[kerfuffled]

By COLIN FREEZE


Toronto — A Canadian teenager who has spent his formative years in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, has been tortured by his U.S. captors, the teen's lawyers and relatives said Wednesday.

They urged Canadian officials to be more “outspoken” in securing the legal rights of Omar Khadr, who has been detained since he was captured in a deadly Afghanistan firefight with U.S. forces three years ago, when he was just 15 years old. The lawyers accused Canada of being complicit in the “torture” he is said to have suffered.

Mr. Khadr, an Afghanistan-raised Arab Canadian citizen whose brothers and late father have also been detained as suspected terrorists, was visited by his U.S. lawyers for four days this past fall. They said he had been mistreated by his captors and is traumatized by his ordeal. “He had just turned 18 at the time we were there,” said laywer Muneer Ahmed. “He a young 18. He's a child.”

Mr. Khadr has not been formally charged with any crime, but U.S. forces have declared him an enemy combatant and accused him of killing an American soldier with a grenade and also laying landmines meant to blow up U.S. vehicles. He has not been given any of the legal rights typically afforded to prisoners of war.

In a new affidavit, the lawyers allege that American soldiers traumatized Mr. Khadr by physically abusing him, threatening him with rape, and using him as a “human mop” to clean up his own urine. The allegations are the latest in a long series of complaints of human rights abuses to be levied by a detainees against the U.S. soldiers who run the detainment facility on the coast of Cuba.

The teenager is said to suffer recurring nightmares that he is shot during interrogations.

Mr. Khadr's mother and grandmother attended the press conference, at times weeping. The mother, Maha Elsamnah, had lawyer Dennis Edney read a prepared statement. “As a mother, I beg every Canadian mother and father to get justice for my son and bring him home,” she said.

“Canadians always stand for justice,” she said.

A year ago, Ms. Elsamanh shocked Canadians when she appeared in a television interview to speak of how terrorist training camps in Afghanistan were great places for her four Canadian sons to learn discipline. She and her husband were friends with al-Qaeda leaders Osama bin Laden and Ayman Al-Zawahiri, and fled the Taliban-controlled country when the U.S. forces invaded after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

The father was killed by the Pakistan military in 2003, and the youngest son, Karim, was crippled in that attack. The other three Khadr sons have also been detained as terrorism suspects — including Omar, who was captured in 2002; Abdurahaman, 21 who was released from Guantanamo Bay in 2003 after agreeing to work as a spy for the Americans; and Abdullah, 23, who is believed to have been captured in Pakistan this past fall.

Mr. Edney, the Khadr family's Edmonton-based lawyer, is planning on launching a legal action on behalf of Abdullah, but refused to discuss that case, saying the press conference was meant only to draw attention to the plight of Omar Khadr.

Mr. Edney, did, however, compare Omar's case to that of Maher Arar and William Sampson — Canadian nationals who complain that Ottawa was complicit in torture they suffered in Middle Eastern prisons.

Toronto — A Canadian teenager who has spent his formative years in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, has been tortured by his U.S. captors, the teen's lawyers and relatives said Wednesday.

They urged Canadian officials to be more “outspoken” in securing the legal rights of Omar Khadr, who has been detained since he was captured in a deadly Afghanistan firefight with U.S. forces three years ago, when he was just 15 years old. The lawyers accused Canada of being complicit in the “torture” he is said to have suffered.

Mr. Khadr, an Afghanistan-raised Arab Canadian citizen whose brothers and late father have also been detained as suspected terrorists, was visited by his U.S. lawyers for four days this past fall. They said he had been mistreated by his captors and is traumatized by his ordeal. “He had just turned 18 at the time we were there,” said laywer Muneer Ahmed. “He a young 18. He's a child.”

Mr. Khadr has not been formally charged with any crime, but U.S. forces have declared him an enemy combatant and accused him of killing an American soldier with a grenade and also laying landmines meant to blow up U.S. vehicles. He has not been given any of the legal rights typically afforded to prisoners of war.

In a new affidavit, the lawyers allege that American soldiers traumatized Mr. Khadr by physically abusing him, threatening him with rape, and using him as a “human mop” to clean up his own urine. The allegations are the latest in a long series of complaints of human rights abuses to be levied by a detainees against the U.S. soldiers who run the detainment facility on the coast of Cuba.

The teenager is said to suffer recurring nightmares that he is shot during interrogations.

Mr. Khadr's mother and grandmother attended the press conference, at times weeping. The mother, Maha Elsamnah, had lawyer Dennis Edney read a prepared statement. “As a mother, I beg every Canadian mother and father to get justice for my son and bring him home,” she said.

“Canadians always stand for justice,” she said.

A year ago, Ms. Elsamanh shocked Canadians when she appeared in a television interview to speak of how terrorist training camps in Afghanistan were great places for her four Canadian sons to learn discipline. She and her husband were friends with al-Qaeda leaders Osama bin Laden and Ayman Al-Zawahiri, and fled the Taliban-controlled country when the U.S. forces invaded after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

The father was killed by the Pakistan military in 2003, and the youngest son, Karim, was crippled in that attack. The other three Khadr sons have also been detained as terrorism suspects — including Omar, who was captured in 2002; Abdurahaman, 21 who was released from Guantanamo Bay in 2003 after agreeing to work as a spy for the Americans; and Abdullah, 23, who is believed to have been captured in Pakistan this past fall.

Mr. Edney, the Khadr family's Edmonton-based lawyer, is planning on launching a legal action on behalf of Abdullah, but refused to discuss that case, saying the press conference was meant only to draw attention to the plight of Omar Khadr.

Mr. Edney, did, however, compare Omar's case to that of Maher Arar and William Sampson — Canadian nationals who complain that Ottawa was complicit in torture they suffered in Middle Eastern prisons.


Well folks,Khadrs, for 'em or against 'em?
DISCUSS...

My 2c= They and their terrorist savage brats should get nothing. They brought this all on themselves and they only lived in Canada out of convenience and for a short time anyways.Ta hell with 'em

[alsocanadian]

Hey, He's just a poor young Canadian child. Just instead of killing people on the playstation he chooses to do it for real

IAM(also)CANADIAN

[Telkwa]

kerfuffled kerfuffled:

Well folks,Khadrs, for 'em or against 'em?
DISCUSS...

That's really not the question. Whether you like the Khadrs or not, or even believe the media hype, the real questions are, Do you support torture? and Do you support prisoners being held illegally, without charge, and normal legal due process?

The Kahdrs are their own worst enemies when it comes to dealing with authority. They are obvious media morons. Only one of them seems to have even partially made the cultural adaption to living in the West. None of this is criminal. It takes two or three generations to accomplish that. Did their kid do the bad stuff? That what due process is all about. If we abandon due process, as the Americans seem to have done, we will sink to the level of Nazis, as the Americans seem to have done.

[putz]

$1:

Well folks,Khadrs, for 'em or against 'em?
DISCUSS...

My 2c= They and their terrorist savage brats should get nothing. They brought this all on themselves and they only lived in Canada out of convenience and for a short time anyways.Ta hell with 'em

I can't agree with this more except I do believe Omar was born here. Hmmm lets send our kids to a terrorist camp to teach them disicpline. Not to sound racists or anything but..... I say that the whole family should be deported! No wonder countries around the world think that our national security is a joke!

[Telkwa]

Sorry, putz, but one man's terrorist is another's patriot. It all depends on choosing sides. Regardless, modern civilized society requires that we all follow the rule of law. We can't deport someone because we don't like them. If we could, then you would be on the top of my list to be deported. I'm joking, but I think you can see my point. We can't arbitrarily apply laws or not because George Bush has a snit.

[putz]

$1:

Sorry, putz, but one man's terrorist is another's patriot. It all depends on choosing sides. Regardless, modern civilized society requires that we all follow the rule of law. We can't deport someone because we don't like them. If we could, then you would be on the top of my list to be deported. Very Happy I'm joking, but I think you can see my point. We can't arbitrarily apply laws or not because George Bush has a snit.

Can't deport me this is my home country and country of birth
One mans terrorist is another patriot but (I can here the can of worms opening...) the US is not INTENTIONALLY attacking unarmed people (i.e. sept 11). The simple fact is here (the west) where the GREATER MAJORITY feel that in this case the freedom fighter is the terrorist and that by having them in this country they pose a risk to this countries citizens, they should then be removed. ADVOCATING THE HOPE THAT YOUR DAUGHTER DIE AS A MARTYR AGAINST THE WEST is a perfect example. The family, in my opinion, is just luck that there hasn't been any sort vigilante action against them. I do however understand where you are coming from....

[canadian1971]

I too am surprised that no individual has done any thing against them....freaking nutbars everywhere. I don't see a problem in deporting them...FUCK EM.....this shit took place in Afganistan did it not? Isn't Canada also in Afganistan? Are we not allied with the U.S. there? If so an act of aggression upon 1, is an act of aggression upon the other. As for the torture and inhumane treatment....FUCK EM....let the fuckers rot if they are guilty, and these particular ?people? are so obviously guilty. I truely belive in immigration but maybe we should beef up our screening prosses(?) to keep the likes of this shit out of our country.

Due prossess is a 2 way street in my opinion, I don't think they terrorist gave the 3000 people in thw WTC due prossess? Correct me if Im wrong eh.....so FUCK EM

"The teenager is said to suffer recurring nightmares that he is shot during interrogations"...poor baby...once again...FUCK EM...I see 3000 people that will never have the gift of another nightmare. Don't do the crime if you can't do the time.....

I'm not against immigration, nor am I a racist, but we have to keep this particular type of people the fuck out of our country.

And now for my finall thoughts......FUCK EM...FUCK EM RIGHT IN THE FUCKING EAR!

[alsocanadian]

Hey Canadian1971...just what are you trying to say

IAM(also)CANADIAN

[canadian1971]

I'm not quite sure.....ummmmmmmmm



fuck em?

yea that's it...very uncanadian of me I know...but fuck em.
Show them the Kodiak.

[Rev_Blair]

Khadr is being held illegally. He is being tortured. Do you really think he knows anything? Why are they interrogating him? He was just a kid from a wacky family, not a high-level al Qaeda operative.

He is entitled to his rights under international laws, US laws, and Canadian laws. That our government isn't demanding that he either be given a trial or be released is ridiculous. When the Khadr family launches a lawsuit against the US and Canada they will win. They have a strong case that is backed up by documents from the International Red Cross, the FBI, Human Rights Watch, and probably CSIS and the RCMP.

Then you guys will bitch about that because millions of your tax dollars will go to some people you don't like. The truth is that NOBODY is above the law though...Not the US government, not the Canadian government...so we will deserve to lose.

[putz]

$1:

Khadr is being held illegally.

He is not he was an enemy combatant. He is also not entitled to the rights under the Geneva Convention as he is not a POW.

$1:

He is entitled to his rights under international laws, US laws, and Canadian laws.

International yes, US yes, Canadian nope sorry there he is not in a Canadian Country nor was he captured in Canadian Territory.

$1:

That our government isn't demanding that he either be given a trial or be released is ridiculous.

Given the fact that the family are known associates to Osama and that he trained in a Al-Quada camp it really isn't ridiculous at all.

$1:

When the Khadr family launches a lawsuit against the US and Canada they will win. They have a strong case that is backed up by documents from the International Red Cross, the FBI, Human Rights Watch, and probably CSIS and the RCMP.

They will not they will loose and the erason why they will loose will be classified. Also, how do you PERSONALLY know that he does not have any useful information see my last point.....

$1:

Then you guys will bitch about that because millions of your tax dollars will go to some people you don't like. The truth is that NOBODY is above the law though...Not the US government, not the Canadian government...so we will deserve to lose.

Yeah and we have every right to bitch. This is afterall a free country and the overall thought is that if you are spouting hate and terrorist rehtoric then they should be expelled. Afterall, they came here the government trusted them and they abused that trust and now people have died from their actions.

[Rev_Blair]

$1:

He is not he was an enemy combatant.

That's a non-existent classification. It has no legal standing. They are either POWs and entitled to their rights under the Geneva Conventions or the are prisoners under criminal law and are entitled to the same rights as anybody else.

$1:

International yes, US yes, Canadian nope sorry there he is not in a Canadian Country nor was he captured in Canadian Territory.

Khadr's lawyers have evidence that CSIS was interrogating Omar in Guantanamo. He is a Canadian citizen. He was travelling on a Canadian passport.

$1:

Given the fact that the family are known associates to Osama and that he trained in a Al-Quada camp it really isn't ridiculous at all.

Because 15 year old boys are always terrorist masterminds. Grab a brain, Putz.

$1:

They will not they will loose and the erason why they will loose will be classified.

They will win. You will whine. All because you support taking people's rights away at the whim of a half-retarded Texan coke fiend.

$1:

Yeah and we have every right to bitch. This is afterall a free country and the overall thought is that if you are spouting hate and terrorist rehtoric then they should be expelled.

Are you volunteering to be expelled? You are spouting hate and anti-Canadian rhetoric. Where should we ship you off too? I hear that there are some empty cells in Guantanmo Bay.

[putz]

$1:

That's a non-existent classification. It has no legal standing. They are either POWs and entitled to their rights under the Geneva Conventions or the are prisoners under criminal law and are entitled to the same rights as anybody else.

That is a touchy issue, according to the US under their law it is a classification. Human rights groups and the such are wary about tackeling that one head on.

$1:

Khadr's lawyers have evidence that CSIS was interrogating Omar in Guantanamo. He is a Canadian citizen. He was travelling on a Canadian passport.

I wiill wait to see the evidence on this one. Just like i have evidence on who shot JFK. Canadian or not and traveling on a Canadian passport or not it does not matter(for a Canadian law stand point) because he is outside of the canadian Judicial System our laws here cannot protect him.

$1:

Because 15 year old boys are always terrorist masterminds. Grab a brain, Putz.

RE READ:

$1:

Given the fact that the family are known associates to Osama and that he trained in a Al-Quada camp it really isn't ridiculous at all.

Just because hes young (and his father was a well known associate of Bin Laden and his brother ran a training camp) doesn't mean that he won't know things like... what the training routine is like in a terrorist camp. Who did his father talk to and associate with that may still speak or know where Bin Laden is and so on and so forth. Lets no forget the "15 year old kid" is accused of murder and also planting mines to kill and maime.

$1:

They will win. You will whine. All because you support taking people's rights away at the whim of a half-retarded Texan coke fiend.

They won't win through the courts. They eventually release him from Gitmo. I don't support taking peoples rights away, never siad that as a matter of fact I don't ever remember saying that I endorsed the actions at gitmo or Abu Garid. Find a post that states directly that I stated support of those actions and you win.

$1:

Are you volunteering to be expelled? You are spouting hate and anti-Canadian rhetoric. Where should we ship you off too? I hear that there are some empty cells in Guantanmo Bay.

REALLY! What was the point of that I never was spouting hate towards any ethnic group only towards terrorism and to this individual. As for the anti-canadian rhetoric wheres that I NEVER spoke out against the country EVER.

BTW notice how much maturity I show by not launching insults. Take a long look at this. This is how ADULTS debate, rev. But at least your not telling me to catch bullets anymore.

[Telkwa]

putz, do you know how many terrorists the US has successfully prosecuted in courts of law? Zero. The Bushies are on very shaky ground with this stuff.

[alsocanadian]

They have prosecuted thousands under section 5.56, section 7.62, also look under .45 and subsection 9mm!

IAM(also)CANADIAN