The internment and severe interrogation of 13-year-old Omar Khadir at Guantanamo Bay raises serious ethical issues. His interrogators at the notorious camp have used snarling dogs against him. He was also placed in "stress positions," upended and used as a human mop to clean the floor. The U.S. forces were convinced he had thrown a grenade that killed an American soldier.
Omar Khadir, originally hailing from Canada, is one of the 19 Guantanamo prisoners charged with war crimes. His fellow prisoner, Mohammed Jawad, an Afghan, is a year younger. These two of the lot were juveniles at the time of their alleged offenses, it may be noted.
The latest, and possibly last, sessions of the Guantanamo war crimes tribunal have revealed disturbing details about how Khadr was treated during three months in custody at Bagram, Afghanistan.
The tribunal has refused permission for the defence counsel to introduce as evidence photographs taken at the scene of the July 27, 2002, firefight near Khowst, Afghanistan – it was there Khadr is supposed to have thrown the grenade that killed Army Sgt. 1st Class Christopher Speer.
The photographs taken by U.S. soldiers as they stormed the bombed-out compound show Khadr lying facedown in the dirt under the blasted remnants of a roof. The soldiers didn't know he was there until one stepped on rubble and felt something underneath give way.
Navy Lt. Cmdr. William C. Kuebler, Khadr's lead defense lawyer argued Khadr could hardly have thrown the grenade that killed Speer if he was buried and unconscious when the Delta Force soldier entered.
punished more than enough! The circumstances that led to his imprisonment were preceded by years of family brain washing. I would think that the original culprits are his family who should be charged with child endangerment, mental cruelty, brain washing, child neglect. They are the ones who deserve the cruel punishment that has been meted out to this irreparably damaged young man. Perhaps they should have taken his place in prison, since they are responsible. Or perhaps they themselves might enjoy living in Afghanistan under those conditions rather than in safe comfort in Canada, a privilege which they obviously do not appreciate or deserve.
His victimization has been continued with his inhumane treatment by government officials during his imprisonment ........ while waiting for a 'speedy trial'. In civil law, there is a major protest if a mass murderer has to wait too long for a trial.
Inhumane treatment of animals arouses a major uprise in sympathy & subsequent protests, but apparently not so with this person. This all under the auspices of a Christian country who sets examples for non Christians on how to treat others.
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