The is in response to the editorial in the July 26 Saanich News ‘Rights of citizens aren’t disposable.’ Omar Khadr is a terrorist and a criminal. Period.
In 2002 he lived and trained in Afghan Taliban compounds, with bomb-building Islamic jihadis, planting roadside explosives (IEDs). Canadian citizenship and the Canadian Charter, do not alter these facts.
Killing, maiming and terrorizing appeals to jihadis of all ages. Khadr is no different. He was, and is, a dangerous individual. Khadr’s father was a known associate of Bin Laden. Former Liberal prime minister Jean Chretien at one point interceded with Pakistani authorities to free the elder Khadr, who was killed in October 2003 in a shootout with Pakistani security forces near the Afghan border.
The Khadr family made annual trips to Canada from Afghanistan, to raise money and collect supplies to support their terrorist activities. Omar Khadr and his jihadi cohorts attacked a U.S. patrol on July 27, 2002 which killed U.S. Sgt. Speers (medic). U.S. Sgt. Morris lost an eye in that firefight. Khadr ended up in Guantanamo Bay because U.S soldiers captured him instead of killing him.
No matter how you try to spin it, $10.5 million is a reward. It is certainly not punishment. It will serve to advance Khadr’s agenda. The charter was never intended to enrich terrorists and criminals, but that is exactly what has happened in this case. If anything, this case highlights the charter’s flaws
Furthermore, spineless, weak and corrupt Justin Trudeau and his Liberals, made the $10.5 million offer to Khadr before the judicial processes were completed in both Canada and the U.S. The false narrative is that Trudeau “saved” us money because Khadr’s suits were likely to be successful. This is speculation, not fact, intended to justify the payout. Trudeau has racked up billions in debt for any number of questionable projects in under two years, to cover the cost of his big government agenda. Economists predict he will add $150 billion to the debt in five years. He is hardly a spendthrift.
A U.S. judge has awarded Sgt Speers’ widow and Sgt Morris US $134.1 million in damages against Khadr. The only justice would be if Khadr’s Canadian $10.5 million reward went directly to these two individuals.
J. Holsten
Saanich