Omar Khadr....

[Praxius]

My big problem has not been conditions at Gitmo, although I know water-boarding is torture.......and sleep deprivation and other milder forms of interogation techniques are definitely border-line, and torture is never acceptable.

My problem has been the unconstitutional nature of his trial, the obvious attempt to railroad him in a kangaroo court, the silliness of trying a giuy for throwing a grenade at you after you drop a 1,000 Kg bomb on him...........

You express it well in the last couple of lines, if we are fighting to defend all that is good about the principles of western civilization, we have to apply those principles.

I am disgusted by the fact that indeed there are a large number of Canadians that will treat Khadr as a hero.......I'm sure that if he landed in Toronto with sufficient forewarning, a ticker-tape parade would not be out of the realm of possibility.

I agree with all of that, and I'm sure there'd be a few people who would just see Omar as a hero against the evil American Empire..... Back when all of this occured, I was pissed enough to perhaps feel the same way, but he hasn't done anything to justify being called a hero, nor has he enough information/evidence supporting his absolute innocence...... nor do I feel there is enough information/evidence to prove his guilt...... I don't believe he should be left in US hands, for the simple fact that he is a Canadian Citizen and should have all the same protections as any other Canadian citizen..... but I don't believe he should be set free to roam around Canada like nothing ever happened.

So then what? What do we do with him and what he has gone through?

Do we have a trial here in Canada?

If so, then would the US give us all their evidence and information?

Probably not due to "national security reasons" ~ Therefore a trial here in Canada probably would never function properly and he'd be found not guilty regardless if he was really guilty or not.

So if he can't be found guilty because half of the information and evidence against him won't be released..... then he won't get labeled a child soldier, therefore may not get the real help he needs if he truly is guilty, and then be set free to do whatever within out nation.

So I guess it boils down to allowing his trial in Gitmo to continue to find him guilty and send him away with all the other terrorists forever, which can no longer happen since Obama is shutting it all down......... which then leads to him being sent back to Canada for a trial, which won't have all the information given from the US I am betting, therefore, he is found not guilty.

Or..... he is sent to the US to face a trial under US laws..... which is a lot better then remaining in Gitmo, but would it be any better then a trial in Canada? Would that evidence and information against him be given out in this style of trial or would it still compromise national security once again, thus disqualifying any chances of him being found guilty?

Added:

Like I said before, I believe the US royally screwed up any chances they had as finding the truth in this situation, and perhaps none of us will ever know what truly happened......

 

[Colpy]

The way I see it now, and this has been a 180 degree flip-flop for me, is bring him home quietly, provide him with counselling, watch him, but he has served his time.

The only restriction I would, if possible, give him is if he ever leaves Canada again he will not be allowed to re-enter.

And I'm sure that is legally impossible.

So there it is.

If, of course, he makes contact with other terror suspects, then he exposes himself to futher prosecution.

 

[Praxius]

The way I see it now, and this has been a 180 degree flip-flop for me, is bring him home quietly, provide him with counselling, watch him, but he has served his time.

The only restriction I would, if possible, give him is if he ever leaves Canada again he will not be allowed to re-enter.

And I'm sure that is legally impossible.

So there it is.

If, of course, he makes contact with other terror suspects, then he exposes himself to futher prosecution.

Makes sense, but cutting all ties from "Terror Suspects" might be difficult, considering his father's background and how many ties his family has built up over the years..... not that it's impossible, but I think it would be difficult, even if he tried his best.... who's to say some of these extremists might try and suck him in due to the crap he's just been put through?

Though with the proper help and support, this might be able to be prevented..... but if it was me who was thrown into what he's been put through, I'd probably have some hate for the people who put me through all that, and some hate for the government that never lifted a hand for one of their own citizens.

It'd be hard to build faith back up after all that.

I hope he does get the help he needs...... maybe Arar with his own campaign could help him out sometime...... I dunno. *shrugs*

It's certainly not a simple situation to solve.

 

[dancing-loon]

Thank you, Praxius, for your support.

Here is an article from the Vancouver sun

The least we can do in the case of Omar Khadr

Irwin Cotler, Special to the Sun
Published: Tuesday, January 27, 2009

On just the second full day on the job, President Barack Obama issued an executive order to ban torture and close Guantanamo Bay within a year.

This decision -- rightly demonstrating a commitment to the rule of law as an overriding priority for the incoming administration -- has important implications for Canada-U.S. relations in addition to its high substantive and symbolic value.

Indeed, it should alter the entire Canadian calculus with respect to the case of Omar Khadr -- the Canadian citizen and lone western national remaining imprisoned in Guantanamo Bay.

View Larger Image

The announcement that the Guantanamo Bay detention centre will close within a year has important implications for Canada-U.S. relations.

Unfortunately, our government still does not seem to appreciate this fact. Defence Minister Peter MacKay showed some promise of recognizing the fundamentally altered diplomatic landscape when he proclaimed on Wednesday that "Canada and Mr. Khadr's counsel and everyone involved in these cases will be reassessing their positions."

But then the PMO quickly retreated and stated there has been no change in its position.

Said Kory Teneycke, Prime Minister Stephen Harper's spokesman, "we will wait for the outcome of a judicial process before looking at what the other options are."

To be sure, as Obama -- a former law professor -- ends the Guantanamo process, at least we can gain confidence that the serious crimes of which Khadr is accused will be decided through a just process.

Yet what is most deeply troubling here is that Ottawa has yet to learn from the illegality of Khadr's ordeal.

As I have written previously, when our government stands back while one Canadian's rights are abused abroad, we all become at risk.

For our prime minister to leave the decision on Khadr's repatriation entirely at the whim of the U.S. government is a sorrowing abdication of responsibility -- a responsibility that is owed to everyone with a Canadian passport.

In the past, the Conservative government was wrong to cling to the incomprehensible incantation that pressing for Khadr's repatriation was "premature" --
even after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that detainees like Khadr were denied their due process rights,
even after the Canadian Supreme Court held that the Guantanamo process violated international law,
even after evidence of coercive interrogation and brutality in detention, and
even after it became clear that the incoming American administration would shut down the facility.

Now, the Conservative government still continues to "wait" while Obama prefers to act.

Fortunately for Harper, Thursday's executive order gives the government an opportunity to escape that question. Our government should have taken the lead, but now it can reach the same result by simply following Obama's plan.

The military commissions of Guantanamo Bay appear to be effectively over, such that a resolution will need to be found for remaining detainees.

By bringing Khadr home, Canada would be co-operating with the new American administration -- before Obama's prospective visit -- by offering a practical solution to its legal quagmire.

The choice now is starker than ever.

The Conservative government can reach out to the Obama administration, take the Khadr case off American hands, and finally protect the rights of a Canadian citizen;
or it could remain despairingly passive, blindly putting its faith in a system that is internationally decried and standing on its last limbs.

Canada has already failed in its responsibility to lead on this issue. The least it can do now is follow Obama, admit that justice cannot be done in Guantanamo, and bring Khadr home.


Irwin Cotler is the member of Parliament for Mount Royal. He is a former minister of justice and attorney-general of Canada and is a professor of law (on leave) at McGill University.

The least we can do in the case of Omar Khadr
----------------------------------------------------------------

Our present government with its inaction and obstructionism in this case is a shameful institution! It is about time Canadians wake up and smell the roses!!

(P.S. All the highlighting was done by me.)

 

[EagleSmack]

I personally believe that Omar should be delivered PERSONALLY to the Canadian Border by Obama and into the loving arms of Dancing Loon. That way she can give her little angel a BIG KISS on the LIPS.

 

[dancing-loon]

I personally believe that Omar should be delivered PERSONALLY to the Canadian Border by Obama and into the loving arms of Dancing Loon. That way she can give her little angel a BIG KISS on the LIPS.

:lol::lol: Not a bad idea, Eagle!
Some old-fashioned young passion could do wonders to my old heart!!!;-);-)

 

[dancing-loon]

How sad... Omar has been forgotten. Well, not anymore! I will bring him to the top of the line again... that is the least I can do.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper has an obligation to immediately demand the repatriation of Omar Khadr from Guantanamo Bay because his failure to do so offends fundamental justice, a Federal Court judge ruled Thursday. In a strong judgment, Judge Walter O'Reilly said Harper's refusal to get involved violated Canada's Charter of Rights.
"The ongoing refusal of Canada to request Mr. Khadr's repatriation to Canada offends a principle of fundamental justice and violates Mr. Khadr's rights," O'Reilly said in his 43-page decision.
"To mitigate the effect of that violation, Canada must present a request to the United States for Mr. Khadr's repatriation as soon as practicable."
The Toronto-born Khadr has languished in Guantanamo Bay for more than six years, accused of killing an American soldier in July 2002 when he was 15 years old.
Harper has washed his hands of the issue, saying Khadr faces serious accusations and the legal process in the U.S. has to play itself out.
But O'Reilly accepted arguments from Khadr's lawyers that Harper should have sought his repatriation on the grounds that Canada was complicit in the detainee's torture.

Now, I hope that will do it!

Harper is one ugly and heartless guy! He has had this chance to do good, to help one young victim of torture, but no, he deliberately delays and delays any positive action to free Omar... what a creep he is! An ugly blemish on our Nation! NEVER will he get my vote!

Harper mulls appeal as court rules against refusal to call for Khadr repatriation - Yahoo! Canada News

 

[gerryh]

Harper is one ugly and heartless guy! He has had this chance to do good, to help one young victim of torture, but no, he deliberately delays and delays any positive action to free Omar... what a creep he is! An ugly blemish on our Nation! NEVER will he get my vote!

I bet he's gonna lose sleep over that.:roll:

 

[DurkaDurka]

How sad... Omar has been forgotten. Well, not anymore! I will bring him to the top of the line again... that is the least I can do.Now, I hope that will do it!

Harper is one ugly and heartless guy! He has had this chance to do good, to help one young victim of torture, but no, he deliberately delays and delays any positive action to free Omar... what a creep he is! An ugly blemish on our Nation! NEVER will he get my vote!

Harper mulls appeal as court rules against refusal to call for Khadr repatriation - Yahoo! Canada News

Would you still feel like this if khadr was a Jew? We know how you love Jews...

 

[gerryh]

Would you still feel like this if khadr was a Jew? We know how you love Jews...

Now...that would be completely different.... she'd be calling for the death penalty for him then.

 

[DurkaDurka]

Now...that would be completely different.... she'd be calling for the death penalty for him then.

Without a doubt.

 

[captain morgan]

The least we can do in the case of Omar Khadr

I think that the very least we can do is return the poor wee little lamb back to the nation that he was fighting to defend. I'm certain that they will welcome him with open arms... Maybe a parade and keys to the city.

.... Or we could give him the option to stay in Gitmo....

 

[Colpy]

Prime Minister Stephen Harper has an obligation to immediately demand the repatriation of Omar Khadr from Guantanamo Bay because his failure to do so offends fundamental justice, a Federal Court judge ruled Thursday. In a strong judgment, Judge Walter O'Reilly said Harper's refusal to get involved violated Canada's Charter of Rights.
"The ongoing refusal of Canada to request Mr. Khadr's repatriation to Canada offends a principle of fundamental justice and violates Mr. Khadr's rights," O'Reilly said in his 43-page decision.
"To mitigate the effect of that violation, Canada must present a request to the United States for Mr. Khadr's repatriation as soon as practicable."
The Toronto-born Khadr has languished in Guantanamo Bay for more than six years, accused of killing an American soldier in July 2002 when he was 15 years old.
Harper has washed his hands of the issue, saying Khadr faces serious accusations and the legal process in the U.S. has to play itself out.
But O'Reilly accepted arguments from Khadr's lawyers that Harper should have sought his repatriation on the grounds that Canada was complicit in the detainee's torture.

I agree at this point that Khadr (shudder) needs to be repatriated to Canada.....only because the USA failed to shoot him on the spot or turn him over to the aforementioned "loving arms" of Afghan justice. Either would have been preferable, but the Yanks saved him, and then tried to force him through a Kangaroo Court.......so we need to get him out.

BUT this decision has to be appealed: the Federal Court has far exceeded its jurisdiction by becoming involved in the field of foreign policy.

That can not be allowed to stand.

IMHO

 

[spaminator]

Omar Khadr's criminal record in Canada shows 'absolute ignorance': lawyer | Home

 

[spaminator]

U.S. Supreme Court rejects appeal from former Guantanamo detainee Omar Khadr
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Published May 20, 2024 • 1 minute read

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Monday rejected an appeal by a Canadian-born former Guantanamo detainee who was seeking to wipe away his war crimes convictions, including for killing a U.S. soldier in Afghanistan.


Omar Khadr had waived his right to appeal when he pleaded guilty in 2010 to charges that included murder. But his lawyers argued that a subsequent ruling by the federal appeals court in Washington called into question whether Khadr could have been charged with the crimes in the first place.


A divided three-judge panel ruled that, despite the appellate ruling, Khadr gave up his right to appeal.

Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Ketanji Brown Jackson did not take part in the Supreme Court’s consideration of Khadr’s appeal because both had dealt with the case while they served as appeals court judges. Jackson explained her recusal from Monday’s order; Kavanaugh did not.

Khadr had been sentenced to eight years in prison plus the time he already had spent in custody, including several years at the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. But he was released in May 2015 pending his appeal of the guilty plea.

A Canadian judge ruled in 2019 that his war crimes sentence had expired.

Khadr was 15 when he was captured by U.S. troops following a firefight at a suspected al-Qaida compound in Afghanistan that resulted in the death of an American special forces medic, U.S. Army Sgt. First Class Christopher Speer. Khadr, who was suspected of throwing the grenade that killed Speer, was taken to Guantanamo and ultimately charged with war crimes by a military commission.

U.S. Supreme Court rejects appeal from former Guantanamo detainee Omar Khadr

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rejected an appeal by Omar Khadr who was seeking to wipe away his war crimes convictions.

torontosun.com