Rob Nicholson

: THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP, Hassan Ammar OTTAWA - Foreign Affairs Minister Rob Nicholson was accused Thursday of incompetent, disgraceful conduct for not agreeing to issue Mohamed Fahmy a new Canadian passport while he awaits trial in Egypt, according to Winnipeg Free Press. New Democrat foreign affairs critic Paul Dewar levelled the characterization at the minister as he testified before the House of Commons foreign affairs committee. Foreign Affairs Minister Rob Nicholson says Mohamed Fahmy can only get a new Canadian passport once Egyptian authorities give him the green light to travel. The angry words came after Dewar was unable to wrestle a commitment from Nicholson to use his discretion and issue a new passport. The Canadian journalist is on trial in Egypt on widely denounced terror charges and says he is crippled by Ottawa refusal to issue him a new passport while he awaits the outcome of his case. The minister reiterated what Fahmy was told in a letter this week from Canadian passport officials, that a new passport will only be issued when a court-imposed travel ban, which is part of his bail conditions, is lifted. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.