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First video of Guantanamo interrogation released
by mchawk | July 15, 2008 at 03:09 am | 1414 views | 48 comments | 68 recommendations
The first interrogation footage to be released from Guantanamo Bay: video of a weeping Canadian teenager being interviewed over the killing of a US soldier.
This seven hour video is our first real glimpse into a closed-world.
The footage, shown in a Channel 4 bulletin
In the video, a Canadian Security Intelligence Services agent is shown grilling Khadr, 15, about events leading up to his capture as an enemy combatant. Khadr, a Canadian citizen, is accused of throwing a grenade that killed a U.S. soldier during a 2002 firefight in Afghanistan.
The video shows Khadr weeping, his face buried in his hands.
At one point, Khadr tells them he was tortured while at the U.S. military detention center at the Bagram air base in Afghanistan, where he was first detained after his arrest in 2002. He raises his orange shirt to show the wounds he sustained.
The video provides insight into the effects of prolonged interrogation and detention on the Guantanamo prisoner. The seven-hour video, taken over four days of interviews, was originally marked "Secret/No Foreign."
More detail on the prisoner from an article in the Independent last month:
Omar Khadr, a Canadian national, was 15 at the time of his alleged crimes. His defence team said his age should see him treated as a victim and rehabilitated, rather than prosecuted as a war criminal. He has had no access to education while at Guantanamo, where he has spent more than a quarter of his life.
Human rights organisations have voiced concerns over Mr Khadr's treatment since his arrival at Guantanamo nearly six years ago. Despite his age at the time, Mr Khadr was never treated as a juvenile inmate. He went into the adult camp, rather than Camp Iguana, a camp for minors. His case has also prompted an official protest from the UN's Special Representative for Children in Armed Conflict, Radhika Coomaraswamy.
Mr Khadr was detained by US soldiers after a firefight at a compound in a small village near Khost, eastern Afghanistan, in July 2002. He is accused of throwing a grenade that killed US Delta Force soldier, Christopher Speer.
After being shot at least twice through the chest and all but blinded in his left eye, Mr Khadr was taken to a US prison at Bagram, air base, where he was interrogated. He was sent to Guantanamo Bay in October 2002 and faces charges of murder, attempted murder, spying, conspiracy and providing material aid for terrorism.
Mr Khadr suffers from a number of ailments, mostly stemming from the injuries he suffered during the battle before his capture. His defence team, the only people with regular access to Mr Khadr, says spending his adolescent years in Guantanamo without access to education has also taken a toll on his educational development and mental health. Access to his family has been irregular.
July 15, 2008 at 03:09 am by mchawk, 1414 views, 48 comments
Crowd Power
mchawk
Maidenhead, United Kingdom
Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (48)
at 03:42 on July 15th, 2008
If one of the Editors would like to flag this as "Needs More News" - this is just off the wire - details are limited. I'll add more as they come
at 04:31 on July 15th, 2008
mchawk, I like this story. It's good stuff. I saw the video as well, and Canadians were asked if Canada should bring Kadhr home. This was met with a resounding majority saying NO! Let the US due process do it's job. Kadhr's family still in Canada still maintain tie with al Qaeda, so it is not like the family has learned anything, regardless of Lefty Politicians who state bring "Welcome Back Kadhr Home". I for one agree with the majority of Canadians and say leave him there. A sixteen year old, though a young adult, still knows right from wrong. To whine about coming home to Imperialist, Capiltalist Kuffar,Canada, speaks of his hypocrisy in looking for freedom in a country which he and his family were hell bent in killing, if not now, later.
at 04:34 on July 15th, 2008
Hi Barry - thanks for the flag - and thank you the Canadian insight.
This is a story the press will play emotively. On one hand, there's human rights violations. On the other hand, there are dead servicemen. My vote is usually with the men and women who are willing to serve - nomatter what my opinions on the war might be.
at 19:52 on July 15th, 2008
Not to promote my story, but when some read about the background of this terrorist family, perhaps it will change their tune.I strongly agree the boy should be set free and the Mother should take his place.
http://www.nowpublic.com/world/canada-mommie-dearest-khadr-family-anticipate-viewing-video-guantanamo-son
at 08:02 on July 15th, 2008
I'd like to see your source Barry. I'm one Canadian that thinks its a tawdry and reprehensible crime to imprison and torture any fifteen year old without due process for six years. As a Canadian I demand he be brought home!
"A sixteen year old, though a young adult, still knows right from wrong."
What a load of hogwash! There are children all over the world being soldiers who were coerced or tricked into their participation for a myriad of reasons. Check with any psychologist and he'll inform you politely that what you know about the psychology of 15 year olds could be written on the head of a pin.
There is also new evidence that he was not the one who threw the grenade, but he'll never get the chance to do anything about it due to what currently passes for "justice" (an absolute soiling of that word), in American kangaroo courts.
However, regardless of his guilt or innocence he was 15 when incarcerated without even an opportunity to defend himself, and has suffered more than those adults who committed capital crimes and had the benefit of due process.
at 14:35 on July 15th, 2008
You know, though we rarely agree, you do have a valid point my friend, upon reflection, we should bring him home, but only if his Mother is willing to take his place in Gitmo, since this is her second son at 14 years old she willingly sent to al qaeda for terrorist training. The oldest son who Mommie sent over when he too was 14 came back home a quadriplegic after being shot by Pakistani forces in a firefight her son was engaged in. Will Mommie volunteer to trade places with her son? Especially since she had no qualms years earlier sending them to their death in Afghanistan to fight as children? We all know Mommie will say "Hell NO , I won't go"!
Sad to say, we punish parents for child abuse for spanking our kids, yet Mommie Dearest still has not been reprimanded for her actions. Something certainly wrong with that. I know most here have read my Opinion piece on Mommie Dearest today, yet few have bothered to comments, most likely I stated a fact. Granted, he was a child, but a child of the Koran, who read the Koran and knew full well what he was getting into, no one here can tell me, a 15 year old boy doesn't know right from wrong, especially in a Muslim, Islamic society, where 15 is seen as a man, and many are married in the middle east at that age. We cannot be hypocrites and say, leave them to their culture, yet when things hit the shitter, all of a sudden you demand to interfere with said culture. Hmmm, smacks of Hypocrisy, if you ask me. I have seen the video, I have to separate what I feel personally as a father, and that of fact. The fact is Mommie shares all the blame for sending him as a child, not the interrogators who are holding him. Let Mommie Dearest take his place, plain and simple!
at 15:10 on July 15th, 2008
Funny you ask to see my source, when you have already commented on my story, complete with sources including Khadr's Mommie Dearests past media reports, hence I have done my part, and I am waiting for your facts, on the US soldiers killing all innocents than all extremists combined. The clock is ticking, we are all waiting for you to regale us with your tales, I mean facts of bravery and innuendo on this.
at 15:30 on July 15th, 2008
"..and Canadians were asked if Canada should bring Kadhr home. This was met with a resounding majority saying NO!" On the video or was that a poll? This is what I was driving at when I asked for the source. Your comment above implied that most Canadians didn't want him brought home.
at 19:40 on July 15th, 2008
Ever watch CBC? This mornings poll is now replaced, but this morning on the CBC news, the news anchor had a panel discussing Canadians as a caring Society were surprised that we were pretty much set against Omar Khadr coming to Canada, below is the link on a partial discussion on this mornings discussion and some Canadians who commented.
http://www.cbc.ca/cp/national/080715/n071598A.html#skip300x250
at 04:39 on July 15th, 2008
mchawk, I like this story. It's good stuff.
at 19:48 on July 15th, 2008
mchawk, I like this story. It's good stuff.
Keep in mind though, that he is Canadian and he is a child under canadian law!
All there is against him are allegations no prove! Further a Soldier that dies in combat is not the same than a Civilian that is being killed by a Soldier or a Civilian reacting in self defence or out of fear!
A Child being under the influence of his father can not even if guilty be held accountable!
at 07:21 on July 15th, 2008
mchawk, I like this story. It's good stuff. It's an horrific story! But only one of many!
Gerry
at 07:43 on July 15th, 2008
Mchawk, I like this story. It's good stuff.
at 07:55 on July 15th, 2008
mchawk, I like this story. It's good stuff.
at 08:03 on July 15th, 2008
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CV (not verified)at 08:10 on July 15th, 2008
What human rights violations, give me an example.
at 08:13 on July 15th, 2008
Arrest, detention, and torture without due process. This is a real no brainer!
at 08:16 on July 15th, 2008
mchawk, thanks for sharing this story. As the video very clearly demonstrates, Canada is far from being able to pass the buck on Guantanamo, Afghanistan and the war on terror -- and Omar Khadr's case offers an important insight into the world of detention and interrogation. Very interesting.
at 08:20 on July 15th, 2008
As per mchawk's request, I think this story would benefit from other NowPublic contributors working on it. I've flagged it as News Wanted and invite others in relevant locations to look for more evidence.
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CV (not verified)at 08:27 on July 15th, 2008
Who says? What should we do Mr. Moonbat if you catch an enemy that killed a soldier on the battle field? Arrest him, what? Read him his rights? Why does this killer have any due process? Are we at war or is this just some cop and robbers operation?
at 08:37 on July 15th, 2008
There are the Rules of War to consider - sadly, these were drafted after WW1 and many of them are just crazy - like not being able to stab someone with a dirty bayonet, in case their wound gets infected - like that's really what you're worrying about in the heat of battle.
There's also The Geneva Convention to consider. Sadly, Gitmo operates outside of this, thanks to a variety of legal loopholes to do with its location. As I understand it, if you declare yourself to be a combatant, then the enemy who captures you is bound by law to treat you as a POW and treat you according to the Convention. Needless to say, it gets broken all the time by pretty much every country hat goes to war.
Although "due process" isn't always applicable, the Convention at least gives us something to aspire to.
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CV (not verified)at 08:51 on July 15th, 2008
It is funny how we are expected, and rightfully so, to adhear to the rules of the Geneva Convention yet the Muslim Extremists could give two craps about a right or a law. Fighting someone who could care less about killing innocent women and children is a difficult task and considering the circumstances we as a country can only do so much, why are we as a society the ones under the microscope when it comes to possible violations when the war the Islmo Facists fight is itself direct assult on the Geneva Convention's intentions. America is not the problem and those who say they are confused and derranged.
at 09:01 on July 15th, 2008
More innocent women and children have been killed by US forces than all the "extremist" attacks rolled into one. An entire wedding party including 30 women and children in Afghanistan last week. Oh but that's different!
Personally I call them freedom fighters.
America, Britain and Israel are at the core of the problem. Confused and deranged about sums up what your President and his inner cadre are, although psychopathic should be added. I will also add another word to this lexicon; anyone who supports the US "foreign policy" is delusional.
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CV (not verified)at 13:40 on July 15th, 2008
I tell you what Sir, keep giving aid and comfort to the enemy and see what you get, I am not sure if you have been to Europe lately the place is a powder keg and I for one will not stand and watch the Western values that you for some reason can't stand, freedom, human rights, liberty and watch them wash away by those who want to kill you and me. Why don't you go and live in Afganistan or Iran, I will be happy to pay your way and while you are there try to express your feelings toward these governements and see what happens. You are confused and need to really think about what you are saying and as a liberal as i am sure you are it makes me wonder why you support such terrible regimes that have and will kill those who want to express an opinion that you seem to be so against.
at 14:27 on July 15th, 2008
SeedyVictim,
Good on you. Hide out down there. No loss to Europe or the rest of the planet. If it's a "powder keg" it's due to the policies of the Bush Administration, the Brits and the French who have made it so, but from my friends that live and travel abroad it's not nearly as scary as you say. BOOOOOO it's so very scary for you.
"Western values", if by that you mean laws,courts, justice and reason they all began in Iraq and environs. If by those "Western values" you mean the ability to rape the rest of the planet, own four Hummers and live high on the hog on the labour of poor people the world over and attack other countries to steal what the US rich want, then the sooner those "values" are interred the better.
Why would I go to live in those two countries? What a foolish thing to say. Your country has turned them into a wasteland unfit for any living thing. As to pay my way I doubt you have the money.
Liberal? LOL!
The support of terrible regimes is an earmark of US foreign policy and has been for over 100 years, as long as those regimes support US 'interests" read power, and booty.
I do not support terrible regimes anywhere. Specially the USA.
at 14:43 on July 15th, 2008
Actually Moon, I would retract every story I have written on Now Public if you could find a source that states US forces killed more women and children and innocents in the Middle east, than all the extremists combined. Please provide this FACT you state!!!!!!! Ohh don't forget to add as an extremist Saddam okay, just thought you should know, at last count 100,000. Hence one of the reasons for the invasion to stop Saddam gassing innocents. Anyhoo, add that up to other extremists, and then find a credible source that says the US has a higher kill count. Please post it on this story immediately, as we are all waiting for you to come up with that fact, you so immediately stated on here.Shouldn't be hard to prove since you stated it rather quickly, you must have so fact readily available.
at 15:33 on July 15th, 2008
I can bring two that agree on over a million in Iraq alone but you would just attack the credibility of those who did the studies. Where did you get the 100,000 figure for Saddam and how reliable is it, considering Iraq was a closed country during his reign.
at 15:36 on July 15th, 2008
Gassing innocents with the full knowledge and assistance of the USA. In fact guess where the elements for the poison gases came from? Guess who propped up Saddam for so long?
at 00:36 on July 18th, 2008
Do you remember the Bombing in Bairoute in the 70th, US forces killed over 4000 Civilian in one single attack, the Libannese will not forget that one even if the US already forgot it the week after!
at 09:25 on July 15th, 2008
CV - I completely agree with your first point - we're not on a level playing field.
One man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter. All war is murder. Neither of these are comfortable truths. Perhaps there is no moral authority in war and we're just kidding ourselves that there is. This has less to do with taking sides (East/West, Christian/Islam, Left/Right) and more about doing the right thing.
But if we - and by "we" I mean the West as a whole - if we do not hold ourselves to a higher standard, even one that is unattainable high, then who are heroes and who are the villains?