Canadian detained at Gitmo rejects 5-year deal for 30-year sentence

dmc89 · Jul 12, 2010

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE66B4AS20100712

Summary (by AFP): A young Canadian, the last Westerner held at Guantanamo Bay, said Monday he would not defend himself after refusing a US plea deal, insisting his military trial was a sham.

"I will not take any of the offers because it'll give the US government an excuse for torturing me and abusing me when I was a child," Omar Khadr, 23, told a military tribunal at the remote jail in Cuba.

He and his Canadian lawyer confirmed he had refused a plea deal under which he would only have to serve five years of a 30-year sentence in Guantanamo if he admitted war crimes charges, which normally carry a life term.

The US government alleges that Khadr killed a US soldier with a grenade in 2002 after rising from the rubble of an Al-Qaeda compound, the lone survivor of a four-hour US bombardment.

Khadr, whose father was a close friend of Al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden, was seriously wounded in the battle that preceded his capture in July 2002, losing sight in one eye.

Khadr's lawyers contend that he was tortured and coerced into giving incriminating statements during interrogations at the Bagram air base in Afghanistan and at Guantanamo. In an April hearing, a U.S. military interrogator admitted making up tales of gang-rape and murder in order to frighten Khadr. Other members of the U.S. military said he was interrogated while sedated and recovering from gunshot wounds, and that he had been hooded and chained to a wall.

Do you believe him, or think there is some merit to his allegations? A nation/prosecuters saving face at the cost of many years of your life plus torture - would you have taken the deal?

krnxsnoopy · Jul 12, 2010

Hypothetically, even if I was dumb enough to join Al Qaeda and this situation presented itself, I would've taken the deal... He's doubly moron but good for the rest of society I guess.

pippendagimp · Jul 12, 2010

they tortured a wounded 15-yr old kid

CrazyDave · Jul 12, 2010

That's why we have trials. It's not all or nothing based on these snipets. There is obviously more to it, and there's no way for us to make judgement on it free of prejudice or blind assumption.

That said, I'm guessing it's hard to get much compassion when you were found climbing from the rubble of a terrorist compound tossing grenades at american soldiers, regardless of the details.

Northside Storm · Jul 12, 2010

Khadr issue is much more complicated then that.

The Harper Administration here in Canada has washed their hands of this, despite the fact that evidence suggests Khadr might never have committed these crimes in the first place.

Subsequent hearings focused on Khadr's status — whether he was an "unlawful enemy combatant," a critical legal designation.

Prosecutors do not have a witness who saw Khadr throw the grenade, but the Pentagon says he was the only al-Qaeda fighter left alive and the only person who could have thrown the grenade.

However, a U.S. soldier who took part in the battle has said in sworn testimony that two al-Qaeda fighters were alive after the fatal grenade attack.

Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2009/01/13/f-omar-khadr.html#ixzz0tVtSgXc5
Click to expand...

What a travesty. Even if he did commit the crimes though, this sets a dangerous precedent. He was a 15 year old boy at the time-if the US goes off on its' high horse and prosecutes child soldiers, what is to say that other nations will not follow suit? (Thankfully, the ICC and the UN have much better ideas when it comes to this issue-rehabilitation and etc. If you ever want a sobering look at the immense evil humankind is capable of, look up videos of what child soldiers, under threat of death, were made to do. Eating the hearts of the dead, raping, maiming-you name it, they did it.)

A conclusive summary from a man I respect immensely and knows so much more of the topic at hand.

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rhadamanthus · Jul 13, 2010

I have no reason not to believe him. Torture of innocents has been well-documented in the "war on terror".

We lost already.

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Canadian detained at Gitmo rejects 5-year deal for 30-year sentence

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