Canada Orders Omar Khadr Released on Bail

By Jeralyn, Section Terror Detainees
Posted on Thu May 07, 2015 at 12:09:00 PM EST
Tags: Omar Khadr (all tags)

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Canada has ordered Omar Khadr released on bail. He will leave prison for the first time in 13 years, and reside with his lawyer.

Omar Khadr was 15 in 2002 when he was captured in Afghanistan and sent to Guantanamo. After 10 years at Gitmo and a lot of torture (including being used as a "human mop" to wipe up urine) he entered a plea deal which allowed him to be transferred to Canada. The agreement contained no requirement that Canada continue to keep him imprisoned.

There are no legitimate grounds I can think of to deny Omar release. No one has alleged he presents a risk of violence. He was a model prisoner. The U.S. took 10 very prime years of his life and Canada stuck him with a few more years. [More...]

This "Child of Jihad" as he was called around the blogosphere during his early years of captivity is all grown up. And no one disagrees that he is a well-mannered, polite young man who has committed no crimes since his capture. Yet
Canadian prosecutors tried to block his release. First they claimed that his release could damage relations with other countries, like the U.S. But the U.S. responded his release on bail would not be problematic for U.S. Canadian relations. Then prosecutors came up with a second excuse: He's been in jail so long, he should transition out slowly.

Omar comes from a long line of jihadists. As former Blogger Jeanne D'Arc wrote about his family back in 2006:

The problem is, Omar Khadr is as much a victim of these people as a member of the family. He's eighteen years old. When he was captured in Afghanistan, he was fifteen -- a child turned into a soldier by parents from hell. And our government's response to this victim of child abuse was to abuse him further.

My 40 plus posts on Omar Khadr, going back to 2004, are available here.

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Canada Orders Omar Khadr Released on Bail | 14 comments (14 topical)

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Went back and read some of the threads (2.00 / 1) (#3)
by jimakaPPJ on Thu May 07, 2015 at 09:53:30 PM EST

I argued that he was a guerrilla.

Others argued that he was a POW.

IF they had won and he had been designated a POW he would still in prison and would be held until hostilities cease.

Funny how things work out.

You forgot one part (5.00 / 2) (#4)
by Yman on Thu May 07, 2015 at 10:57:20 PM EST

You did indeed call him a guerilla in an attempt to justify hanging him:

The historical puishment for guerrillas has been hanging. He should receive a fair and rapid tribubal and if convicted, hanged by the neck until dead...
So the imprsonment was legal. And 39 months? I would have tried and hung him within 3 months. But that's just me.

If you had "won" the debate, he would be dead.

... and that's not remotely "funny".


Thanks for reminding me (1.00 / 2) (#5)
by jimakaPPJ on Thu May 07, 2015 at 11:05:58 PM EST

he was and I still think he should have been hung.

There, that plain enough for you.


Not a surprise (5.00 / 5) (#6)
by Yman on Fri May 08, 2015 at 06:45:46 AM EST

Khadr was a 15-year-old convicted based on false evidence and a "confessions" extracted by torture, yet you would have tried and hung him within 3 months.

How fair, just and "socially liberal" of you.


If you believe those claims (none / 0) (#7)
by jimakaPPJ on Fri May 08, 2015 at 08:58:04 AM EST

then there is nothing I can say that will change you.

Thanks for telling us who you are.


: Those aren't false "claims" (5.00 / 2) (#8)
by Yman on Fri May 08, 2015 at 09:14:30 AM EST

They're facts. Did you even bother to read the links provided?
But you're welcome ... from someone who believes the government should not be able to fabricated evidence and torture to extract evidence.

Scott, please study some history and (1.25 / 4) (#10)
by jimakaPPJ on Fri May 08, 2015 at 04:27:46 PM EST

incorporate some facts into your rants and personal attacks.

He was a guerrilla.
He was shot three times after he threw a grenade that killed a US military man.
Guerrilla's have historically been hanged. They have no POW status.
Sorry you don't have the stomach ti fight a war. Even more glad to know that someone else will do it for you.

: Those aren't "facts" (5.00 / 2) (#11)
by Yman on Fri May 08, 2015 at 07:47:34 PM EST

He was a guerrilla.
No. That's a label you fabricated. Khadr was never found to have been a "guerilla", which is why you can provide nothing but your own statement as evidence.

Guerrilla's have historically been hanged. They have no POW status.
Khadr was found to be an enemy combatant. The "guerilla" label is just your weak attempt to justify your desire to see him executed. But just for giggles, Jim, let's see a list of "geurillas" hanged by the US government.
(crickets chirping)

Sorry you don't have the stomach ti fight a war. Even more glad to know that someone else will do it for you.
Do you hear that often, Jim?
You should.

I agree with his release, (none / 0) (#1)
by sarcastic unnamed one on Thu May 07, 2015 at 01:05:39 PM EST

but I do find some of the characterization of him to be lacking.

The crimes he was convicted of support the sentence he received, imo, and that he "has committed no crimes since his capture" is probably because, well, he was captured...

Specifically it's the conservative Harper (none / 0) (#2)
by Natal on Thu May 07, 2015 at 01:50:33 PM EST

government and their "tough on crime" stance that's opposing his release. Anyways in the next election the conservatives will be toast. The left-of-centre New Democratic Party (NDP) of Alberta just uprooted the Conservatives from their 43 year reign in the oil-rich province.

Off topic comments deleted (none / 0) (#12)
by Jeralyn on Sat May 09, 2015 at 09:55:20 AM EST

This thread is not about Jim, but Omar Khadr.

: Then delete Yman's (none / 0) (#13)
by jimakaPPJ on Sat May 09, 2015 at 10:36:31 AM EST

Thank you.

Yman's comment was on topic (none / 0) (#14)
by Jeralyn on Sat May 09, 2015 at 05:04:31 PM EST

and not about you. It was about your erroneous reference to Omar Khadr as a guerrilla.

: Okay, what I should have written is: (none / 0) (#15)
by jimakaPPJ on Sat May 09, 2015 at 09:10:19 PM EST

Guerrilla definition:

a member of a small independent group taking part in irregular fighting, typically against larger regular forces.
I believe that fits him very well.