Dear Editor,
I’m sure there will continue to be reaction to the Omar Khadr story. We might start by asking what a 15-year-old Canadian was doing fighting in Afghanistan. At the same time we might also ask what the Americans were doing fighting there. I’ve heard it argued that the US was legitimately fighting terrorists responsible for the destruction of the World Trade Center. In fact, none of those responsible for 911 were from Afghanistan. Most of them came from Saudi Arabia, a US ally.

The details of what actually happened in Afghanistan on that fateful day in July, 2002 are far from perfectly clear. You may read on Wikipedia all about that battle and Khadr’s appalling subsequent mistreatment and torture. What’s not in doubt is that the severely wounded 15-year-old Khadr ended up in the US prison at Guantanamo Bay. The Americans set up that prison deliberately offshore so they would not have to respect any of the normal legal processes required by American law. Anyone imprisoned there had two
choices: confess and face further criminal and civil prosecution or resist and spend the rest of your life being tortured.
We know Khadr confessed. That’s hardly surprising after 10 years of torture. Imagine yourself in the same circumstances – wouldn’t you confess to anything to get out of there?
THE EQUITY’s editorial focuses on two important issues. How much should a child soldier, coerced by his father, be held responsible for his actions? How can we justify the participation of the Canadian government in Khadr’s confinement and torture?
In Canada, even those accused of a crime have rights – the right to a fair trial and competent defense. Instead of insisting that Khadr be given those rights, Canadian officials co-operated with the Americans to ensure Khadr’s continued detention and torture in Guantanamo. Canada did not set an example. That’s why the government owed Khadr an apology and compensation.
Doug Brandy, Otter Lake, Que