Omar Khadr and other difficult choices
Omar Ahmed Khadr (عمر أحمد خضر, born September 19, 1986) is the fourth child in the Canadian Khadr family. He was captured by American forces at the age of 15 following a four-hour firefight with militants in the village of Ayub Kheyl, Afghanistan.[1] He has spent six years in the Guantanamo Bay detention camps charged with war crimes and providing support to terrorism after allegedly throwing a grenade that killed a US soldier.[2]
A Canadian citizen born in Toronto,[3][4] he is the youngest prisoner held in the Guantanamo Bay detention camp by the United States and has been frequently referred to as a child soldier.[5][6] The only Western citizen remaining in Guantanamo, Khadr is unique in that Canada has refused to seek extradition or repatriation despite the urgings of Amnesty International, UNICEF, the Canadian Bar Association and other prominent organisations.[7][8][9][10]
Khadr is the only Guantanamo detainee who has faced a judge and who is not boycotting the military tribunals.[11] In February 2008, the Pentagon accidentally released documents that revealed that although Khadr was present during the firefight, there was no other evidence that he had thrown the grenade. In fact, military officials had originally reported that another of the surviving militants had thrown the grenade just before being killed. – Wikipedia
The Conservative Government of Canada refuses to seek the return of this troubled and messed up young man to Canada saying that the US Government is providing due process. Problem is, the President and his minions should be prosecuted for torturing prisoners, denying basic human rights and acting like a dictator. The Prime Minister is making a number of philosophical statements that are really at odds with true Canadian values of justice and human dignity. Khadr comes from a notorious family, he was raised in that environment, indoctrinated by his family about jihad.
Khadr fits the definition of a child soldier and should have been treated as such. He’s our problem, Canada’s that is, not the Americans and we should be dealing with it in a democratic and Canadian way not the abomination that the Americans are using. If these prisoners are guilty then they should be handled by the legal process, provided basic legal protections and not be subjected to torture. It has been proved over and over that torture doesn’t get at the truth but only gets what the interrogators want to called the truth. If you look at the measures that have been put in place by western governments they are quite severe and remove many rights and privledges that we used to enjoy in the name of homeland security. When you look at the direct threat, there has been little offered as proof that these measures were needed or have done the jobs that for which they were established. We lose more people to drownings, accidents, disease or whatever than we have lost to terrorism. We are paying a high price in our loss of privacy and personal rights. The Americans are happy because they have been taught to fear the unknown, give them their guns and other personal weapons but take away all their other basic rights and they don’t even know what has hit them. They have also set a precedent so possibly in some future conflict the same logic and rules will be applied to Americans by some new enemy and they will justify saying “you did it first!”
What are you going to do, execute him? Bringing him back to Canada is not going to mean he is a free man. He should be afforded due process and if guilty then he should face a defined punishment. He will not get this at Gitmo. This American Executive Branch has trampled upon human rights and dignity. If he was convicted of killing in the US – many of the states would incarcerate him for life. All we are saying is he should be dealt with by Canada.
forestdragon
Saturday, July 19, 2008 at 13:05
Hypocrisy of the “Repatriate Omar Khadr to Canada” Movement
As soon as the Gitmo interrogation tape of Omar Khadr hit the Internet, the blogosphere was flooded with demands to repatriate him to Canada. This wave is reminiscent of a Soviet campaign to free Luis Corvalán from the “fascist regime” of Augusto Pinochet thirty five years ago. The scenario is strikingly similar. A “victim” held by “fascist regimes” this time run by Bush and Harper, and a public outcry for justice. Except for the fact that Luis Corvalán didn’t kill anyone and didn’t fight for a terrorist group that wants to impose Sharia.
The “repatriate Khadr” crowd describes him as “a child”, “a kid”, “a boy”, and even “a torture victim”, with no facts to substantiate the torture claims notwithstanding. They complain about Khadr being mistreated, again, without anything to back up their claims. Some of them are outraged about “child abuse.” And they all scream for justice.
They want justice? OK, let’s talk about JUSTICE. What about justice for Sgt. First Class Christopher J. Speer, who was (according to an eyewitness) murdered by this “child”? What about justice for Tabitha Speer, who is a widow because of this “kid”? What about justice for Taryn and Tanner Speer, who are left without a father by this “a boy”? And what about all those Afghani civilians and NATO troops who are a little bit safer because this “torture victim” is behind bars? How many of these “repatriate Khadr” hypocrites concern themselves with justice for real victims? In literally hundreds of posts, we couldn’t find a single one.
One would ask, what is the reason for this idiocy? The answer is simple. Ignorance. Complete and utter ignorance. Let’s forget for a second that Omar Khadr killed Christopher Speer. Let’s forget that Khadr’s father was an al Qaeda financier. Let’s forget that Khadr’s family is known for it being al Qaeda sympathizers. Let’s just remember what this “child” was fighting for in Afghanistan.
This is what Taliban-imposed Sharia looks like in real life: http://muslimsagainstsharia.blogspot.com/2000/07/hypocrisy-of-repatriate-omar-khadr-to.html
Why don’t all of you, bleeding heart demagogues go to Afghanistan and spend a day in a Taliban-controlled territory? And let’s talk about Khadr when you get back. If you get back.
reformislam
Saturday, July 19, 2008 at 12:37
Quite possibly correct except he wasn’t killed in battle so he is a problem that has to be handled in an just and proper way. I am saying that Canada should be dealing with its own citizens just like all other western countries have done for their citizens caught up in this conflict. We are currently dealing with Momin Khawaja to see if they can get a conviction on terrorism charges. He appears to be having a fair trial. Point is, he is a Canadian, so he is a Canadian problem and in this case we are dealing with it.
forestdragon
Wednesday, July 16, 2008 at 21:50
Lt.C. Ralph Peters on Omar Khadr Gitmo Tape: “We should have killed that punk on a battlefield where it was legal to do so!”
Watch video at http://muslimsagainstsharia.blogspot.com/2008/07/ltc-ralph-peters-on-omar-khadr-gitmo.html
reformislam
Wednesday, July 16, 2008 at 20:32