Canada's secret documents on Khadr's treatment (at Guantanamo) revealed

[Newsjock]

Source: Globe and Mail

TORONTO and OTTAWA — Secret documents unsealed late Wednesday show for the first time the extent to which the federal government knew of the conditions facing Omar Khadr inside the ultra-secret prison of Guantanamo Bay.

Canada's only prisoner held at the controversial U.S. military camp was placed in a special program that intentionally deprived him of sleep and saw him moved every three hours for 21 days in order to “make him more amenable and willing to talk” prior to a visit by Canadian officials to Cuba.

The orders, carried out by U.S. officials, are contained in the selected release of until now “Canadian Eyes Only” documents that contain written summaries of video-recorded interviews with the then-17-year-old in 2003 and 2004.

Disclosure of the documents are just ahead of the release of widely anticipated videotape footage of the interviews that will provide the first glimpse of a Guantanamo prisoner being questioned inside the prison.

Read more: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080709.wkhadr0709/BNStory/National/home

[Tindalos]

1. Despicable.

I'm so ashamed of my country sometimes.

[DCKit]

2. This is the one captured at 15 - 21 years old now.

And irretrievably broken.

This single case should be enough to convict the entire administration of war crimes.

[Caradoc]

3. Canada's Stephen Harper....

...has shown himself to be a petty, vindictive, ideologically narrow-minded man who, like all neo-cons, has nothing but utter contempt for anything (including democracy and the rule of law) that doesn't fit his world view. With each passing betrayal of Canadian ideals, his chances of a majority government becomes less likely, thank the maker!

[dysfunctional press]

4. when does he next face the voters himself?

oct 19, 2009...? :shrug:

[Swede]

14. In the Parliamentary system,when you have a minority government,any day is possible.

When the majority votes no confidence in the government,an election is called. This can happen anytime with Harper's minority.

[sourmilk]

5. Khadr has been pretty much "irretrievably broken" since birth, actually.

http://www.macleans.ca/canada/national/article.jsp?content=20060807_131360_131360
Who's-who in Canada's 'first family of terror'

AHMED
Known as 'al-Kanadi'(The Canadian), the Ontario-educated engineer was a reputed al-Qaeda financier and militia leader until his death in October 2003.

MAHA
An Egyptian-born refugee, she married Ahmed Khadr in Ottawa before moving to war-torn Afghanistan. For a time, the family lived with Osama bin Laden.

THE CHILDREN:
ZAYNAB
The 26-year-old is under investigation for 'participation in the activity of a terrorist group.' Divorced, she and her six-year-old daughter live in Scarborough.

ABDULLAH
The eldest of the four Khadr boys, the 25-year-old is accused of selling guns and explosives to al-Qaeda. 'I have nothing to do with anything,' he says.

ABDURAHMAN
A gambler and a smoker, the 23-year-old 'black sheep' of the Khadr family sold the movie rights to his life story for a reported US$500,000.

OMAR
Jailed at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, since the age of 15, he allegedly tossed a grenade that killed a U.S. army medic in Afghanistan. He turns 20 in September.

KAREEM
At 14, he was shot in the back during the same gunfight that killed his father. Now 17, he is paralyzed from the waist.


While I do not condone US torture of detainees or the absence of any criminal legal trials for them, it's pretty easy to see a pattern here, and I believe Khadr should remain incarcerated.

Just my $.02, however...

[LiberalLovinLug]

6. Excuse me???!

I believe Khadr should remain incarcerated

He was 15. And like you reveal, he came from a hateful indoctrinated family. Your argument would seem to stem from speculation that IF his father wasn't killed, and was able to continue to browbeat and brainwash his children, then Omar would have grown up to be a full-fledged Al Qaeda member.

But that's the same as throwing in jail a troubled 15 year old kid from a murderous father, just because he came from a bad seed and MIGHT grow up to be the same. And not only throwing him in jail but torturing him and giving him no release date. What did he do exactly? He is accused of lobbing a grenade over a wall at attackers who would shoot him first if they could. That is NOT an act of terrorism, that is an act of war! On top of this, no one can prove that it was him that threw the grenade in the first place.

I am disgusted with both the American and Canadian governments on this.

[Spazito]

7. Hmmm, every one on your list is "accused of" ,"reputed" to be

or "accused of", I don't see any "convicted of" in your list of offenses. I thought one was guilty only upon conviction but, hey, what do I know.

So, according to you, a "pattern" is enough to keep someone incarcerated. Wow, just .... WOW!

[sourmilk]

8. Hmmm...I suppose I wasn't clear enough.

"I do not condone US torture of detainees or the absence of any criminal legal trials"


I think that he should be tried, and if found guilty, incarcerated. The offences he has been accused of are serious enough that I also believe that he should remain incarcerated until a trial (ASAP) can be held - and not some MCA star-chamber affair...

You may still not agree with me, of course...

[Spazito]

9. In this case, I do not agree with you...

The "offenses" he has been accused of have been made by a military/government with NO credibility, there has been no credible evidence proffered and this young man has been held for SIX years with no charges being laid and he has been labeled by a nonsensical and unrecognized by international law as an "unlawful combatant".

In reality, we know little about the case at all. That may and should be changing soon I hope.

[sourmilk]

10. You guys might find out something...

Our Conservatron Ruling Elite likes to keep us in the dark.

[Spazito]

11. Ummm, I am not sure who "you guys" are....

Like you, I am Canadian as well. I agree with you re our neocon wannabes attempting to keep us in the dark, it isn't working nearly as well as it is in the US....yet, lol.

[sourmilk]

12. Sorry 'boot thet...Guess I should look at profiles in future, eh?

[Spazito]

13. LOL, np, I live in Alberta so I could be seen as almost living in the US

although I live in St. Albert, less wannabes here, thank goodness.

[sourmilk]

15. Lived in Peace River for 2 years...

Absolutely LOVED it and the people...

Ontario SUCKS BIG TIME in comparison. I hate it here.

Moving back next Fall (Sept '09), and JUST CAN'T WAIT.