Omar Khadr Trial Still Splits Canadians

July 13, 2008

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Adults in Canada are clearly divided on the pending legal process of Omar Khadr, according to a poll by Angus Reid Strategies. 38 per cent of respondents would leave Khadr to face trial by military commission in Guantanamo Bay, while 37 per cent demand Khadr’s repatriation to face due process under Canadian Law.

Omar Khadr—a Canadian born in Toronto and the son of al-Qaeda fighter Ahmed Said Khadr—was detained by the United States military in Afghanistan in July 2002, after allegedly throwing a grenade that killed a special forces medic. Omar Khadr was 15 at the time.

In June 2007, U.S. military judge Peter Brownback dismissed the charges of murder and terrorism against Omar Khadr, claiming he was authorized to try "unlawful enemy combatants" exclusively. An earlier review had deemed Omar Khadr was an "enemy combatant." However, the case against Omar Khadr was reopened in September 2007, when the new Court of Military Commission Review ruled that Brownback’s decision was in error.

In April, William Kuebler—Khadr’s military lawyer—argued during a pre-trial hearing that the deadly grenade may have been thrown by an American soldier.

Earlier this month, a report revealed that Canadian officials were aware of the harsh treatment that Khadr was subjected to in Guantanamo. According to the document, the U.S. military "deprived" Khadr of sleep for weeks in order to make him "more amenable and willing to talk."

Canadian prime minister Stephen Harper discussed the situation but ruled out any change in policy, saying, "The previous [Liberal Party] government took a (...) all of the information into account when they made the decision on how to proceed with the Khadr case several years ago. Canada has sought assurances that Mr. Khadr, under our government, will be treated humanely. We are monitoring those legal processes very carefully."

Khadr’s military trial is expected to start on Oct. 8