Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Omar Khadr

He is 21 now, was 15 when he was captured in Afghanistan and 16 when he was detained indefinitely in Guantanamo U.S. Military prison. He was detained for killing a U.S. soldier (Christopher J. Speer) and partially blinding another (Layne Morris). He is one of the few who have had hearings; people have come together, that is, to share information and try to decide what to do with him. A few things have come out:

From the Toronto Star in February of this year: "A document inadvertently released to reporters here Monday disclosed that after the grenade was thrown, a U.S. operative killed another suspect and then shot Khadr twice in the back. The revelation casts doubt on the Pentagon's assertion that Khadr threw the grenade that fatally wounded Delta Force soldier and medic Christopher Speer."

Just today, video was released showing Khadr's interrogation where he cries out for "mommy" and confirms their knowledge that his father brought him to fight with Afghani forces and left him there, taking advantage of the forces' promises to take the burden of feeding and clothing children from their parents.

Khadr was put through sleep deprivation and had bullet wounds that were not healing; some were upset that the interrogation was therefore rough. But not Army Sergeant Layne Morris (who was blinded in one eye by the grenade at the firefight):

"If my drill sergeant had spoken to me like that in basic training I'd probably still be sending him Christmas cards," said Morris, now out of the military and living in Salt Lake City. "He's not sniveling and whining because he's hurt or scared, he's just upset he's in U.S. custody for the foreseeable future."

Morris argues that Khadr was not a soldier but a terrorist and therefore deserves charges of murder. He has said of his detainment:

"I'm fine with this dragging on for another five years before there's a trial as long as they stay locked up."

To put an interesting twist to the story, Speers' widow is suing Khadr's father -- even though Kadhr's father is dead -- for $10 million for the death of her husband, clearly recognizing that the burden of guilt and responsibility lay with the father of the 15-year-old who forced him (what agency does a 15-year-old have in this situation?) into armed service with Afghani forces. (Go here for the story.)

This reminds me of Frank Wuterich, a U.S. Marine charged with the murder of 18 civilians in Haditha. What Wuterich did was disgusting (to see the whole story, click here), but I'm confused. We are at war right? Or police action? Conflict maybe? (Whatever we're calling it.) People fight each other in these things; with deadly weapons it seems. While Morris labels Khadr as a terrorist, I challenge you to define terrorism in such a way that any strategic military action meant to incite fear and to damage the ability of an "enemy" to fight back, including damaging their sense of selfhood and/or nationhood does not somehow fit under that definition. This is NOT to say that soldiers are terrorists. They are engaged with an enemy that recognizes their sovereignty -- this I guess is the difference: Khadr was with Afghanis when he threw a grenade. But how do we define murder during a time of war?

Here's a better list of people to court-martial besides Wuterich and Khadr:
Donald Rumsfeld;
Dick Cheney;
George Bush;
Every other person who sent young people into a violent area and told them that some of them are "enemies" and the rest are "trainable;"
Especially those in the above list who never, themselves, had to look through the target of a gun and decide if someone should be killed.

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

mullah cimoc say:

first, why him this kid not hero for fight foreign invader when just the boy of 15 years old? am him family proud the courage? why khadr not hero? because boy take out ameriki and ameriki so ashame? then to torture?

ameriki him so the big hero and tough guy when to torture the child. am proud mr. tuf ameriki? how many usa soldier the sick brain and danger?

usa to suffering so much for cruel and the torture. now for ameriki economic to punish and suffering and to fight aztec and maya for land. him whitie man now finish and this the punish for it wicked ameriki to tortured it children.

also for punish now ameriki him daughtyer just full slut take LBT (low back tattoo) to sex with every man even it gang member. but ameriki him no even the ashame. and him son the gay homosexual and him wife lesbian never to love cook food for family.

Jamie said...

TY, is that you? who the mullah cimoc?

Ty said...

I wish it was.

Jamie said...

To respond to Muslims against Sharia's most recent post: justice is cold and cares not for names and relations; the point of a judicial system like the one in the U.S. is to move away from the desire for revenge and to move toward a justice that is meted out fairly. The very argument made above is rather vigilante-like. What of all of the widows of this war? What of all the children left orphaned by violence and terrorism? Shall we just continue to fight until every is made to pay? If we went with "an eye for an eye" then the whole world would be blind, no?

My argument is not that Khadr should not be held responsible for his actions -- or for that matter, Wuterich not be charged -- but that it is not justice to call a wartime gunfight murder. And it is not justice to demand that a 15 year old be held responsible when he was made a child soldier by the ruthless Taliban.

Justice does not pick sides.

Anonymous said...

"The very argument made above is rather vigilante-like."

OK, how is this for an argument? The U.S. (as any other country) can legally detain any enemy combatant until the cessation of hostilities without any trials. Is that cold enough for you?

Anonymous said...

"OK, how is this for an argument? The U.S. (as any other country) can legally detain any enemy combatant until the cessation of hostilities without any trials. Is that cold enough for you?"

I'm sure Americans like you would enthusiastically say the same thing about US soldiers detained. Since the war is never-ending, I'm sure you feel any US soldier captured should be held forever without any legal representation or judicial body which may review the case.

Great.

Anonymous said...

"I'm sure Americans like you would enthusiastically say the same thing about US soldiers detained."

I would. Unfortunately our soldiers are usually cut into pieces by your "lawful combatants"

Anonymous said...

You can backpedal, but you've already showed your double standard be describing the death of a US soldier who was shot by an Afghani combatant on Afghani soil as "murder". So, maybe you should troll elsewhere, but it's not my blog.

Jamie said...

I think the Muslims against sharia group are really misunderstanding many of the posts they are talking about.

I'd rather be trolled by the mullah cimoc.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Jamie said...

I've removed the most recent post by MAS because they've decided to use rude language and attack people I like very much. Anything else they try to post will be deleted as well.

And if you read this, MAS: there IS a way to work for peace. You're not doing it.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Jaymie said...

What the hell is going on here? Your blog is seeing a lot of action!! :)