It’s difficult to agree with the government’s treatment of Omar Khadr given that, despite what he is accused of doing and the reputed connections of his deceased father and family, the 23-year-old is first and foremost a Canadian citizen and deserves every protection, service and guarantee the government can provide.
Jack Layton and Michael Ignatieff can howl all they want about the timing of the government’s most recent announcement — that it was simply dispatching a note to the United States asking the information obtained during CSIS’ interrogation of Khadr not be used against him — but the fact there was a hockey game on at the time the press release went out has very little to do with a seemingly complex but very simple case.
What the note did not contain goes to the very heart of his detention at Guantanamo Bay — Khadr is a child soldier. He was 15 years old when, in 2002, U.S. Special Forces backed by air support, attacked and bombed a series of mud huts in Afghanistan where a group of militants was hiding. An exploding grenade killed a U.S. soldier, though the evidence made public so far does not support the accusation that Khadr threw it. He was found buried in the rubble and subsequently shot twice in the back, the bullets passing through his chest. Gruesome images of army medics treating him on site have been posted on the Internet.
Last week’s Supreme Court ruling was both vague and disappointing. While the court held that the government did violate Khadr’s rights by questioning him in U.S. custody, it did not order his repatriation. Khadr’s Canadian lawyers had asked to consult with the government to interpret the court’s verdict, but instead were forced to file for an injunction against the government’s diplomatic note to the United States.
As the legal wrangling continues here, Khadr’s imprisonment has now surpassed the eight-year mark. He is the only Western citizen imprisoned in Cuba — all others have been returned home. President Barack Obama has stopped the military tribunal process, but the camp has not been closed down and Khadr’s legal status remains uncertain. His treatment at the hands of his captors has been nothing short of heinous. Khadr has been tortured — denied pain medication after his initial capture, threatened with dogs and anal rape, has lost vision in one eye and has been dragged through a mixture of his own urine and pine oil. Snapshots of his psychological state have revealed he suffers from hallucinations, delusions and suicidal behaviour.
No 15-year-old, even if that person is now 23, should have to suffer what Khadr has. Canada won’t acknowledge him as a child soldier, and the United States says he is not one because he was not a member of an actual army, even though the United Nations has passed numerous resolutions dealing with children forced into combat by guerrilla units, especially those involved in civil warfare. The Americans seem so intent on bringing Khadr to justice — despite repeated delays — that they are willing to try and split a very fine hair.
That every other country has repatriated its citizens speaks loudly against Canada’s track record for respecting human rights. This government’s refusal to seek Khadr’s repatriation is an embarrassment to the entire country and sullies our name on the international scene. No Canadian, especially no child should be abandoned to another country in such a fashion. The onus is on the government to bring Khadr home to face justice, but also for rehabilitation. That cannot happen in Guantanamo Bay.
