because his office was not allowed to interview certain officials.
"The INS concluded that Arar was entitled to protection from torture and that returning him to Syria would more likely than not result in his torture," the report says.
Arar's attorney, Maria LaHood, said the new evidence, received only a month ago, was an unexpected turn after the four-year inquiry had concluded that the government acted appropriately.
"It confirms that there needs to be a completely independent investigation which has access to all the departments -- the Department of Justice, and Immigration -- and actually release the whole report," she said.
--
maggie.farley@latimes.com
