Ottawa
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s govt said Tuesday it is looking into how an unapologetic supporter of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad could have been approved for a diplomatic posting in Canada. Canadian officials last month quietly signed off on Montreal businessman Waseem Ramli’s appointment as Syria’s honorary consul in Montreal, Macleans magazine reported. Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland said in a Twitter message that she was “shocked” to learn of Ramli’s political leanings, and has “asked the department to look into (his appointment) right away.” A senior official told AFP that vetting of the relatively low-level appointment would have been handled by the department’s protocol office.— AFP
