Bring Omar Khadr home and set him free!

Unionist wrote:

I don't know why my February comment has been revived here, but I stand by it.

Khadr is barred from Canada by Harper. Galloway is barred from Canada by Harper. The motives in both cases are [b][i]identical[/i][/b]. It has absolutely nothing to do with skin colour.

I guess, given the fog created above, I should say what those motives are:

Both Khadr and Galloway represent active opposition to the New World Order pursued by U.S. imperialism and its "allies".

It has nothing whatsoever to do with "security" concerns either.

I should have thought this much was obvious. 

right! to clarify, it's obviously not that hes a "nat'l security concern"! ( "terrorist") or that the purposefully-predominant "color" of so-called "terrorists" is Khadr's,,!  or his religion! at all! - they're not saying anything like that - but, by saying nothing, the implications are flappin' in the

endless winds aloft

i doubt that Khadr's had any access to internet, radio, tv, papers - i think he gets a fresh Q'ran whenever, and that's it - so I dunno what he knows, really - but I know what George Galloway knows - "Everything" - the whole thing - the invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan being the thin edge of the NWO Wedge, etc., but, that's all just a tad too esoteric for most folk... know what I mean?

Galloway knows, and they know that he knows, and he's right in their face, but he's framing it all in the plight of the Palestinian people - a worthy cause!

I think that's the way to go - give the people something tangible - "fight the NWO", as a cause, is too diffuse - nobody'd know where to start!

(1) Yes, and the fact that he mubbled in English indicated to the people who shot him that he was a special case, so they saved him. Had they thought he was Afghan they would have done him the way they did the other wounded man they found in tha alley. What is interesting about this discourse is that the testimony of the shooter clearly indicates that the shooter killed an severly wounded unarmed man just before he shot Khadr in the back.

Benjamin wrote:

Cueball wrote:

I maintain that the only reason he is alive is because when he was shot he was speaking English, and if were not for that, he would be dead.

Alternative theories:

(1) the special forces thought he would be of use from an intelligence perspective; and/or

(2) a member of the special forces was actually obeying international humanitarian law, and realized that Khadr was hors de combat.

I second that Khadr is where he is because of racism, and would add islamophobia too.

Yes, racism and islamophobia in the highest office in Canada - the office of the Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

Unionist wrote:

[url=http://rabble.ca/babble/international-news-and-politics/bring-omar-khadr... fired by Pentagon[/color][/url]

In preparation for the "closing" of Guantanamo, Obama appears to be cleaning house. He is the Commander-in-Chief of the military, in case anyone has forgotten.

 

Update: Obama's little plan has been foiled for the moment, by a "judge":

[url=http://www.thestar.com/News/World/article/615226][color=red]Khadr's military lawyer reinstated[/color][/url]

Harper stood in the House today and said he may appeal the court's decision. What a scumbag.

Yes. Iggy and the Liberals are pretending that they are in opposition to Harper's position on this - but how is it credible? They had 3 1/2 years to bring a Canadian citizen home. Khadr's mother was interviewed on CBC this morning and pointed this out.

How is it that the opposition parties lack the guts to pass a law requiring the government to respect a judge's decision?

[url=http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2009/04/24/khadr-appeal.html][color=red]T... to appeal Khadr court ruling[/color][/url]

remind wrote:

So I find it interesting that the  some of the same people are now advocating a  new law be made.

Ah, the arm chair punditry of it all, if only it was so easy.

Could you possibly lay off for two seconds? Leave me and others here alone? Pay attention to the issue here? Thanks.

remind, I wasn't implying that the government would choose not to ignore a new bill passed by the opposition. However, it would at least make a strong statement and show some courage - as well as bring additinal attention to this issue.

The opposition can't pass laws forcing  the ruling government to do anything, let alone in this instance.

doppleposten

Okay then unionist, I guess we are ascribing to Kyoto at this present time then, and it must be my imagination that it is being ignored by the Conservatives.

I did mean what I said, that you chose to intrepret  it as being other than what I was saying is a burden of your own making.

The opposition cannot pass laws to force government to do anything, period. They can pass em, but not force them to follow them. Force being the key word in both wordings. Hell, the government itself can pass its own laws it doesn't  follow, and they can't force themselves to either. :D

If you two don't get along, I swear I'll start posting Metallica youtube links again.

Unionist wrote:

Oh, you mean governments can [i]violate[/i] laws?

Not at all. A government in Ottawa would never admit to aiding and abetting the American inquisition. Omar is a useful bogyman in this phony war, and our phony government at the time knew it, too. 

Quote:

The same could have been done in the case of Omar Khadr - except I think the Liberals would have chickened out.

The Liberals were the ones who handed Omar over to the American inquisition, and then they lied to the NDP in Canadian parliament and said that they would take good care of Omar's basic rights.

I guess the Harper government is going ahead with the appeal afterall.  I thought maybe they wouldn't, considering even Conservative newspapers like The Ottawa Citizen have criticised them for it.

How did you get that photo?????? You've obviously breached new security rules:

[url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/barackobama/5... attempts to block publication of 2,000 torture photos[/u][/color][/url]

[url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8052999.stm][color=red]George W. Obama[/color][/url]:

Quote:

Civil liberties groups have reacted angrily to US President Barack Obama's decision to revive military trials for some Guantanamo Bay detainees. [...]

In contrast, Mr Obama found support for his decision among his opponents.

"I am pleased that President Obama has now adopted this view," said Republican Senator John McCain, who lost the presidential election to Mr Obama.

Ari Fleischer, who was George W Bush's first press secretary, said President Obama "should acknowledge his campaign criticisms were wrong".

"With some minor changes, [b]he really is following the same path President Bush pursued[/b]," he said.

Has there been a war in recent history where prisoners of war were not allowed to go home?

Many thanks for your previous message. I, too, have been saddened and
deeply ashamed by Stephen Harper's refusal to stand up and defend the
fundamental rights of Omar Khadr as a Canadian citizen.

We are disappointed by the recent decision by the Harper government to
file an appeal rather than abide by a judicial order to seek the return
of Omar Khadr to Canada.

Last November, Americans wanted to turn the page on the Bush
administration's disastrous record on human rights. They voted for
change when they elected Back Obama and he immediately signed an
executive order to finally shut down the infamous Guantanamo Bay prison.

On March 24th, Canadians spoke through their elected representatives,
telling Stephen Harper that it's time to bring Omar Khadr home from the
depths of Guantanamo. The House of Commons passed New Democrat Human
Rights Critic, Wayne Marston's concurrence motion, calling for the
immediate repatriation of Omar Khadr. This motion endorsed a report
compiled a year ago by the House Subcommittee on Human Rights which
called for Khadr's repatriation.
Http://www.ndp.ca/press/marston-s-khadr-motion-passes-repatriation-urged
.

Now that President Obama has begun the process of closing Guantanamo,
there is no justifiable reason for Stephen Harper to still cling to
George Bush's legacy of brutality. In opposition, Mr. Harper once spoke
of the government's moral responsibility to respect to the will of
Parliament, because it was ultimately the democratic will of Canadians.
However, in government Mr. Harper has continued the Liberals' shameful
record of non-interference in the case of Omar Khadr.

As a free and democratic nation, I believe that we have a responsibility
to guarantee the basic human rights of all our citizens, regardless of
how we may personally feel about the accused. During his almost six year
incarceration in Guantanamo Bay, Omar has not been treated humanely and
has been denied a fair trial. Furthermore, at the time he was taken into
custody, Omar Khadr was by all definitions a child soldier. As mandated
by the UN Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the
Child, in a warzone, children must be understood as the victims of
conflict rather than consenting participants in it.

This makes our government's indifference inexcusable, especially when
considering that all other prisoners from Western democracies being held
at Guantanamo Bay have been repatriated to their home countries. The
Canadian justice system and our inherit rights of citizenship are not
luxuries. Rather, they are democratic checks meant to protect our
fundamental rights, even in our nation's darkest hours. That's why I
want to assure you that our team of New Democrats will continue to
hammer the Harper Conservatives on this issue.

Again, thank you for taking the time to register your concern. Feel free
to pass this email to anyone who may be interested. I also invite you to
check our website at www.ndp.ca to learn the latest work being done by
our team of New Democrats.

Sincerely,

Jack Layton, MP (Toronto-Danforth)
Leader, Canada's New Democrats

The email was sent to me before that move of Obama's was announced, I just hadn't checked my inbox for over a week.

And I call BS on the craven moral cowards comment, Marsten put the Bill forward, which is more than anyone else has done.

Jingles, they were fascists in the Chretien Liberal government who initially wanted Omar tried on charges of terrorism. The NDP interrogated the Liberals as to whether they, as government of the day, were looking after Omar's rights as a child as well as his international rights as a child soldier. And the Liberals stood their and lied to Canadian parliament that they would. It was the Liberals who aided and abetted the American inquisition with Omar's first interrogation, and then they abandoned him to a US kangaroo military justice at Gitmo where he's been ever since. Dont blame the American inquisitors - blame our snivelling, conniving vicious toadies in Ottawa for not standing up for a Canadian citizen detained illegally in Cuba.

That's right!! Every time the NDP stood up in the House of Commons and demanded our vicious toadies repatriate Omar Khadr, Liberal government ministers, and now the Tories have answered them with.....

[Pee Wee Herman on] "We cant HEAR you, NDP!!! lalalalalalalala"

But nnnnow! Now that the Liberals are looking for some edge in phony opposition to the Property Party, theyre finally seeing a certain few things the NDP's way: [url=http://www.ndp.ca/press/marston-s-khadr-motion-passes-repatriation-urged...'s Khadr motion passes: repatriation urged[/url]

Now we just have to wait for the Liberals to stop propping-up the other wing of the Property Party in government. Final Jeopardy tune plays on still after 70-some odd confidence votes for the Tories

Latest news from CP:

"OTTAWA - Prime Minister Stephen Harper has told Fox News and its American audience that Canada is not willing to take in Guantanamo Bay detainees. In a wide-ranging interview from his office on Parliament Hill on Friday afternoon, Harper said his government has a strong record in opposing terrorism and is 'not offering Canada as a safe haven for anyone that the United States considers to be a terrorist.' Without mentioning Omar Khadr by name, the prime minister said there is a Canadian at Guantanamo who's charged, and his government is waiting to see what U.S. President Barack Obama's administration does in that particular case.... The administration reportedly sent an envoy to Canada to ask the federal government to accept Guantanamo detainees, but the the request was rejected."

Yep, that's Stephen Harper for you. Gotta love him. Not.

GTMO is closing, man. The U.S.A. wants to get rid of all of its detainees.