Outrage, compassion for Khadr
Re ‘Odious’ or overdue: Reports of Omar Khadr settlement draw sharply
different reactions, July 4 Two words will always haunt the Omar Khadr case: child soldier. U.S. rhetoric concerning what took place in the battle where U.S. Delta Force Sgt. Christopher Speer was fatally wounded doesn’t change Khadr’s age or the maniacal fundamentalist upbringing of his father. Khadr’s human rights in both Canada and across the border particularly were trampled by governments that sided with a need for revenge and occupation after Sept. 11, 2001. Daniel Kowbell, Mississauga Omar Khadr was a Canadian child taken into harm’s way by his parents where he killed a U.S. soldier. He was caught and became a trophy captive of a U.S. military seeking revenge, whilst still a child. He was treated terribly and Canadian governments, for one reason or another, failed him. This man is a Canadian and deserves to be treated properly. As for the compensation, if I had lost my years from 15 to 26, there is no amount in this world that could compensate me. Keith Parkinson, Cambridge This young man paid his debt to society. He has turned his life around and deserves to be left alone. Sydnae Stretton, Burlington Only in Canada could a citizen go to a foreign country, join a terrorist group, be photographed making IEDs, kill another foreign national, then after being released from that country’s prison, claim that his rights were abused, and end up being awarded $10.5 million. I will have to look back at my life to see if there is anything that happened to me that I could sue for even one-tenth of that. Robert Drummond, Exeter, Ont. There was a time when treason was an offence punishable by death. Now, we welcome back traitors who have taken up arms against Canada and its allies, with an apology and a huge financial reward, making them multimillionaires so they can live in luxury for the rest of their lives. Isn’t there something wrong with this picture? David Pankhurst, East York There are two views of the law. The view held by those on the right is that the law is there to protect the good guys and punish the bad guys. Hence Donald Trump’s “suggestion” that James Comey shouldn’t lay off Michael Flynn because Flynn is a “good guy” raises no concerns among the right.
The other view is that the law defines the basic parameters of a civil society. While individual circumstances may be considered in its application, the penalties and protections apply to everyone. This view is enshrined in our highest law, the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
The continuous violations of Khadr’s rights as a Canadian citizen by successive Liberal and Conservative governments have brought shame on Canada. We should applaud our judges for their consistent upholding of our laws despite the actions of our governments.
If people don’t like the courts awarding damages to people wronged by the actions of our governments, they should start voting for candidates with a greater respect for our laws and for human rights. Gary Dale, West Hill
“I know the settlement is for Mr. Khadr’s detention, because nobody should profit from a crime, but what about the rights of the American soldier who was killed by a Canadian citizen who was not in uniform?” ROY SMITH WHITBY
The whole thing is rather confusing. The family was anti-West and associated with Osama bin Laden. Khadr admitted his guilt and accepted the punishment. Most Canadians would be happy that he is free and living a good life. But most would find it hard to accept the bounty that he is given. Many Canadians are paying taxes on their meagre income and certainly cannot understand the squandering of it on such unreasonable awards.
There have been many cases of wrongful imprisonment. Some as long as 20 years. They were not given such generous awards, though they were loyal citizens. Is it becoming a Canadian way to support persons who aim to destroy our way of life? Clarence McMullen, Richmond Hill On Tuesday, your headline read that the government is preparing to apologize to Omar Khadr and award him a $10-million settlement. On Wednesday, you wrote an editorial applauding such actions and ended with the words that rights apply to everyone — including Omar Khadr.
I know the settlement is for Mr. Khadr’s detention, because nobody should profit from a crime, but what about the rights of the American soldier who was killed by a Canadian citizen who was not in uniform?
I can imagine that Mr. Khadr‘s lawyers are busily negotiating how much taxpayers’ money they can get from Ottawa for their client, but I can also imagine the lawyers for the American soldier’s family just waiting to see what happens before they launch actions to get as much as they can of it for their clients. Roy Smith, Whitby I am outraged that the Liberals are paying Omar Khadr this money. As a 15year-old boy, he knew that killing is a criminal offence. He was not a child soldier. He was a terrorist. Sue Brunton, Mississauga Re Deal for Khadr acknowledges violation of
rights: Editorial, July 4 Madness. Star editors’ shrug that this young killer’s “multimillion-dollar settlement . . . will upset a fair number of people,” takes the prize for the journalistic understatement of the year. If Khadr and his dysfunctional family want financial recourse, sue Trump et al. What were Harper and his advisers supposed to do, send Canadian commandos to spring the kid loose from Guantanamo? I argued years ago this youth, riding a whirlwind of publicity, would reap a hefty fee from book agents when he was released. But a whopping shell out from Canadian taxpayers? Shame on the Liberals. Perhaps such government idiocy is another example why the right-wing south of the border has garnered so much power. As for the Star, that proud publication is leaning so far to the left, its 25-storey office building in downtown Toronto is beginning to tilt. Garry Burke, Oro-Medonte, Ont. Would the Star have also supported compensation for Omar Khadr had he killed a Canadian soldier? Gordon Friedrich, Woodbridge Very sad to hear the Conservative rhetoric and foolishness over the government’s initiative to console the youngest prisoner in Guantanamo Bay.
Those who are filled with prejudice should pretend for a moment the case is not about a brown man but about John Smith. Only then will they be able to see things with more clarity.
Leave the young Canadian alone to establish himself, as the mental anguish he received, no amount of money will make it go away. Abubakar N. Kasim, Toronto Re In the U.K., terror-plotters get life not millions of dollars: DiManno, July 4 Rosie DiManno calls Omar Khadr’s payout a reward for spending 15 years in jail.
Three Supreme Court trials came to the conclusion that there was a severe betrayal of Mr. Khadr’s rights by our government. That is the salient point. The government doesn’t get to pick and choose whose rights are to be protected and whose aren’t. Khadr is not being rewarded, he’s being compensated for the abuses committed by our government to his rights. We have also paid out huge awards to others plus the costs of trials, etc. Maybe indignation should be directed at Jason Kenney, and the Harper government he served, for trouncing people’s rights and forcing us to pay compensation that could have been avoided if they had been more amenable to our Charter rights, you know, the ones that our soldiers go to fight for? Bruce Van Dieten, Markham