"Butterfly effect" diplomacy

Earlier today :
Peter MacKay said Canada received assurances that China won't execute Chinese Canadian Huseyin Celil, who's being held on suspicion of terrorism.
"We've already received a guarantee that (China) would not pursue the death penalty,'' the minister said outside the House of Commons.
Mackay added that the guarantee was evidence Canada was making headway with the Chinese government.
"So already we've made incremental progress in protecting this individual."

Later today :
However, a spokesman for MacKay later said Canada never received a direct assurance from China, but that the minister meant Beijing would live up to a commitment it made to Uzbekistan when it asked that Celil be sent to China.
"Canada considered China's assurance in September to the Uzbecks to be an international obligation and expects it to keep its obligations,'' said Dan Dugas.
"China assured Uzbekistan when it asked for him to be turned over that it would not execute him."

Sorry, when did Uzbekistan turn Celil over to China? Last May was it?
Some of MacKay's "incrementals" seem to be missing here.
Like how Harper's current 15 minutes of human rights fame is based on an agreement made between two other countries six months ago.
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