Federal officials are reconsidering a decision made in the final days of the Chretien government that prevents Canadians from knowing the identities of war criminals who went missing in this country [. . . .]

Two officials say work is under way again to ask Public Safety Minister Anne McLellan, Mr. Coderre's replacement on the file, to reverse that decision. [. . . .]

Under Canadian law, those complicit in war crimes or crimes against humanity are supposed to be deported to their homelands. But dozens of known and suspected war criminals were never deported and are wanted for arrest. The latest figures provided by the government show 75 war crimes suspects missing across Canada as of March 31, 2003.

[. . . .] The Post had argued that the names and photographs of war crimes fugitives missing in Canada should be released as a matter of public interest, the same way that police issue wanted posters, but Mr. Coderre said that would violate privacy rights.

[. . . .] Last summer, Bob Runciman, then Ontario's minister of public safety, and Julian Fantino, Toronto's Chief of Police, complained Ottawa was wrong to protect the identities of war criminals.

They wrote to Mr. Coderre, accusing his ministry of ''an unfathomable lack of co-operation'' and running a ''seriously flawed system'' that prevented even police from knowing the identities of war criminals missing in Canada. Police now have access to the list.

Mr. Coderre responded that the security of Canadians had to be balanced against "the rights of an accused to a fair hearing, or our adherence to the presumption of innocence."

[. . . . ] A memo later went to Mr. Coderre. A censored copy was released to the Post. In it, advisors seemed to favour releasing the names, noting Canada should not become a "safe haven for those individuals who have committed war crimes, crimes against humanity or any other reprehensible act during times of conflict.