Omar Khadr to receive apology and $10.5M compensation package from Canada: official

The Toronto-born Khadr, 30, who pleaded guilty to five war crimes before a much maligned military commission in 2010 related to alleged offences that occurred in Afghanistan in 2002 when he was 15 years old, was suing the federal government for $20 million for breaching his rights.
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A badly wounded Khadr was captured by U.S. troops following a firefight at a suspected al-Qaida compound that resulted in the death of an American special forces soldier, U.S. army Sgt. Christopher Speer. Khadr was accused of throwing the grenade that killed Speer.

Omar Khadr to receive apology and $10.5M compensation package from Canada: official

Well, well. Here is the response from the Canadian government to a jihadist who was born in Toronto, and joined the terrorists/JIhadists in Afghanistan to kill American and allied soldiers. Not only was he released by the Canadian court in 2015, but he is now being given $10.5 million compensation and an apology because they say the "evidence was flimsy that he threw a grenade that killed U.S. army Sgt. Christopher Speer."

According to the Canadian court, the confession in which Khadr explained how he threw the grenade was obtained "under duress", and hence they claim that his confession was done "only so he could get out of Guantanamo.

Even though it has been prove that Khadr had killed other people, hence the 5 war crimes in which he pleaded guilty.

I am going to concentrate on the confession that was obtained to see whether or not it is true that "he just made the confession because he had been tortured, and otherwise he wouldn't have confessed".

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July 2002 firefight

He describes in detail about being at the compound in Khowsi, Afghanistan, in July 2002, and being told that Americans were on their way. ​

Following a firefight between men in the compound and the Americans, Khadr pulled a grenade he had been given earlier from a pocket in the right side of his shirt, according to the report.

With his ammunition vest empty, Khadr was told to use the grenade to defend himself.

"Khadr pulled the pin on the grenade as he had seen in movies," the report states.

The report says that Khadr, with his right hand, threw the grenade over his shoulder toward the Americans.

"He did not see who he threw the grenade at and he did not see the explosion. He just knew he threw the grenade in the direction of the Americans," the report states.

Khadr did hear the explosion, then gunfire from the Americans, at which point he was shot three times in the back, the report says.​
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www.cbc.ca...

in the confession Khadr stated that he had run out of ammunition and threw a grenade in the general direction of the American soldiers. He also said he heard the explosion but he wasn't sure who was hit by the grenade"...

Does that really sound like a confession obtained "under duress"? If the confession had been obtained "under duress" wouldn't Khadr confession had included that "he was sure he had killed U.S. army Sgt. Christopher Speer"?

Even if we could not prove 100% that the grenade that Khadr had thrown was the one that had killed U.S. army Sgt. Christopher Speer, there are the other war crimes that this man had done.

Not to mention the fact that we are talking about a Canadian who willingly joined Jihadists/terrorists in Afghanistan so he "could kill Americans and allied soldiers". But the response of the Canadian government under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is to give a compensation of $10.5 million, and an apology to someone who had willingly joined jihadists in Afghanistan and committed 5 other war crimes, apart from throwing a grenade which is probable the one that killed U.S. army Sgt. Christopher Speer.

Insanity, if I was frozen up in Canada I'd be really pissed that my taxes are paying this evil creature!

a reply to: ElectricUniverse

I see Canada has gone insane like Europe.

The governments should deny these kinds of things right away. No one who was conspiring with terrorists should be allowed to sue the government.

Get paid enough to start your own army by stealing from the Western middle class through Western lawyers...

What's the middle Eastern version of the American dream again?

Absolute madness. Somewhere along the line the concept of law got twisted up so badly that we started to reward the criminals, and the law enforcement went from carrying six shooters to having enough fire power to take out a small community.

I look forward to ditching you all in the mess you've made.

As a Canadian I'm not at all impressed, I'll leave it at that

a reply to: ElectricUniverse

At fifteen, he was still a boy and, going off what he was doing, a stupid one at that. Obviously full of hatred.

An acknowledgement that interrogations exceeded what is acceptable should have been fine in this case. Not a penny in compensation because, child or not, he was an actual living embodiment of 'enemy combatant.' He's lucky that Canada will take him when a one way flight to northern Afghanistan seems far more appropriate.

A second issue is the level of fines. The criminal justice system screws up sometimes and big fines are often appropriate. I'm thinking of innocent lives being ruined then compensated for. In cases where the complainant is an actual criminal or Jihadi, the fines should go to charity or a victim fund. It's absurd to see people like this getting to live a better life than 99% of decent people. The courts can pay penance without turning guys like this into millionaires.

Maybe Canadian bacon and Maple syrup really aren't that healthy for you?
Or Justin Trudeau is trying to prove how extra-super-duper-special-progressive the NuCanadian government really is.
This is beyond the pale of irrational, downright looneytunes on acid.

a reply to: Kandinsky

Not only is the fact that a willing murderer is being compensated with $10.5 million, and is being given an apology from Canadian officials. But what do you think this will do to "other Canadian citizens" who are sympathizers with Jihadists?... Do you think this trial will make them think twice about joining jihadists/murderers? Or will they think... "heck, not only do i get to murder soldiers, but I will probably get compensated and become a multi-millionaire"...

This is an stupid and dangerous precedent that the Canadian government has set in motion, and i am afraid it is not going to be the only case in which Jihadists will be compensated and apologized to...

a reply to: Kandinsky

I don't understand why Canada is paying? I don't believe it was Canada that interrogated him, so why is the taxpayer liable..it's insanity.
To be clear, he is not due 1 red cent from any Govt, I see nothing wrong with his interogation..he wanted to play big boy games.

a reply to: ElectricUniverse

It's a shockingly terrible precedent.

This guy is probably a hero to Trudeau. A Muslim Freedom Fighter killing an American Imperialist Soldier. I'm surprised he only got an apology and $10 million.

a reply to: ElectricUniverse

I don't see any upsides in giving him so much money. There's no moral reason to make him a multi-millionaire. Even if he's changed his mind and doesn't harbour Jihadi ideas, he should be thankful to be free in Canada. I don't see it inciting others, it's just all ways of wrong on its own.

Imagine if they fined him $10.5 for waging war against his own nation? Give with one hand and take it right back with the other

a reply to: vonclod

The compensation and apology come after the Supreme Court of Canada ruled in 2010 that Canadian intelligence officials obtained evidence from Khadr under “oppressive circumstances,” such as sleep deprivation, during interrogations at Guantanamo Bay in 2003.

“Canada has a history of recognizing and apologizing when it has made mistakes,” she added. “This settlement is a recognition of the fact that we have standards in Canada.”

She explained that because Khadr is a Canadian citizen, the country had a “higher threshold” of responsibilities, as opposed to the United States. The settlement is also in response to Khadr suing the Canadian government.

Link

a reply to: ElectricUniverse

You didn't read this? You dont consider this a red flag as to the validity of the confessions?

www.cbc.ca...

CBC's Terence McKenna, who has done extensive investigative work on the Khadr case, including two documentaries, questioned this confession,saying there have been at least eight confessions by Khadr, with details changing from report to report. "This document wouldn't last five minutes in a court of law," he said.

a reply to: Kandinsky

It appears to me that even the confessions by Khadr were in doubt.
10 million doesn't sound like a lot of money being holed up for so many years

globalnews.ca...

Dennis Edney, one of Khadr’s lawyers, who was initially unaware of the document, expressed profound surprise at its contents. “There’s not such a being as a criminal youth court in Guantanamo,” Edney said from Edmonton. “Why would you do that? Internationally, the place was condemned because it didn’t distinguish between Omar being a child and Omar being an adult.” The Americans captured the horrifically wounded Khadr in the rubble of a bombed out compound in Afghanistan in July 2002 following a fierce firefight that left an American special forces soldier dead and another partly blinded. In October 2010, the Canadian citizen pleaded guilty to five war crimes before a military commission at Guantanamo Bay, and was handed an eight-year sentence. The Toronto-born Khadr, who has long maintained the Americans tortured him during his lengthy captivity, later said he only pleaded guilty so he could return to Canada.

a reply to: TheConstruKctionofLight

I don't support Guantanamo.

My argument is he shouldn't become a millionaire. He was a Canadian national fighting against western troops in Afghanistan and doesn't deserve compensation.

a reply to: ElectricUniverse

Lol wtf is going on

originally posted by: Asktheanimals
Maybe Canadian bacon and Maple syrup really aren't that healthy for you?
Or Justin Trudeau is trying to prove how extra-super-duper-special-progressive the NuCanadian government really is.
This is beyond the pale of irrational, downright looneytunes on acid.

Hey now! Let's just leave the Canadian Bacon out of this. Unless of course you're referring to the John Candy film, then by all means proceed accordingly.

Since when did it become 'de rigueur' for the victim to compensate the aggressor

The world has gone mad and the lunatics are running the asylum