MP’s column not balanced
In MP Dan Albas’ column of July 7, 2017, regarding the federal government’s $10.5-million payment to Omar Khadr, he failed to mention some important facts.
To be fair, he did acknowledge that the Supreme Court of Canada did say that “Khadr’s human rights were violated during the time he was in prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and that Canadian officials were aware of this,” even though he describes this ruling as their “opinion” and not a decision.
But Albas doesn’t include other information, including that fact that Khadr’s conviction is questionable. He did not mention that, unlike regular courts, Khadr was convicted by a U.S. military court; and they accepted as true, evidence under torture. I would suggest to you, Mr. Albas, that if you were under torture, you might admit to doing anything that would free you from being tortured.
Khadr’s two lawyers were so incensed with the treatment Khadr was receiving that they made 12 trips to Guantanamo Bay prison to visit him. And I believe most, if not all, of the trips were pro bono.
Albas also did not mention the Harper government’s lack of action towards this child soldier.
In the book, Omar Khadr, O Canada (March, 2012), edited by Janice Williamson, Sheila Pratt wrote: “Canada had not publicly raised concerns about the lack of legal rights in Guantanamo nor taken steps to repatriate its citizens – as all other Western countries had done with their own Guantanamo detainees.”
Pratt adds, “While the Supreme Court of Canada eventually agreed that Khadr’s charter rights had been violated, the Harper government declined to bring the prisoner home as a remedy, For (Khadr’s lawyer) Edney, at that point, politics trumped the rule of law. A serious blow was dealt not just to Khadr’s rights but also to legal protection that all Canadians rely on.”
Regarding Albas’s and others’ outrage at the $10.5-million payment, it does seem like a lot of money. It would seem reasonable that Khadr’s lawyers might receive some of this for their pro bono work over 10 years of time.
But, as Neil Godbout says in his recent column in the Okanagan Weekend: “People may not like paying Khadr, but a court might have given him much more and the government lawyers would still need to be paid, win or lose.”
Furthermore, he adds, “the Canadian government might be getting off cheap with Khadr, who already has two Supreme Court rulings on his side to prove that his rights were willfully ignored.”
Harvie Barker is a Penticton resident and writer of inspirational messages. He’s the author of the book, A Good Word in Season Volume 8, now available at the front desk of The Penticton Herald for $10 with all proceeds to local charity.