thank you...
Posted on 01/17/2008 12:23:53 AM PST by LibWhacker
Omar Khadr's lawyers say they can't understand why Canada is not doing more to help their client in light of new evidence that Ottawa has put the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, on a watch list for torture.
Khadr -- a Canadian citizen who was just 15-years-old when he was captured in Afghanistan more than five years ago and taken to Guantanamo -- has claimed that he has been tortured at the prison. Now, CTV News has obtained documents that put Guantanamo Bay on a torture watch list.
Khadr's U.S. military lawyer says the new documents contradict Harper's assurances that his client is receiving fair treatment.
"Omar has certainly been abused, his rights have been violated under international law, and apparently the Canadian government has reason to believe that's true, and yet, they've acted not at all to assist him," William Kuebler told CTV News.
Khadr's lawyers say suspicions of torture undermine claims that he can get a fair trial from the military commission in Guantanamo Bay. They want him sent back to Canada to face justice here. But the government has said he's charged with serious crimes and they are waiting for the U.S. judicial process to play itself out.
Canada's new focus on torture was ordered by the inquiry into Maher Arar's nightmare in Syria. U.S. authorities sent Arar -- a Canadian of Syrian ancestory -- to Syria after he made a brief stopover in New York in 2002. They wrongly accused him of having links to terrorism in large part because of information provided by the RCMP.
Arar was sent to a Syrian prison where he was tortured for nearly a year. An inquiry into the Arar affair ordered a new focus on torture, and CTV News has learned that, as part of a "torture awareness workshop," diplomats are now being told where to watch for abuse.
The aim of the workshop: to teach diplomats who visit Canadians in foreign jails how to tell if they've been tortured. It also listed countries and places with greater risks of torture. The list includes Syria, Iran, Afghanistan, and China. But surprisingly, it also included the United States, Guantanamo Bay, and Israel.
It notes specific "U.S. interrogation techniquies," which include "forced nudity, isolation, and sleep deprivation." The U.S. has repeatedly denied allegations by international groups that it tortures prisoners captured in places like Afghanistan and Iraq. However, U.S. officials have refused to comment on the Canadian list.
But international observers say they are heartened by the specificity of the Canadian list. Alex Neve of Amnesty International says he is surprised that Canada would risk offending allies by naming countries that potentially torture prisoners.
"These are countries where, sadly, the record is clear -- torture and ill treatment happens," said Neve.
But it appears that Ottawa may have had second thoughts about being so explicit. After the documents were released as evidence in a court case relating to Afghan detainees, the government tried to get them back. Sources say that Ottawa apparently wanted to black out sensitive parts that may anger allies.
Khadr -- who was born in Toronto -- was captured in 2002 after a battle with U.S. forces in which an American soldier died. He's accused of war crimes, but critics have alleged the U.S. military court that is trying him violates U.S. and international law. Khadr is the only Western citizen remaining at Guantanamo Bay.
A war crimes trial has never been held against anyone under the age of 18. International observers have questioned Ottawa's decision not to help Khadr, who many believe is no different than child soldiers victimized in Africa.
We need to designate Canada to the list of State Sponsors of Terrorism.
After a nuclear weapon explodes in Montreal or Ottawa, I wonder what their position would be? Is this the same Canada that took so many casualties to help win two world wars? How did such a nation go so soft?
Captured al Qaeda terrorists are instrcted by al Qaeda to report abuse and toture after being released. This is not just heresay since captured documents prove this. Nevertheless there are still those who prefer to believe the terrorists, despite their having no evidence. Democrats such as Dick Durbin can be included on this list. Why would they do that? Are they just looking for any excuse to blame America first, even if it means spreading terrorist propoganda?
Canada can kiss my rear. Thank God I left that shiitehole.
Last time I checked, 51 terrorist groups operate with impunity incl an office of Hamas, yet they have the audacity to lecture us?
Same ole hate America BS indoctrination by the CBC. I am a proud sponsor of waterboarding, and whatever results it does to make our enemies fear us.
Hamas has an office in Canada? We’re not too far from that here, btw. CAIR is a known contributor to Hamas, and they cloak themselves as a civil rights group, the proverbial sheep in wolf’s clothing. There are certainly segments of our society that even see Hamas as “the good guys”, and not all of them muslim; they just have a common hatred for Jews. I know how Canada tries to be everthing to everyone because of their open borders, I just hope countries such as that and the U.K. can be enough warning against multicultualism before we’re as far down that road as they are.
Did I just say sheep in wolf’s clothing?
Perhaps they ought to consider renaming Dieppe Park in Windsor something more appropriate to the times--Glorious Terrorist Filth Park has a quaint ring to it. A lot of Dearborn terrorist trash have connections to Windsor anyway, its a nearby escape.
Make him swim across. If the filthy water doesn't kill him, he can get that wonderful Canadian health care the liberals crow about so much...
thank you...
Living here on the shore of Lake Ontario we whitness Middle Eastern men crossing the lake from Canada entering tributaries of the U.S. Even a mosque has been built in Waterport N.Y. about a 1/4 mile from our shoreline called the Sufi Majid which is associated with The World Life Institute. We are being invaded by these so called Canadians.
Wow, that IS disturbing! WTH, does Homeland Security know about it?
Someone ought to write one of the leading RINO... er... I mean, Republican, candidates and ask him what he intends to do about it!
What’s a 15-year-old Canadian doing in a terrorist training camp in Afghanistan anyway?
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