Khadr's Back

Khadr, Canada's boy jihadi  and innernational good-guy-killer, is back in Canadian news after a recent government decision to mke a settlement on a lawsuit brought against the Canadian government on his behalf claiming $60 million in damages for depriving him of his civil rights under Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

 This is the last in a number of lawsuits raised in Khadr's behalf in Canadian courts and dating back at least 12 years. All of the lawsuits - two of which were taken to ajudication at the Supreme Court of Canada have been successful in citing the Government of Canada for failing to attend to Khadr's protection (as a Canadian citizen) and in carrying-out a program of harassment and oppression against him.  Khadr is receiving about $8 million dollars (US) for the 12 years the Canadian government - calling him a 'terrorist' -   refused to support him.

You may recall from earlier posts on the subject, earlier post that Omar Khadr's was one of the first stories to come out of Operation Afghan Freedom - the cautionary tale of a 'radical kid' killer,  wounded and captured , treated by IS medics and doctors and one of the first inmates at Guantanamo.  Khadr,  we are told,  had been taken to Afghanistan to meet all the bad guys,  by his Egyptian-born father who, again we are told,  acted as 'the chief financial officer' for AQ's  training operations there. The Father was later killed in an US/Pakistani 'security operation'. Khadr had a brother who was crippled in that opeation and subsequently repatriated to join his family in Canada.


Khadr was tortured while being held by US forces at their base at Bagram. After he arrived at Guantanmo he was treated as a 'hard core terrorist', accused of killing a US "medic" and subjected to disciplinary detention and interrogations.  At at least two points in his detention Canadian government "representatives" were present at and participated in the intererogation process - leaving Khadr to believe that Canada was prepared to do nothing to help him,  unless he confessed and provided information.  After 13 years of detention,  a deal was struck whereby Khadr would plead guilty to a number of charges,  be sentenced, released and repatriated to Canada. That court action was executed.

 The US authorities, however, chose to differentiate between Khadr and a number of other detaineees who had opted for the same 'plea deal' - conviction-release  process. It was decided that, because he was now a 'self-confessed killer',  an extended period of detention at Guantanmo was required. The Canadian government did not object to this breech of the plea-deal agreement. After two years a court ruling, in Canada, directed the Canadian government to act to secure  his release. After a further year spent appealing, and losing,  the court ruling was put into action.

When Khadr arrived back in Canada the government, at that time, (in a distinct break with common procedure in every one of the similar plea-bargain cases)  stated that it was prepared to carry out the sentence of the Guantanamo Tribunal and detained  the 'self-confessed murderer and terrorist' in a Canadian prison.   A second lawsuit to force his release, again going all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada, saw Khadr released, on bail, about 18 moths later,  while the government continued to file objections to and appeals of the SC ruling. That process was still pending when the Tory government of Steven Harper lost the election in 2016.

The incoming Liberal government eventually abandoned the appeals  and a lawsuit for costs and damages against the government was initiated. After study,  the Federal Justice Department declined to contest the suit and a settlement process was intiated.  This was concluded yesterday when Khadr and his lawyers,  recieved their money.

It was also noted that the widow of the dead special forces soldier and a comrade, partially blinded in that incident, had filed an application in a Canadian court to have the court enforce a ruling made by a Utah court,  granting them damages of $174 million dollars (US) from Khadr. There were also lawsuits launched against the Khadr family claiming damages from the incident.  Some news sources are now saying that, since the government has already paid Khadr, the widow won't be getting money from them, or Khadr,  without signifiant actions in Canadian Courts.

Khadr Hears Victim Impact Statement

A Court in Toronto dismissed the claim against Khadr by the American claimants.


Khadr is curently training to be a nurse.

According to the pulp press this 'issue' has "polarized" Canadians. Actually the split is the same one as appears now on political grounds, or with those Canadians who believe in the rule of law, and those who believe that laws should be different depending on circumstances. That the courts are supreme in law (as indicated in the Constitution)  or that the Government can and should change, or in Khadr's case ignore, the law,  to do as it pleases.

                                               
                                                      Khadr - for the specially educated