Posted on 10/15/2004 10:34:20 AM PDT by knighthawk
VANCOUVER (CP) - The Foreign Affairs Department is still awaiting confirmation of the identity of a Canadian reported killed last week in war-torn Chechnya.
But a department spokesman said Thursday the delay is not unusual in cases of Canadians who die abroad. Russian defence officials said last Friday that Rudwan Khalil, 26, of Vancouver died along with three other men when special forces clashed with a group of gunmen in a mountainous region of Chechnya.
A Canadian passport and British Columbia driver's licence with Khalil's name were displayed on Russian television, along with the bodies of four dead men.
But Foreign Affairs spokesman Reynald Doiron said the Russian Foreign Affairs Ministry so far has not officially confirmed Khalil's identity or any details of his death.
"It's not unusual," he said from Ottawa. "It may take some time to positively identify the remains."
Russian officials contend Khalil was an explosives expert who entered Russia in August or September and was killed with three gunmen belonging to a militant separatist group.
A relative said last Friday the family believed Khalil was visiting his father in Saudi Arabia, hunting for a job and also attending a friend's wedding.
There's no apparent evidence of footdragging by the Russians, Doiron indicated, adding the its Foreign Affairs Ministry has to get information from Russian defence officials and security services.
"They're doing everything that needs to be done to obtain answers to our questions," he said. "They are co-operating with us."
Ping
Will he received the hightest Canadian Honor (posthumously). Canadian seem to be very pro-terrorists, pro-islam, pro-deserters....
Iam certain the Canadian gov will explain to us that he was there for humanitarian reasons.
When will canadians wake up ? Don't they realsie they have ennemies within ?
what nonsense, you have been watching too many South Park re-runs.
How... tragic.
Yes we do realize that some of these bastards have taken advantage of our free society. Is this slimeball much different than the guy from San Francisco that was captured in Afghanistan fighting with the Taliban?
Yes we do realize that some of these bastards have taken advantage of our free society. Is this slimeball much different than the guy from San Francisco that was captured in Afghanistan fighting with the Taliban?
Not a thing. Have you noticed the treatment Californians get on this board?:)
I'm always respectful of Jim Robinson. :)
I stand corrected.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.