Omar Khadr, a Canadian native and Guantanamo prisoner, is accused of killing U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Christopher Speer of Albuquerque, New Mexico, with a grenade during a 2002 battle in Afghanistan when he was 15. Why is this? It took place during a battle at a time that the Bush Regime described as war.
If this person was taking part in a battle on the opposing side, how is he no more than a prisoner of war? How many German soldiers, for instance, were taken prisoner during WW II, who killed American soldiers. Why were they not tried for murder? This makes no sense to me.
War is murder, pure and simple. Soldiers kill each other. American soldiers have killed many Afghans and mercenaries in that country. Could Afghanistan put one of them on trial for murder? Our government usually howls, when a country captures one of our soldiers and threatens to put him on trial for murder. Now we are doing the same thing. I guess it is usual double standard. We are always right and the opposition is always wrong. Thankfully, the president has put a halt to trials at Guantanamo until this entire mess can be sorted out.
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What army was this Afghan a part of ?
Read the first line once more Mom2. He is a Canadian. I suppose he was a mercenary, serving with the Taliban army.
Don't forget the US military refused to release the records so the guy can mount a defense. Also, international law & customs make clear that child soldiers like Khadr are themselves victims of war. Yes, I know: sounds unreasonable, but we do the same thing with our juvenile system. Fact is, kids can't be held to a adult standard when they are incapable of making adult decisions.
Back in 2008, Lt. Col. Brownback was the judge that ruled the military had to turn over the records. Evidently the military didn't like his ruling because, suddenly, Lt. Col. Brownback was dismissed from the case without any explanation.
Now think about it: the military judge has demanded the US gov't abide by the law & turn over the records to the defense team. This is not what the military wants. So what do they do? They dismiss the judge.
Sounds like a classic gov't hatchet job, does it not?
No one wants to just slap Khadr on the wrist & say "Bad boy" & forget about it. Not at all. But there are rules that must be followed. There is a system of justice that we believe in. Frankly, it s difficult for the US to present itself as the emblem of democracy when it practises a kangaroo approach to justice.
The job of enemy propagandists is easier than it ought to be as they seek to paint the US as a phony democracy. When we won't even abide by our own rules of justice or international law about child soldiers, & then do things that look like the military commission is all a farce, we begin to look like the very enemy we are fighting.
http://aclu.org/safefree/detention/35477prs20080530.html
Yes, TBAR. There is a great deal more to this story. The military keeps playing games with the case as it has with so many of the Gitmo cases. Hopefully, with the new people in charge realizing the mess that has been made, some changes will occur.
Let's hope.
We have a loy of American arrogance has known no bounds for too long. I'm hoping too.
That anonymous wasn't me, GMM. Read your commenter again. mom2
My apologies, Mom2. I should have known it wasn't you, because you are always courteous and sign your comments. You don't hide behind anonymous.
Apology accepted. Thanks! Have a good day! mom2
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