Legal Commentary

Omar Khadr's Brother Freed in Canada, U.S. Extradition Request Denied

By Jeralyn

In 2005, the U.S. issued an extradition warrant for Abdullah Khadr, the brother of Guantanamo child solder Omar Khadr, whose Guantanamo trial begins Tuesday. He's been in jail in Canada ever since. Now 29, Abdullah was freed Wednesday when a Canadian court refused to extradite him.

He is wanted in the U.S. for allegedly purchasing weapons for al-Qaida and plotting to kill Americans abroad. The U.S. case against Khadr relied on a statement he made to the FBI and Canadian police in Pakistan, and information he gave when he arrived in Toronto in December 2005. Khadr's lawyers argued the statements made in Pakistan were the result of torture.

And, that's $500,000.00 the CIA threw down the drain. It paid that amount as a bounty to Pakistani authorities in 2004 to detain Abdullah. He was then turned over to Canada which arrested him on the U.S. warrant.

Canada's Justice Minister Rob Nicholson says the government would study the ruling closely before deciding whether to appeal.

[More...]

Omar Khadr's military commission trial is about to begin at Gitmo. Reporters, like Daphne Eviatar of the Washington Independent will be on scene. Motions will be heard Monday and the trial begins Tuesday.

His lawyer is arguing he should get a 3:1 sentencing credit due to the abuse he suffered. He also asked the Supreme Court to stop the trial next week, but it refused.

The father of Omar and Abdullah was an al Qaeda member who was killed in a shoot-out. Another brother, Abdul Karim Khadr, was paralyzed in the attack. Another brother, Abdurahman Khadr, was also arrested and brought to Gitmo, but released. He later renounced al Qaeda and his mother said she was ashamed of him for it. More on the family here.

Back in 2004, former Blogger Jeanne D'Arc wrote:

Omar Khadr is as much a victim of these people as a member of the family. He's eighteen years old. When he was captured in Afghanistan, he was fifteen -- a child turned into a soldier by parents from hell. And our government's response to this victim of child abuse was to abuse him further.

Full post as published by TalkLeft on August 06, 2010 (boomark / email).