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Omar Khadr likely to be tried by Military commission

by Karl Gotthardt - albertacowpoke | July 22, 2009 at 03:50 am

199 views | 24 Recommendations | 7 comments

Omar Khadr, a Canadian citizen, was picked up by U.S. Forces in 2002 and charged with murdering a U.S. soldier. The Supreme Court of Canada ruled that the Canadian Government must lobby for his release with the U.S. Administration. The Canadian Government is considering to appeal this decision.

A Justice Department document suggests that the United States will in all likelihood go ahead with trying Khadr by a military commission, if it goes ahead with Khadr's prosecution.

President Obama has established a task force that is reviewing documentation on 229 Guantanamo detainees. It is expected that a decision on Khadr will be reached by September.

Lobby groups in both Canada and the United States have long stated that Khadr was a boy soldier at this time of arrest in Afghanistan. He was 15 at the time.

Khadr's Defence Team has demanded that he be released immediately and Obama could bow to that demand. Insiders feel, however, that Obama is not leaning that way.

As President Obama is losing his political cloud he may feel the pressure to prosecute Khadr to avoid the criticism that he is weak on terror.

NEW YORK -- Canadian-born terrorism suspect Omar Khadr will be tried by a military commission rather than a federal civilian court if the United States proceeds with his prosecution, a U.S. Justice Department document suggests.

A task force under U.S. President Barack Obama is in the midst of reviewing the files of all 229 Guantanamo Bay detainees, and insiders say they expect a decision on Khadr's case by early September.

While the Obama administration could alternatively bow to Mr. Khadr's defence team's demand he be immediately repatriated, some close to the task force say it does not appear to be leaning toward that recommendation.

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Barry ORegan

at 05:00 on July 22nd, 2009

I still say they should have tried and deported his Mother for child abuse for brainwashing this kid and his brothers. To date Mommy Dearest still slams Canada every time she goes to cash her Canadian taxpayer funded Welfare Cheque.

Karl Gotthardt - albertacowpoke

at 05:45 on July 22nd, 2009

I agree, that family is something else. We financed Khadr's brother's way from Bosnia to Canada.

Uwe Paschen

at 06:57 on July 22nd, 2009

As a Child He was arrested and he is still a Canadian Citizen.

In Niger one is an adult at 14, however in Canada the age is 18 for adulthood. We can not have it both ways.

Karl Gotthardt - albertacowpoke

at 07:25 on July 22nd, 2009

Under UNICEF convention a child soldier is one 15 and under. This is a tricky issue because of the circumstances.

Child Soldiers

Karl Gotthardt - albertacowpoke

at 07:22 on July 22nd, 2009

Omar Khadr's story

Spydermonkey

at 10:17 on July 22nd, 2009

After the treatment that we (the US gov.) allowed, in spite of the international agreements that we have signed, of a minor in our custody, I think it makes our government mostly responsible for his mental health & physical well being..

Somehow, I just don't see our gov. taking responsibility and doing the right thing. But of course now that we have tortured the boy, he now has very personal reasons to want to kill.

This is the dark side of "the war on terror" that should never have never happened.

First he is tortured to give up info,

"when .. pressured by Fuller, [he] confessed he had seen..Maher Arar.. at a Kabul safehouse"

then he is punished for lying under torture....

"When he told Canadians that he had been tortured into giving false confessions by the Americans, the Canadian authorities called him a liar"

What kind of monsters did we leave in charge here?¿