Yesterday, the military judge overseeing the flawed military commission proceedings against Omar Khadr, who has been in U.S. custody since age 15, postponed the start of the trial by a week. The trial is now scheduled to begin Monday, October 25th at Guantánamo.
The delay came amidst reports that negotiations are underway on a possible plea agreement that would avert the trial. There is much speculation in the media about what the terms of the deal might be, and who so far has signed off on it.
While the trial might be coming to an end for Khadr, the obligation of US authorities to ensure remedy and reparation for any human rights violations that have been committed against him does not end here.
Also, the fact that the military commission system falls short of international fair trial standards is not changed by whether a plea deal is reached in Omar Khadr’s case.
Regardless of what happens with Khadr, Amnesty International will continue to call on the US to abandon the unfair and flawed military commissions and bring any Guantánamo detainee it intends to prosecute to trial in ordinary civilian federal court, in accordance with international fair trial standards. Any detainee it does not intend to prosecute should be immediately released.
The trial of Omar Khadr began in August but came to an abrupt halt after his military defense lawyer collapsed on the first day. The trial is flawed because it is not happening in a real court. Omar Khadr has been tortured, threatened with rape, and denied basic legal rights. Yet despite all that, his fate hangs outside a traditional judge and jury and rests with politicians and military personnel.
Amnesty International delegates have attended military commission proceedings conducted at Guantánamo over the years, including in Omar Khadr’s case. If proceedings do go ahead on October 25th, as currently scheduled, we’ll have representation there to observe the proceedings.
Amnesty International members around the world have been and continue to call for the USA to abandon Omar Khadr’s military commission trial and on the Canadian authorities to call for his repatriation. You can join us by taking action here.
"the obligation of US authorities to ensure remedy and reparation" ?
Really, Amnesty ?
Really?
If Omar ever gets reparation from the US government, don't you think Christopher Spear's widow and orphans deserve to strip every penny from Omar by suing him for the wrongful death of their husband and father?
"Amnesty International calls on the Canadian authorities to call for his repatriation." ?
Really, Amnesty ?
Really?
Maybe the Canadian government just does not like being repeatedly played for fools by the Khadr family.
After all, Omar is not the first member of his family to commit horrific terrorist killings in foreign countries, get caught red handed and then suddenly remember he is Canadian, lie to Canadian authorities about his guilt beg their help in getting released, only to immediately return to active terrorism against Canadian allies.
Lets just recap shall we ?
Omar's own father Ahmed Khadr was arrested by Pakistan for organizing for al-Qaeda the November 19 1995 attack on the Egyptian embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan in which 17 civilians were brutally murdered. Ahmed swore he was completely innocent ( just like Omar has been doing ) and so the all the typical human rights groups put pressure on the Canadian government to get him freed, and the Canadian government in turn put massive pressure on Pakistan, which was not hard since at that time Canada was the Pakistan's single largest donor of foreign aid. Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chrétien visiting Pakistan personally demanded Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto to release this "innocent" (ha ha ) Canadian, and even threatened to withhold foreign aid and so Ahmed Khadr was quickly released.
But what was the truth?
Was Ahmed Khadr innocent just like Omar claims he is?
What do you think?
Omar’s mother Maha Elsamnah, the wife of Ahmed Said Khadr, Omar’s older sister Zaynab Khad and Omar’s older brother Abdurahman gave an interview shown Feb. 22, 2004. on the Canadian Broadcast Corporation, and later broadcast on the PBS network show Frontline.
In this interview the Khadrs expressed support for 9/11, saying “America got what it deserved.”
Omar’s mother and sister proudly justified sending Omar as a little boy age 11 to train as a front line combat soldier with Osama Bin Laden, saying this was better for Omar than letting him grow up in Toronto because: "if he had stayed in Toronto he could have become a homosexual."
Omar’s older brother Abdurahman Khadr, who was also captured in Afghanistan in 2001, but now lives in Toronto with the rest of his family said:
“I admit we are an al-Qaeda family. We have connections with al-Qaeda,” he told Canada’s CBC television.
He said he and his brothers were sent to Afghanistan to train with al-Qaeda by their family.
“I was raised to become a suicide bomber.” he admitted.
“The first time I went to training, I was 11-and-a-half years old. I was 11-and-a-half. I remember that. My brother was 12. And we went to Khalden. Since ‘92 until 2003, I’ve been to Khalden, like, five times. I took assault rifle course, explosive-making course, snipers, pistols and Pet CC, which is a course that includes all of these. “
Really, Amnesty ?
Really?
“the obligation of US authorities to ensure remedy and reparation” ?
Really, Amnesty ?
Really?
If Omar ever gets reparation from the US government, don’t you think Christopher Spear’s widow and orphans deserve to strip every penny from Omar by suing him for the wrongful death of their husband and father?
“Amnesty International calls on the Canadian authorities to call for his repatriation.” ?
Really, Amnesty ?
Really?
Maybe the Canadian government just does not like being repeatedly played for fools by the Khadr family.
After all, Omar is not the first member of his family to commit horrific terrorist killings in foreign countries, get caught red handed and then suddenly remember he is Canadian, lie to Canadian authorities about his guilt beg their help in getting released, only to immediately return to active terrorism against Canadian allies.
Lets just recap shall we ?
Omar’s own father Ahmed Khadr was arrested by Pakistan for organizing for al-Qaeda the November 19 1995 attack on the Egyptian embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan in which 17 civilians were brutally murdered. Ahmed swore he was completely innocent ( just like Omar has been doing ) and so the all the typical human rights groups put pressure on the Canadian government to get him freed, and the Canadian government in turn put massive pressure on Pakistan, which was not hard since at that time Canada was the Pakistan’s single largest donor of foreign aid. Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chrétien visiting Pakistan personally demanded Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto to release this “innocent” (ha ha ) Canadian, and even threatened to withhold foreign aid and so Ahmed Khadr was quickly released.
But what was the truth?
Was Ahmed Khadr innocent just like Omar claims he is?
What do you think?
Omar’s mother Maha Elsamnah, the wife of Ahmed Said Khadr, Omar’s older sister Zaynab Khad and Omar’s older brother Abdurahman gave an interview shown Feb. 22, 2004. on the Canadian Broadcast Corporation, and later broadcast on the PBS network show Frontline.
In this interview the Khadrs expressed support for 9/11, saying “America got what it deserved.”
Omar’s mother and sister proudly justified sending Omar as a little boy age 11 to train as a front line combat soldier with Osama Bin Laden, saying this was better for Omar than letting him grow up in Toronto because: “if he had stayed in Toronto he could have become a homosexual.”
Omar’s older brother Abdurahman Khadr, who was also captured in Afghanistan in 2001, but now lives in Toronto with the rest of his family said:
“I admit we are an al-Qaeda family. We have connections with al-Qaeda,” he told Canada’s CBC television.
He said he and his brothers were sent to Afghanistan to train with al-Qaeda by their family.
“I was raised to become a suicide bomber.” he admitted.
“The first time I went to training, I was 11-and-a-half years old. I was 11-and-a-half. I remember that. My brother was 12. And we went to Khalden. Since ‘92 until 2003, I’ve been to Khalden, like, five times. I took assault rifle course, explosive-making course, snipers, pistols and Pet CC, which is a course that includes all of these. “
Really, Amnesty ?
Really?
Judo-
AI doesn't take kindly to FACTS…unless they are first cherry picked and paint a different picture than the TRUTH.
It is unfortunate that terrorist sympathising has become so en vogue.
Long live GITMO and the detention of terrorists/enemy combatants with or without a "federal trial".
Judo-
AI doesn’t take kindly to FACTS…unless they are first cherry picked and paint a different picture than the TRUTH.
It is unfortunate that terrorist sympathising has become so en vogue.
Long live GITMO and the detention of terrorists/enemy combatants with or without a “federal trial”.
G-U-I-L-T-Y…
Did Khadr and his Defense Attorney consult with you A.I. before entering any guilty plea agreement? No…? Sniffle, Sniffle
G-U-I-L-T-Y…
Did Khadr and his Defense Attorney consult with you A.I. before entering any guilty plea agreement? No…? Sniffle, Sniffle