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Guantanomo Detainees-Canada will accept none-PM Harper

by albertacowpoke | June 13, 2009 at 04:20 pm

138 views | 32 Recommendations | 7 comments

Prime Minister Stephen Harper gave an interview on FOX News for an American audience. He stated that Canada is not willing to take in detainees from Guantanomo Bay.

Canada has one Canadian citizen in that facility, Omar Khadr. Omar Khadr was picked up in Afghanistan and charged with killing an American medic when he was 15 years old.

The Canadian media has reported at length about this detainee, who is a member of a family that was living in a compound with Bin Laden. His father was close to Bin Laden. His older brother made his way back to Canada from the Middle East via Bosnia, where he asked for assistance from the Canadian Embassy as he had no passport. Canada obliged and he is living in Canada now.

The issue of Omar Khadr is a hot potato in Canada dividing those that want him released because of his age at the time of the alleged killing, and those that are categorically opposed to his return under any circumstances.

In the interview, Harper did not bring up Khadr by name, but referred to one Canadian being in the facilty that was awaiting trial. Harper said he will wait and see what the Obama Administration wanted to do with him and that Canada was not willing to take in those that the US considered to be terrorists.

Omar Khadr's Biography

Definition of a Child Soldier and UNICEF

Prime Minister Stephen Harper has told Fox News and its American audience that Canada is not willing to take in Guantanamo Bay detainees.

In a wide-ranging interview from his office on Parliament Hill on Friday afternoon, Harper said his government has a strong record in opposing terrorism and is "not offering Canada as a safe haven for anyone that the United States considers to be a terrorist."

Without mentioning Omar Khadr by name, the prime minister said there is a Canadian at Guantanamo who's charged, and his government is waiting to see what U.S. President Barack Obama's administration does in that particular case.

Toronto-born Khadr, 22, is accused of killing a U.S. medic during a firefight in Afghanistan in 2002 when he was 15 years old.

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Barbara McPherson

at 17:05 on June 13th, 2009

I am really disappointed in Harper on this. Canada doesn't have to take people deemed terrorists from Gitmo. By definition Omar Khadr can't be a terrorist because he was a child soldier at the time of his imprisonment. Canada and the US are both signatories to the UN definition of child soldier.

albertacowpoke

at 17:25 on June 13th, 2009

Thanks for your comments. I have posted a link of Child Soldier definition in the main text. It makes an interesting read.

Roy C

at 17:53 on June 13th, 2009

Non-terrorist child soldiers can be killers and irremediable. I think if the kid is Canadian, the Canadians should help out and take him in.

Really, they should be held as POWs until the end of the conflict- whenever.

albertacowpoke

at 18:00 on June 13th, 2009

He is indeed Canadian. I'm not sure that he is one of those that they want placement for. He has actually been charged. The Supreme Court of Canada actually ordered our Government recently to pursue the repatriation of Omar Khadr to Canada.

The Canadian Government(Stephen Harper) has no interest in repatriating him. They are studying their options.

mojorono

at 18:35 on June 13th, 2009

With friends like canada who needs enemies.

albertacowpoke

at 18:49 on June 13th, 2009

mojorno, I.m not quite sure how to take your comment. Canada is not the only country in the world that has rejected GITMO detainees. As a matter of fact the Europeans are asking themselves, if the United States doesn.t want them on their streets, why should they?

Canada has not been asked to take Khadr back. He started his trial just before Obama came to power and issued the Executive Order to close GITMO and stop military tribunals. I believe Khadr's trial has now restarted.

Based on Canada's Supreme Court Order, I suspect if the Obama Administration asked for him to be taken by Canada, there would not be a lot of choice for the Government of Canada.

dunkelberg

at 20:16 on June 13th, 2009

Hardly surprising at all. If Blair was Bush's poodle, Harper was his retriever. He will continue in lockstep with Bush's failed policies and politics.